Northern Territory Distance Learning Service

Consultant's Report

To improve the quality and effectiveness of distance education, external expertise was engaged in 2005 to develop a new distance education model. The three Northern Territory distance education providers, Northern Territory Open Education Centre, Katherine School of the Air and Alice Springs School of the Air, the community and key stakeholders were all involved in this process.

Mr Gary Barnes, Assistant Director General of the Queensland Department of Education and the Arts was seconded by DEET to undertake the consultation. Mr Barnes has extensive experience in working with distance and online learning, particularly in the rural and remote context. He was assisted by Mr Phil Buchanan, who is experienced in implementing ICT technologies in education and in coordinating the most effective means of integrating these technologies in the delivery of effective teaching and learning.

The consultant’s report was submitted to government in 2006. The majority of the 54 recommendations in the report were accepted, with the following exceptions:

Recommendations Modified

The following recommendations were modified to better meet the Northern Territory context and to ensure flexibility to maintain a leading edge focus. These modifications were around:

• Recommendation 1: The new NTDLS brings together three schools under the one policy and strategic framework that ensures school councils maintain their current powers, individual school council funding, functions and responsibility.
• Recommendation 5: An Advisory Group that advises DEET on the development of policy, strategy and programs was accepted rather than an Advisory Council as outlined in the report. In the context of NT legislation, the formation of an advisory group is more appropriate.
• Recommendation 22: A number of positions were freed up to allow more funding to provide greater flexibility for the NTDLS to purchase teaching and learning materials or source specialist expertise.
• Recommendations 28 and 29: Amalgamation of the Distance Learning Materials and ICT Innovation Units, including an increase in the budget originally recommended.

Recommendations Not Accepted

Recommendations 18 and 23 relating to support for area schools and staffing for CECs, group schools and homelands, were not accepted as these issues are currently being addressed under another Building Better Schools initiative: Develop a New Staffing Allocation Model.

Links to Further Information

Consultants Report [PDF 271kb]

New NT Distance Learning Service

Parents and Students - Your Questions Answered

Staff - Your Questions Answered

Contact

Northern Territory Open Education Centre, Ph 8922 2292, email ntoec@ntoec.nt.edu.au
Alice Springs School of the Air, Ph 8951 6800, email assoa@assoa.nt.edu.au
Katherine School of the Air, Ph 8972 1833, email kath.soa@latis.net.au
Building Better Schools, Ph 1800 722 030, email betterschools@nt.gov.au

This is a Distance Education initiative.