Katherine School of the Air is a distance education school in the Northern Territory of Australia that provides primary and middle school education to isolated students via radio, satellite, internet and other telecommunications technologies. The school began in 1951 when teachers were allowed to use the airwaves of the Royal Flying Doctor service to educate students, and it became its own independent school operating on its own frequencies in 1966. Today it delivers online lessons using REACT software while also providing paper materials. The school serves students from preschool to year 9 and is impacted by the tropical climate of the region, which has wet and dry seasons.

1. By Cosmin Spanu

2. Katherine School of the Air is a Distance Education School, one of the three NT Distance Education
Schools under Northern Territory Department of Education and Children's Services (DECS). The
school caters for isolated Primary and Middle School students who reside in the top half of the
Northern Territory of Australia and Northern Territory residents temporarily travelling or based
elsewhere. Middle Yeas students including urban students that require alternative pathways are also
catered for under the new Flexible Learning team. Fee paying students are also catered for.

3. Education of children over the air waves began when the Royal Flying Doctors allowed teachers
and students to use their air space in 1951. The conditions were that they would give the space
back in case of an emergency, which they always did.
Katherine School of the Air became the first school of its type in Australia operating on its own
frequencies and not sharing the Flying Doctor facilities in 1966. Below is a timeline of the key dates
in the history of the largest classroom in the world.

4. The term "School of the Air" refers to the old style delivery of lessons via HF Radio ie "air waves".
Today the school delivers lessons via satellite, Internet and telecommunications technologies.
REACT software is used by the school to provided online lessons to the students. Paper based
materials are still provide to students to complement their interactive learning.

5. Katherine's climate is tropical. There are two seasons a wet season from October to April and a
dry season from May to September. During the wet season it is hot and humid reaching 40 +
degrees celsius, tropical down pours are experienced and rivers and creeks flood making roads to
remote stations and communities impassable. The wet season is sometimes called the green
season since the heavy rain ensures that the vegetation becomes a luscious green. During the dry
season the vegetation dries out and the weather is idyllic with dry sunny days of around 30
degrees celsius maximum temperature.

6. Katherine School of the Air caters for students from Preschool to Year 9.
Children turning four on or before 30 June are eligible to enrol in a regular preschool program at
the commencement of the school year.
Children turning four after 30 June are eligible to enrol in a preschool program after their birthday,
if places are available and with the understanding that the child will access more than 12 months
of Preschool.
Children turning five on or before 30 June are eligible to enrol in a transition program at the
commencement of the school year.
Children who turn five after 30 June are eligible to enrol in a transition program from the
commencement of the following school year.

8. We going to have more information lessons . Thats good because we
Going to do better.
More lessons of the computer and you going to be better.
We going to have more lessons that we like.