Distance Education in NSW is 100 years old!
The idea of correspondence lessons for children originated in Australia as a means of meeting the quest to provide educational facilities in sparsely populated areas of the country. New South Wales was the first to adopt the method at least in theory during the 1880's as part of their operation of half time schools.
1880’s – Travelling teachers were assigned to two schools. Teachers would leave lessons for the ‘continuance of learning’ while they travelled and taught at the next school.
1908 – With the emergence of travelling schools, correspondence lessons first made an appearance. Arthur Biddle first teacher appointed and co-opted literate adults to assist.
During World War 1 as rural schools closed, the Biddle method of correspondence moved to Bridge Street headquarters for the Department of Public Instruction.
1916 – Inspector Stephen Smith helped to establish the State's correspondence school system in 1916.
William Dobell (1899-1970)
Portrait of S.H. Smith c1929
Oil on canvas, 1010 x 820 cm
Gift of 1928/29 Student session, Armidale Teachers’ College
UNE Art Collection
The system outgrew facilities in Bridge Street, so 4 smaller schools were established.
- 1922 – First secondary students enrolled
- July 1924 - These 4 schools were amalgamated at the former teacher’s college at Blackfriars: 2335 pupils with 47 teachers. Walter Finigan first Principal and Harry Kellerman first Deputy Principal of Blackfriars
- 1933 – First Correspondence schools broadcasts courtesy of the ABC
- 1935 – The Correspondence School magazine Outpost began publication, providing a progressive account of the school’s development. Its high ideal was to unite enrolledstudents,who by then totaled 5778.
- 1949 – Walter Finigan retired
- 1956 – School of the Air opened
- 1959 – Harry Kellerman now Principal and student numbers totaled 7420.
- 1961 – The Wyndham scheme enabled the first Single Course students to enrol.
- 1970’s – Premises at Williams Street Kings Cross. Attempts to decentralise resulted in the setting up of experimental and autonomous satellite schools in Nyngan, Bourke, Cobar and Walgett. These centres combined the use of the radio contact and correspondence lessons.
- Mid-1980s - There was talk of decentralising the Correspondence School, which was seen as a ‘monolithic giant’, a remnant of an outmoded, highly centralised departmental philosophy. It eventually closedits doors in December 1990.
- January 1991- Ushered in a new era of decentralised distance educationwith the simultaneous opening of eleven new centres spread across New South Wales. The Learning Materials Production Centre was formed to develop learning materials.
- 2015 - Student enrolment numbers: 34 Preschool; 733 Primary; 2475 Secondary; 4875 Single Course.