Kimberley School of the Air (KSOTA) provides educational services to children living in remote and isolated locations in the Kimberley region of WA. The school commenced operations in 1960 at the Royal Flying Doctor Service and is based in Derby.KSOTA moved into a new, state of the art facility in April 2002 reflecting the Department of Education’s commitment to distance education. The facility is characterised by a high quality, flexible workforce and learning spaces with a major focus on cutting edge telecommunications technology. KSOTA is currently the largest of the five Schools of the Air (SOTA) in WA.
KSOTA caters for the educational needs of isolated children from Kindergarten to Year 7 across an area of some 450 000 square kilometres who do not have access to a mainstream school. These children live on remote cattle stations, micro tourism industries, small Aboriginal communities, out-stations and smaller rural farming blocks. The student population can vary across the dry and wet seasons and the Aboriginal student enrolment generally comprise 30% of the school’s enrolment. Over 60 students attend the school at present.
Teachers communicate with their students daily via on-line conferencing satellite technology. Students complete Learning Programmes put together by their teachers and return them to the school for assessment, feedback and rewards. Home Tutors’ Seminar, Mini Camps, Teacher Visits and the annual SOTA Muster are highlights of each school year and are aspects truly unique to SOTA that make it what it is.
