Yirara ahead of the curve
Yirara College in Alice Springs is ahead of the curve in ensuring education is delivered to its students who can’t attend school due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Yirara is a boarding school for remote area Indigenous students. When faced with the dilemma of how to deliver remote learning, staff knew that not all students have access to reliable internet or suitable devices. They had to consider alternatives. Yirara’s plan in the last weeks of Term 1 was to produce a daily television show that would be aired on ICTV (Indigenous Community Television) as well as via YouTube and Facebook.
Yirara2u was created.
Yirara2u incorporates a workbook and the daily episode aired on ICTV for students to follow along and complete their school work remotely.
By the end of Term 1, staff had created and compiled 10 weeks of workbooks and had planned all of the episodes for the Term 2. Packs of workbooks were mailed to students during the term break so they had them ready for the start of Term 2.
Episodes cover more than just numeracy and literacy. Yirara Pathways is producing videos about VET courses and work options. Boarding staff are continuing with life skills lessons. Student support is focusing on health and wellbeing; and the Girls Academy and Clontarf Foundation are focusing on sport and general wellbeing.
The first daily episode went to air on 22 April on ICTV. Yirara College is grateful for the support given to its students from community schools and the Clontarf Foundation. The college has the opportunity to reciprocate by offering students who would normally attend boarding school interstate the use of classrooms and ICT facilities and teacher support.
For more about Yirara2u, see: Yirara College’s YouTube channel and ABC Radio’s video story (type into your search engine, ABC Radio Yirara).
