Otagonet Opens Rural Education Possibilities
Secondary students in virtual class rooms throughout rural Otago are having lessons in subjects they would previously
have to leave home to pursue, or do by correspondence.
Using video conferencing by the OtagoNet schools broadband network, students in rural high schools throughout Otago are
learning subjects ranging from Maths to Maori, and their teachers are accessing professional development opportunities
that previously required several hours of car travel.
OtagoNet was established in late 2001 as a result of a Telecom and Otago Community Trust initiative to upgrade 14 rural
exchanges for broadband. It was the first initiative of its kind in the country. After eighteen months operation, the
benefits to students, their teachers and the local communities have been considerable. Not surprisingly, other networks
modelled on OtagoNet have appeared around the country such as CoroNet in Coromandel and KAWM network of North Island
Maori schools.
“OtagoNet has opened up opportunities for teachers as well as students. Teachers are now finding it is viable to take
classes in their specialist areas and that means we are more able to retain these teachers and their skills in our rural
schools and communities,” said Tony Jenkins, Principal of East Otago High School in Palmerston.
“We’ve also got some great new educational connections happening – for example, the Telford Polytech in Balclutha is now
teaching agriculture to rural Otago high school students via video conference. We’re even linking to school networks
outside our region and other learning organisations such as the Rotorua Bathouse Museum and the correspondence school,”
Mr Jenkins said.
“Teachers are finding excellent practical benefits such as attending professional development sessions with their city
colleagues via video-conference so they can swap ideas, information and resources. Previously they needed to spend hours
in cars to get to these sessions, so most often they wouldn’t go.”
The network also filters undesirable material from the internet, which eliminates spam email and provides a safe
internet surfing environment for students.