RTÉ has announced a new Home School Hub across its television and online platforms, which will provide primary school children with fun daily lessons from the comfort of their homes.
RTÉ and Macalla Teo, with support from Mary Immaculate College, have collaborated to introduce a cross-platform teaching initiative for primary school kids across the country.
On RTÉ2, RTÉ Player, and rte.ie/learn, children will be able to watch, download and engage with curriculum-based content, project work, and fun activities that will keep them entertained and learning.
From next Monday, March 30, each morning from 11am to 12 noon on RTÉ Home School Hub on RTÉ2, each of our bilingual teachers will present three short class segments aimed at 1st and 2nd class, 3rd and 4th class and 5th and 6th class.
Our TV programme will keep the kids watching and learning for the hour and then redirect them to fun content and project work that will be housed on rte.ie/learn and RTÉ Player.
A catch-up programme later in the day, RTÉ Home School Extra at 4.15pm, is a takeover format, where primary school kids from all over the country can reconnect by uploading and posting video messages and content that RTÉ will showcase.
This programme will be an opportunity to gather all uploaded user-generated content in one space and showcase it to the entire country. No matter where you are from or what language you speak, we want every school kid to take part.
All content will be presented by primary school teachers, modelled, and curated around the existing primary school curriculum. Our bilingual teaching team will deliver engaging, exciting, and educational content and over the coming weeks RTÉ Home School Hub will be stockpiling content across TV, rte.ie/learn and RTÉ Player for all primary school kids and their parents to use.
‘RTÉ is doing its bit to bring the classroom to the living room’
Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh TD said: “This is a great initiative, so well done to everyone involved in bringing it together so quickly. RTÉ is doing its bit to bring the classroom to the living room.
“We are hearing about innovative and dedicated teachers all across the country finding new ways to support children’s learning while not in the classroom. This RTÉ Home School Hub will support and complement the ongoing efforts of teachers.
“Well done to RTÉ for stepping up to the plate to produce the Home School Hub which will undoubtedly complement all of the other efforts by teachers. Tá súil agam go mbainfidh gach dalta taitneamh as.”
Suzanne Kelly, Group Head of Children’s & Young People’s Content, said: “Children are already facing increased disruption to their everyday lives due to school closures, cancelled activities and more but we are aiming to help children and parents cope during these times of uncertainty.
“Kids may be stuck inside but with RTÉ providing structured learning for both kids and parents we will keep everyone busy and occupied. Our goal is to ease the burden on parents with an easily accessible source of education for their kids.”
