RTÉ launches daily virtual classroom for primary school children

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 30 March, 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, modeled, 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.

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.’

                                                          Seomra ranga fíorúil do leanaí bunscoile seolta ag RTÉ

Tá mol nua Scoil sa Bhaile fógartha ag RTÉ a bheidh ar fáil ar ardáin teilifíse agus ar líne na heagraíochta agus trína gcuirfear ceachtanna spraíúla ar fáil gach lá do leanaí bunscoile atá sa bhaile.

Tá RTÉ agus Macalla Teo tagtha le chéile, le cúnamh ó Choláiste Mhuire gan Smál, chun tionscnamh múinteoireachta trasardáin a chur ar fáil do leanaí bunscoile ar fud na tíre. Beidh leanaí ábalta féachaint ar ábhar, tabhairt faoin obair thionscadail agus faoi ghníomhaíochtaí spraíula atá bunaithe ar an gcuraclam ar RTÉ2/RTÉ Player/rte.ie/learn nó iad a íoslódáil – ábhar a mbainfidh siad neart siamsaíochta as chomh maith le neart a fhoghlaim.

Dúirt an tAire Oideachais agus Scileanna Joe McHugh TD: “Is iontach an tionscnamh é seo agus mo ghraidhin gach duine a thug le chéile é in achar gearr. Tá RTÉ ag déanamh a chuid chun an seomra ranga a thabhairt isteach sa seomra suí. Táimid ag cloisteáil faoi mhúinteoirí díograiseacha, cruthaitheacha ar fud na tíre atá ag teacht ar bhealaí eile chun cuidiú le leanaí foghlaim fad atá siad ag baile. Tacóidh agus cuideoidh mol RTÉ Scoil sa Bhaile leis an obair leanúnach atá ar bun ag múinteoirí. Tá déanta go maith ag RTÉ an mol Scoil sa Bhaile a chur ar fáil a thacóidh gan amhras leis an obair ar fad atá ar bun ag múinteoirí. Tá súil agam go mbainfidh gach dalta taitneamh as.’

Ón Luan seo chugainn, Dé Luain an 30 Márta, cuirfidh gach duine dár gcuid múinteoirí trí mhír ghearra ranga i láthair ón 11am go dtí an 12 meán lae ar RTÉ2. Is ar Ranganna 1 & 2, Ranganna 3 & 4 agus Ranganna 5 & 6 a bheidh na míreanna dírithe. Féachfaidh na leanaí ar chlár teilifíse uair an chloig agus beidh ag foghlaim uaidh sula dtreorófar ansin iad chuig ábhar spraíúil agus obair thionscadail a bheidh le fáil ar rte.ie/learn agus an RTÉ Player.

Beidh clár eile air amach sa lá ag 4.15pm le deis a thabhairt breith suas ar an ábhar arís. Ar RTÉ Home School Extra beidh smacht ag na leanaí féin ar an ábhar. Féadfaidh leanaí ar fud na tíre athcheangal arís trí theachtaireachtaí físeáin agus ábhar as béarla agus as Gaeilge a uaslódáil agus phostáil a thaispeánfaidh RTÉ. Deis a bheidh sa chlár gach ábhar a ghineann na húsáideoirí a thabhairt le chéile in aon áit amháin agus é a thaispeáint don tír ar fad.

Is múinteoirí cáilithe bunscoile, atá dátheangach, a chuirfidh an t-ábhar ar fad i láthair, ábhar a bheidh leagthaí amach agus curtha i dtoll a chéile bunaithe ar an gcuraclam reatha bunscoile. Cuirfidh an fhoireann ábhar oideachais tarraingteach agus spraíúil i láthair sna seachtainí atá le teacht. Déanfaidh an mol Scoil sa Bhaile RTÉ ábhar a charnadh ar fud na teilifíse, rte.ie/learn agus ar an RTÉ Player a bheidh gach leanbh bunscoile agus a dtuismitheoirí ábalta a úsáid.

Dúirt Suzanne Kelly, Grúpcheannasaí Ábhar do Leanaí agus Daoine Óga: ‘Is cosúil go bhfuil tuilleadh corraíola i ndán do leanaí de bharr scoileanna a bheith dúnta, gníomhaíochtaí a bheith ar ceal agus tuilleadh ach táimidne ag díriú ar chuidiú le leanaí agus le tuismitheoirí na deacrachtaí atá ann faoi láthair a sharú. B’fhéidir go bhfuil leanaí sáinnithe istigh ach anois ó tharla foghlaim struchtúrtha a bheith ar fáil ó RTÉ do leanaí agus do thuismitheoirí araon, ní bheidh aon duine díomhaoin. An aidhm atá againn an t-ualach atá ar thuismitheoirí a mhaolú trí fhoinse oideachais a chur ar fáil dá gcuid leanaí, foinse a mbeidh sé éasca teacht uirthi.’