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Distance education has had a history of over 80 years in New South Wales. From the needs of one student whose schooling was in danger of ending due to school closure, distance education now serves thousands of students all over the state - students who cannot attend face-to-face schools for a great variety of reasons.
The following information about the history of distance education in NSW has been kindly supplied by Eloise Dues. For more information click on the thumbnail photos.
| Early 1916 |  |
Steven Smith, Inspector of Continuation Schools, prepared handwritten lessons for James Brittingham of the Wee Waa district. |
| Sept 1916 |
The number of students requiring lessons by correspondence increased to 15.
The work of admitting students and teaching them was referred to as "the Correspondence School" in official documentation. |
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| 1 July 1918 |  |
Enrolments increased leading to the appointment of Mr Walter Finigan to establish Correspondence School No 2. School enrolments in both schools equalled 84. |
| 1920 | Correspondence Schools 1 and 2 moved to empty classrooms at Plunkett Street Public School. | |
| mid 1923 |  |
Correspondence School No 3 began operating in a spare room at Blackfriars Teachers College.
The mail left daily. |
| June 1924 |
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All four schools amalgamated under the one roof at Blackfriars after the Teachers College vacated the buildings. The Correspondence School was born. |
| 1925 | Tentative beginning were made to offering secondary education by correspondence, overseen by Mr V Truskett, later Deputy Director of Primary Education. | |
| 1925-35 |
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Walter Finigan organised series of leaflets in each subject, to be typed and printed. |
| June 1933 | Correspondence School broadcasts for primary pupils over ABC radio. Supervisors were given assistance with advice on organisation and teaching ideas. | |
| 1935 |
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First school magazine published for all pupils and ex-pupils "as a connecting link between [them], the school, its activities and its social services". |
| 1938 | Mr Finigan invited to address the First International Conference on Correspondence education in Canada. | |
| 1940s |  |
Special courses offered for pupils in small schools. Administration overseen by Blackfriars and teaching done by small schools teachers. |
| 1941 |
Young prisoners from the Emu Plains Prison farm permitted to enrol as students.
Pupils from central and intermediate high schools permitted to enrol in French and Latin where these were not offered in their schools. Australian Armed Forces saw carefully graded leaflets as practical teaching tool during war years. Purchased 500 copies of leaflets in English, Maths and Social Studies for use in the training corps. |
