RTÉ announces a host of homeschool programming

The Homeschool Hub is back, along with even more educational programming across TV, radio, and online

RTÉ's Homeschool Hub returns on Monday, January 11.

RTÉ’s Homeschool Hub is back with new episodes set to air from tomorrow.

The Homeschool and After School Hubs were a saviour for many parents when schools closed during last year’s preliminary lockdown, creating child-friendly content daily that children of all ages could tune into and partake in while parents tried to get some work done.

Following the most recent school closure announcement, the national broadcaster will also expand its educational programming across RTÉ Player, RTÉ Radio One, 2FM, and Raidió na Gaeltachta to give parents a helping hand.

The new episodes of the Homeschool Hub and After School Hub will deliver three hours of educational television daily, mixing new material with some parts of last year's previously aired shows.

“Our aim is to assist parents, children and educators by ensuring that all children and students can access curriculum-based learning, and complementary content, through our broadcasts and digital channels,” RTÉ’s director-general, Dee Forbes, says. 

“We will also be offering opportunities to hear from parents, educators and students on Radio 1 and 2FM with new slots and shows in the weeks ahead.”

For younger viewers

Every weekday from 10 am to noontime, young viewers will find John, Ray, Cliona, Seamus and all the gang back on RTÉ 2 with fun and interactive curriculum-based learning activities.

At 3.20pm the After School Hub will re-show its interactive content, ranging from music and dance lessons to science experiments and arts and crafts. 

Right after, at 4.20pm, news2day will air on the same channel, helping to inform younger viewers about the news of the world in an easy-to-understand way.

An Irish Sign Language version of the Home School Hub will air on RTÉjr on weekdays at 1pm and an ISL programme, After School Hub Best Bits, will air on Saturdays and Sundays at 6.05pm from January 16.

You can find corresponding worksheets for the shows, as well as some podcasts and extra resources, on RTÉ.ie

For exam students

On the radio, 2fm will start airing a multi-platform programme for Leaving Certificate students from January 12. Carl Mullan will host the series for the next three weeks to help students with study plans and wellness advice. 

Listeners can tune in from Mondays to Thursdays from 7pm to 8pm for the next three weeks or find recorded podcast versions of the show online after they air.

Evelyn O’Rourke will be hosting a similar series on Radio One's Drivetime at 6.30pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Drivetime Study Hub will provide advice, tips, and support for second-level students from top teachers for a half-hour each day. 

Fachtna Ó Drisceoil will also be speaking to various guests about dealing with homeschooling and examination study during a regular weekly slot on Tús Áite on Raidió na Gaeltachta.

Secondary level students interesting in coding will be able to access a new STEAM-focused series online from next Tuesday, January 12. 

DreamSpace TV will lead students aged 12 to 18, on a learning journey that focuses on computational thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, helping anyone hoping to enter the Micro: bit Educational Foundation’s global challenge later this year.

The broadcaster will also have a range of online teaching modules and worksheets created by teachers available for Junior Certificate students and will air a host of Shakespeare productions, from King Lear to Romeo and Juliet for both exam levels.

To find out more details, see www.rte.ie