Newspapers
in Education - or NIE for short - has been a key feature of the Mercury
since the early 1980s, providing news and information to young readers
and teachers.
In November 1995, NIE extended its service by establishing its own website. With the development of the Global Classroom, NIE is seen as a world-class leader in online development and delivery.
Why get involved with NIE in your school?
NIE is cooperative effort between a newspaper and its local schools, using the newspaper as a tool in the classroom. Under the NIE program, schools are provided with copies of the daily newspaper, usually at half price, for use in their classrooms or library.
NIE also offers a variety of curriculum materials and programs to help schools use the newspaper as a meaningful resource for student learning.
Each NIE program differs according to the needs of the local community. Newspapers are used as learning tools in all key learning areas and can be used at any age level, from infants to tertiary. These programs may also be included in adult education in areas such as adult literacy.
Research shows that students who take part in the NIE classroom program develop a more positive attitude towards the role of the media. Students have less trouble reading newspapers, leading towards more enjoyment gained from the daily reading of a newspaper. They are also more likely to develop interest in hard news and become involved in public affairs.
Newspapers
in Education started in the United States in the late 1950s. American
newspaper publishers felt there would be a need to address future readers,
anticipating the effect that the introduction of television would have
on newspapers readership.
By the early 1970s NIE programs had started to spread throughout the US and around the world. Programs largely based on the American experience, started in newspapers, both metropolitan and provincial, in Australia and New Zealand in the 1970s.
Newspapers operating NIE programs have had three broad aims:
- To provide resources and assistance for teachers.
- To develop a reading habit with students
- To encourage readership of newspapers.
Schools throughout Tasmania now participate in the Mercury's special programs for schools, which include:
Class sets of Newspapers
Half Price copies of the Mercury can be ordered for your classroom or school library throughout the year, whether as a full-year subscription or special sets for a specific study period or program.
To order your copies click here to download a PDF copy of the school subscription order form.
Classroom Resource Kits
The Mercury regularly produces resource kits for use in the classroom. Go to our Resources Page for information on what kits are available now.
Learning Page
This is a weekly education page published every Tuesday during the school term. The page has been revamped to include general education features and school news briefs.
On the last Wednesday of each month, Learning publishes a colour feature with a focus on the educational aspects of a current key topic.
School Page
Started in May 1995, the pages are produced in Friday editions of the Mercury, involving students from upper primary, secondary and senior secondary schools. Schools are given the opportunity to produce their one school page, which includes writing the stories, taking the photographs, selling the advertising space, designing some of the artwork and generally marketing the project within their local community.
The Mercury’s education services section coordinates a program of classroom workshops from early in first term with the pages progressively produced and published throughout the year.