Home School Hub


RTÉ's Home School Hub, or simply Home School Hub, and its companion show Home School Extra, is an educational television programme which was created in response to the closure of all schools during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland in 2020. Announced on 21 March, it began broadcasting on RTÉ2 on 30 March, aimed at children attending 1st–6th class of primary school. The series ended on 19 June.

Format

The hour-long main show, broadcast Monday-Friday at 11am, typically consisted of three lessons, one from each of the main presenters,. As is standard for primary school education in Ireland, the teachers gave their lessons bilingually through English and Irish. In place of commercial breaks, the programme has smaller inserts from RTÉ-produced/commissioned educational programmes such as The Body Brothers, I'm an Animal, Pink Kong Studios' Urban Tails and Colm Tobin's Brain Freeze. Comic book artist Will Sliney also presents short drawing lessons in the "We Will Draw" segment.
A 15-minute-long compilation of material submitted by viewers relating to the content of recent shows, Home School Extra, narrated by Múinteoir Ray, was shown after the main show, and repeated at 4.15pm.
Irish Sign Language signed version of a previous main show has broadcast at 1pm from April to July.

Presenters

Cuddihy and Sharpson had previously worked together for their YouTube channel "Sharuf!", which features sketches, interviews and puppetry.
Smaller segments were presented by:
Guests on the show included:
The show was produced by Dublin-Based Television and Film production company, Macalla Teoranta and shot in Scoil Lorcáin, a national school in Monkstown, County Dublin.

''Cula4 Ar Scoil''

, Ireland's Irish language television service launched its equivalent show Cúla4 Ar Scoil in April 2020. It is recorded in Connemara, with teachers Caitriona ni Chualain and Fiachra O Dubhghaill.