New statistics on pupil retention show little progress, says Adult Learning Organisation
28 Mar 2008 03:11 PM
AONTAS Director Berni Brady today responded with disappointment to new statistics released by Minister for Education Mary Hanafin. The statistics indicate that almost 84% of pupils who started their second level education in 1999 completed their second level education compared with just over 81% three years earlier.
Although the report indicates yearly improvements, this minor increase is discouraging considering the amount of government funding spent addressing educational disadvantage. 'Over the past ten years, this government has invested over €600 million in initiatives to target educational disadvantage. This minor increase hardly represents value for money for the Irish taxpayer', said Ms Brady today.
AONTAS has continually called on the government to take a more holistic view of education. 'The report of the Educational Disadvantage Committee, 'Beyond Educational Disadvantage' in 2005 recommended a much broader integrated approach to lifelong learning but was largely ignored in favour of DEIS which focuses on school education', continued Ms Brady. 'We were extremely disappointed by the government's decision not to reinstate the Committee itself after its first term of office. Although the Minister says she is adopting a more integrated approach, it is still one which almost exclusively focuses on schools.
'We seriously need to think more laterally about tackling the issue of educational disadvantage - initiatives which promote family learning models, and intergenerational responses which target parents with literacy difficulties are all part of the jigsaw,' she explained. 'Furthermore, supports such as Adult Guidance need to be increased, so that education is accessible to everyone, at whatever stage of their lives they choose to take it up.'
Ms Brady also questioned the Ministers commitment to enhancing opportunities for early school leavers in the adult and further education sectors. 'Budget 2008 promises an extra 500 places for the Back to Education Initiative, an additional 100 places for Youthreach and an extra 500 places for adult literacy. This falls extremely short of the commitment made by the government in 'Towards 2016'', she concluded.
ENDS
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Note to Editor
1. AONTAS is the National Adult Learning Organisation. AONTAS is a non-governmental membership organisation, established in 1969. The organisation's mission is to ensure that every adult in Ireland has access to appropriate and affordable learning opportunities throughout their lives, thus enabling them to contribute to and participate in the economic, social, civic and cultural development of Irish society. AONTAS is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. AONTAS represents over 600 members, ranging from statutory providers of adult education, such as VECs and third level institutions, to voluntary providers of community education, to individual adult learners and those with a general interest in adult education. The role of AONTAS is to work towards improving the adult education sector in Ireland through policy development, promoting the benefits of adult education and research.
