Policy News
Meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Science
Discussion: New Student Support Bill (2008) 24 April 2008
Supporting Students Who Support Themselves
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on education and Science met yesterday (24th April) to hear presentations from relevant organisations and individuals on the new student support bill (2008). Among those presenting to the committee was AONTAS member and mature student at NUI Maynooth, Stephen Stewart. Stephen called on the Government to amend the new bill to allow adult learners from low income backgrounds to avail of greater financial supports.
In a proposal to Government Stephen outlined the disparity in educational support between mature students from low income backgrounds (on minimum wage) and mature students in receipt of social welfare payments. Mature students on minimum wage (€17,992 p.a.) earn less than mature students in receipt of the maximum social welfare payment (€18,055 p.a.). However, Stephen explained that while social welfare recipients are entitled to financial supports of up to €25,266 per year a mature student who has worked in low paid employment in the year prior to starting a full time course at third level is entitled to only €4,103 per year. Over a three year degree course Stephen has calculated that this leads to a €63,489 disparity in financial supports. "So going to work actually cost me nearly €64,000. At the moment the system penalises those who work. Ultimately people on the same income, no matter what the source, should be treated the same". To view Stephen Stewart's proposal in full click here.
A much needed boost
During questions and answers Vice Chairperson Deputy Ruairi Quinn (Labour) asked Stephen how many people this anomaly affected and how much it might cost the exchequer if the qualifying criteria for Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) were broadened to include low income workers. An approximate figure of €20 million per year would be sufficient to support the 1,000 people (a rough estimate) affected by this inequitable policy. Stephen argued that if mature students from low income backgrounds were permitted to apply for the special rate of maintenance 'top up' grant [The special rate maintenance grant (also known as a 'top up' grant is paid by the Department of Education to social welfare recipients in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) and amounts to €3,270 per year. Mature students from low income backgrounds are ineligible for this 'top up'] it would offer a much needed boost to their income. This recommendation, if implemented would cost a fraction of the €20 million estimated to support mature students earning minimum wage. The estimated cost would be €2.3 million; this represents 0.01% of the total budget of €1.9 billion announced by the Minister for Education in Jan 2007.
Stephen is calling on the Department of Education and Science to make an immediate change to the qualifying criteria for the special rate maintenance 'top up' grant to make low income mature students eligible.
Other Presentations to the Committee
Other presentations made to the Joint Committee yesterday came from the Union of Students in Ireland and the Higher Education Colleges Association (HECA). President Hamid Khodabakhshi and Education Officer Peter Mannion outline the concerns of the USI in relation to the Student Support Bill (2008) including the burden of proof placed on students who are under 23 and wish to be deemed independent of their parents due to estrangement etc. The USI also informed the committee of the annual lobby day, to be held on Wednesday, 30th April. The USI will be focusing on part-time fees for third level students and lobbying for their removal. AONTAS' call to make part-time students eligible for maintenance grants and other supports such as childcare and guidance as well as abolishing fees is supported and echoed by USI in their lobby document.
The HECA called for an amendment of the student support bill which currently disregards students attending courses run by private colleges as eligible for maintenance grants, even if they satisfy the mean test. Senator Healy Eames (FG) supported this request and captured the crux of the argument when she stated that "the grant should follow the student not the college".
AONTAS will continue to lobbying Government in support of Stephen Stewart and all the mature students who find themselves in similar situations having fallen foul of this inequitable and anomalous poverty trap.
First IRAACE Event of 2008 a Great Success!
The Irish Research Association for Adult and Community Education (IRAACE), of which 
AONTAS is a key member, held its first event of 2008 in the Royal Dublin Hotel, O'Connell Street, Dublin 1 on April 4th. The half day morning event, which was well attended, offered delegates the opportunity to network with other researchers, to discuss current projects and to showcase their latest research. The event was opened by Berni Brady, Director of AONTAS, who welcomed delegates and gave a brief background and overview of the work of IRAACE since its inception in 2005. This introduction was followed by an edifying presentation on 'How to Do Research and Use Research Findings', by guest speaker Lyn Tett, Professor of Lifelong Learning and Community Education in the Moray House School of Education at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Professor Tett's presentation was very well received by all. To view the presentation in full click here.
Speed Networking Workshops
Following on from this, delegates participated in one of five themed workshops. These
workshops included 'Policy Issues Emerging from Research', 'Widening Participation and Access', 'Literacy', 'Community based Research' and 'Supporting Researchers in Third Level'. Delegates were given the opportunity to network with other participants in the workshop, using the 'speed-dating' format, which allows each participant to spend 5 minutes networking with another participant in the group, before moving down the line to the next participant. This process is repeated until every member of the group has had an opportunity to speak to one another. Feedback from delegates on the speed-networking format has been very positive. "I found it very informative and useful." "The speed-dating was a good way of sharing ideas."
The final phase of the workshops involved a group discussion to identify the main themes emerging. The Development Committee of IRAACE will use the themes identified in each of the workshops for the future work and direction of IRAACE. The themes will be outlined in an event report which will be available to view online in the coming weeks.
The event was brought to a close by Kerry Lawless, Research Manager with NALA, who thanked Professor Tett for her excellent contribution to the event and the delegates for their enthusiastic participation. While acknowledging the work of AONTAS and NALA, Kerry also recognised the significant contribution made by the other members of the Development Committee, representing the Departments responsible for Adult and Community Education in WIT, UCD, Queens and Maynooth. The event has generated great enthusiasm and interest among delegates and has invigorated IRAACE.
A detailed delegate list from the event will be circulated in the coming weeks. For further information on IRAACE please contact Adele McKenna, Policy & Research Officer, AONTAS, e-mail: amckenna@aontas.com
Meeting of Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education & Science to Discuss the Fund to Alleviate Part-time Fees for those in the Workforce Who Do Not Already Have a Third level Qualification[1]
Department of Education consults AONTAS on new Student Support Bill
‘Learning Matters’ - Closing Event of the AONTAS Adult Learners Festival 2008
February 8th 2008
Education Spokespersons with Chairperson Rachael English at the recent discussion 'Learning Matters'.The National Library, Kildare Street played host to the ‘Learning Matters’ event last Friday (8th February) organised by AONTAS as part of the second annual Adult Learner’s Festival. The event brought education spokespeople from each of the opposition parties together, along with Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Mr. Sean Haughey,T.D., for a panel discussion on keeping adult and community education on the political agenda. The discussion was expertly chaired by RTE’s Rachel English.
Ms. Berni Brady, Director of AONTAS, welcomed those in attendance, outlined AONTAS policy priorities and introduced the speakers, namely Mr. Michael O’Connor, Corporate Communications Manager with Siemens Ireland and Mr. Stephen Stewart, an Adult Learner at NUI Maynooth. Michael discussed his own experiences of returning to education as a mature student and the importance of lifelong learning in supplying an educated workforce to Ireland’s knowledge based economy. Stephen offered a firsthand account of the financial barriers facing mature students, particularly the anomalies for low income earners in the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) and the Special Rate ‘Top Up’ Maintenance Grant.
Following these presentations, the Minister and each of the party’s education spokespeople, Ruairi Quinn, Labour, Brian Hayes, Fine Gael, Paul Gogarty, Greens and Senator Pearse Doherty, Sinn Fein were offered the opportunity to put forward their party’s vision for Adult and Community Education.
Priorities for Adult Education
The abolition of fees, particularly for disadvantaged and low income students in part-time higher education was unanimously supported by all of the education spokespeople. The move could be funded through increases in tax or borrowing or by cutting 
Education Spokespersons Pearse Doherty (SF) and Paul Gogarty (GP) at 'Learning Matters'.subsidies to private schools and the redistribution of the education budget. Minister Haughey outlined the Government’s plan to ear mark €10 million to alleviate part-time fees on certain courses for workers with less than upper second level education as promised in Towards 2016. A broadening of the eligibility criteria for the BTEA to include low income earners was also endorsed by the Green’s and the opposition parties.
Other supports for the adult and community education sector, outlined by the spokespeople, included the introduction of paid educational leave for workers, a call for separate funding for provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and the use of the National Pension Reserve Fund to boost funding to the sector.
Questions and Answers
The debate was then opened to the floor during a questions and answers session. Minister Haughey responded to a query regarding the review of the functions of the National Adult Learning Council (NALC) and when it might be published. The Minister assured the room that the review was not a work of fiction and he would look at publishing it very soon.
A live audience of adult education practitioners and adult learners ask questions of the education spokespersons.Other questions during audience participation included secure funding for the Community Education sector. Minister Haughey drew attention to the €10 million allocated to Women’s Community Education in this year’s budget. However it was argued multi-annual funding streams would be the best way to ensure security and long term planning for community groups, as well as enabling them to recruit and hold on to quality staff. The challenges facing policy makers in relation to early school leavers and the urgent need for an increased budget for the Adult and Community Education sector from the current 2% were also raised and debated.
AONTAS will continue to work closely with education spokespeople from the opposition parties and to lobby Government in relation to our policy priorities and in relation to each of the issues raised during the panel discussion at our ‘Learning Matters’ event. For regular updates on the policy work of the organisation keep checking this webpage!
For further information contact Adele McKenna, Policy & Research Officer, AONTAS at amckenna@aontas.com
To read more about AONTAS' policy news for 2008 see our recent press releases.
