Friday, 08 August, 2008

Building the Adult Education Service: The Next Steps, May 2003

Summary

During the lifetime of the outgoing Government the Adult Education Sector has made great strides. In 1997 the Budget allocated to the sector stood at less than 0.1% of the total education budget. Since then the budget has increased to almost 2%. The Green and White Papers on Adult Education have laid the foundations for a structural framework for the Sector. Before the last election AONTAS with its sister organisation, NALA campaigned on eight issues. We show below where progress has been made and what still remains to be done.

1997 The Adult Literacy and Community Education Budget stood at approximately £0.9m.
Campaign demand: - Doubling the ALCES budget progressively over the next three years.

2002 The funding for adult literacy now stands at approximately €16.5m (£13m)
This has been a substantial gain to the adult education sector and has funded a range of initiatives. However adult literacy had been chronically under-funded for years and will need to be progressively supported in order to eradicate literacy problems

1997 The grant-in aid support for Adult Education Organisations, which supports four organisations including AONTAS and NALA stood at £308k.
Campaign demand :- Doubling the grant progressively over the next three years.

2002 The grant-in aid funding has increased only by inflation rates. However AONTAS has received substantial increases through additional funding from the SPIDAS fund. The core grant aid from DES has increased from £127k (€161.26) in 1997 to €384k in 2002. This represents an increase of 138% over five years. The supplementary grant to AONTAS has increased from £39k (€49.5) in 1997 to €330k or by a factor of 11 in 2002. These increases have been substantial and warmly welcomed. However adult education organisations, like the sector itself, started from such a low base that despite this support the actual funding for a national organisation remains at just under €700. Furthermore, while the buoyant economic climate of the past five years meant that more financial resources were available, the security of continued and progressive funding is still in question. For this reason AONTAS is lobbying strongly for the retention of a Minister with responsibility for Adult Education and for a political commitment from all parties towards the continued development of the adult education service as an important part of Lifelong Learning.

1997 Campaign demand :- Waiving second level examination fees for second chance education students.

2002 The introduction of the Back to Education Initiative in which the Government is investing €15.15m in 2002 is designed to provide free educational opportunities to a range of adults on Social Welfare Assistance. The BTEI is currently being initiated through the VEC sector supported by the work of the Further Education Development Workers. There are now large numbers of low paid workers with less than upper second level education who are not eligible for this scheme. Adult students who do not qualify for a medical card still pay examination fees.

1997 Campaign demand :- Extending the abolition of third level fees to adult students doing part-time, distance and modular courses.

2002 This has not been conceded although learners can claim tax relief on their fees in certain cases. The Report of the Action Group on Access to Higher Education (May 2001) recognised that finance was an issue for mature students but stopped short of recommending free fees for part-time students. The Taskforce on Lifelong Learning has still not officially reported but leaked information suggests that it is in a dilemma in relation to this issue. AONTAS continues to campaign for free fees for part-time students on the basis of equality of access to higher education.

1997 Campaign demand:- Providing childcare facilities/allowances on all mainstream education, training and employment programmes as well as literacy and community education programmes.

2002: Progress has been made on this issue. The National Development Plan has provided €317.4 to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to fund the development of childcare provision over the period 2000-2006. Under the National Childcare Strategy, a national framework has been set up which includes a National Childcare Co-ordinating Committee and County Based Childcare Committees whose role will be to advance the provision of childcare facilities. Supports for childcare costs are also available through VTOS, Traveller workshops, Youthreach and FAS programmes. While community based organisations have been able to access funding for childcare facilities and services through the NDP funding, no additional funding has been put aside for childcare provision as an integral part of community based education programmes.

1997 Campaign demand :- Providing suitable premises for the delivery of Adult and Community Education.

2002 Very little progress has been made on this issue. There is still no capital expenditure budget available to the adult and community education sector. Research carried out by both AONTAS and NALA report poor facilities and high levels of dissatisfaction with the conditions of many learning environments. A capital expenditure budget is vital to the development of the adult education service. AONTAS has asked for an initial figure of €12m with annual increases as necessary.

1997 Campaign demand:- Opening up the Live Register to women who may not be entitled to a social welfare payment but who wish to register their desire to return to paid work

2002 The Partnership 2000 Report on Women's Access to Labour Market Opportunities was published in 2000. This report concluded that widening access to the Live Register in itself would not totally facilitate women's access to education, training and employment programmes. However, the report identifies three priority target groups and made specific recommendations with regard to their eligibility to participate in a range of Active Labour Market Programmes. One of these priority target groups is returners/entrants to the labour force who have been primarily engaged in domestic/caring duties in the home. In Ireland today, the number of women in active full time home duties is 531,000 - 34.8% (Labour Force Survey and National Household Survey, 2000) for whom the issues of access to employment, education and training opportunities are relevant.

1997 Campaign demand:- Opening up VTOS and CE to women signing for credits, deserted wives/widows, the partners of social welfare claimants and women who have completed a Return to Work course.

2002 Many changes have taken place over the past five years, the most significant being the increase in the numbers of women returning to work. Statistics show that while women comprise 48% of the Irish Labour market, 531,000 or 34.8% of women are still engaged in full time duties (Labour Force Survey and National Household Survey, 2000). The White paper on Adult Education widened the categories of eligible participants for VTOS under the auspices of the BTEI to include adults signing for credits for at least six months and who are over 21 years old. They also include dependent spouses who are now called qualified adults, lone parents and participants with disabilities. Widows on widow's pensions and partners of social welfare claimants (qualified adults) have access in their own right to all Active Labour Market Programmes, which include VTOS and CE. Women signing for credits have limited access to VTOS but not to CE. This depends on a case-to-case scenario with no allowances paid.

Also the BTEI will include medical cardholders and their dependents. The Partnership 2000 report on women's access to the labour market made many recommendations one of which was that access to VTOS be extended to the priority target group of those primarily involved in domestic/caring duties in the home - this is yet to happen. The issues of flexible, part-time and learner-adapted programmes still act as access barriers to adults returning to education and training as does the issue of adequate and affordable childcare.

The main development since 1997 has been the publication of the White Paper on Adult Education, Learning for Life. Some of its recommendations have been implemented and have progressed some of the issues identified as priorities in 1997. The investment in the service through the seven major developments for 2002 announced by Minister O'Dea in January 2002 and outlined in the AONTAS election 2002 campaign brochure amounts to €22.74m. However much remains to be done. AONTAS has identified ten priorities for adult education over the life of the next Government. AONTAS has asked all the political parties to respond to its Top Ten priorities. To date it has received the following responses from Fine Gael and the Green Party.

 

Responses from Political Parties to AONTAS Top Ten priorities

FINE GAEL

  • Fine Gael is committed to the further development of the Adult Education sector as it recognises its contribution to the social, economic and personal development of the individual and in particular those who have underachieved during their early years in the education system.
  • Fine Gael supports the appointment of a Minister of State with responsibility for the Sector
  • Fine Gael will progress the establishment of the Local Adult Learning Boards and the Technical Support Units of the National Adult Learning Council following its establishment in April 2002
  • Fine Gael is committed to a Capital Expenditure Programme for adult education facilities but would also like to explore all avenues regarding the sharing of existing classroom facilities where appropriate
  • Fine Gael proposes the establishment of an Education Credit Account of €6000 to be available to all adults who have left school without a leaving cert to pursue approved courses.
  • Fine Gael will radically overhaul the Higher Education Grants Scheme, increasing substantially both the rates and the income thresholds governing eligibility and will implement the recommendations of the Action Group on Access to Higher Education.
  • Fine Gael is committed to the further development of Community Education and in particular to the funding levels as identified in the White paper.
  • Fine Gael believes that the voice of adult education interests should be heard in a formal way by FETAC and that structures and qualifications should facilitate ease of movement up the ladder of attainment and should include accreditation of prior and experiential learning.

GREEN PARTY

  • The Green Party/Comhaontas Glas believes in education for the whole community for the whole of life. Education should not be market-led but should fulfil our individual needs - practical, creative, spiritual, intellectual, physical - as well as the needs of the broader community.
  • The Green Party/Comhaontas Glas will work to implement all elements in the White Paper "Learning for Life" and, if part of Government, will ensure that the role of the Minister of State with specific responsibility for adult education is retained.
  • The Party will actively campaign to ensure free access to all to upper secondary level. The party encourages paid education/training leave and will target the education needs of women, and in particular women from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Green Party will support the expansion of the Women's Education Initiative and will work to encourage more women to take up apprenticeships. Importantly (although this is not necessary unique to the needs of women), the party will ensure that proper childcare facilities are a necessary pre-requisite for participation in life-long learning programmes. If learners go onto third level, the Party will ensure that every student parent is provided with adequate child-care facilities and subsidies.
  • The Green Party/Comhaontas Glas fully supports AONTAS' call for a more realistic investment of £20 million per year for community education over the five years of the National Development Plan.
  • In order to ensure that adult education is properly planned and meets the needs of its learners adequately it is vital that proper structures are put in place. To this end, while investment should be made quickly, it is more important that the National Adult Learning Council and the Local Adult Learning Boards are immediately set up in order to ensure that any investment is wisely utilised.
  • The Green Party agree that the effectiveness of the adult education sector depends on the professionalism of its educators. Therefore, the National Adult Learning Council must be established as a matter of urgency. (The NALC was established in March 2002)
  • The Green Party believes that fees for part-time adult learners, in particular learners from lower incomes, should be abolished. All barriers to education need to be broken down. The Party supports the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the recent Action Report on Access to Higher Education.

While no specific responses were received from Fianna Fail, Progressive Democrats, Labour Party or Sinn Fein, an examination of their party manifestoes reveals the following:

FIANNA FAIL

  • Expansion of the Adult Literacy Service through the provision of training places for over 70,000 people during the next five years.
  • A Second Chance Guarantee under which every person who left school without completing the junior cycle at second level will be offered the chance to participate on an adult education course.
  • Significant expansion of the number of mature students and a doubling of numbers of disadvantaged students in higher education over the next five years.
  • Ensuring that lifelong learning policies are responsive to the needs of women and in particular, ensure that FETAC and HETAC fulfil their mandates to develop appropriate mechanisms for recognising alternative modes of progression.
  • Ensuring that flexible provision and childcare services are available in education and training programmes.
  • Ensuring there is a distinct funding stream for women's organisations and networks.
  • Carrying out a fundamental review of training and employment supports to ensure that they focus on the needs of the most marginalised and disadvantaged group to help them to progress to the open labour market.

PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS

  • Continue to implement and enhance the National Adult Literacy programme with the goal of achieving full adult literacy across the country.
  • Continued and real increases in order to achieve the target of national adult literacy and to support community initiatives.
  • Monitoring literacy attainment at all levels.
  • Promotion of education opportunities for older people based on the principle of Lifelong learning, in particular to ensure that older people have the ability to access I.T. to have full opportunity to participate in our growing information society.

LABOUR PARTY

  • Target improvement of access by students from disadvantaged areas to third level education
  • Take effective measures to combat illiteracy among adults and children. This will involve officially measuring the levels of literacy and establishing comprehensive programmes to combat literacy difficulties.
  • Promote lifelong learning through a comprehensive programme of adult education including the establishment of open learning centres in the community
  • Invest in the third level sector, as providers both of teaching and of research and knowledge development
  • Take measures to ensure that the needs of non-nationals in relation to services such as health, education and housing are fully addressed.

Sinn Fein

  • An all-Ireland adult literacy campaign with the clear objective of reducing adult functional illiteracy to under 10% within four years, and the development of a system of adult and community education that reflects and meets the diverse needs and interests of adult learners.
  • Education and training to be an entitlement for all, made possible by adequate grant-aid and support mechanisms, and the provision of focussed access programmes for schools that currently have a low take up of third level places.
  • Sinn Féin will support and work for an all-Ireland approach to identifying, targeting and redressing disadvantage in education. In particular, Sinn Féin will advocate significantly increased funding for education in areas of greatest disadvantage and focused intervention at the earliest possible stage.

You now have the opportunity to bring the importance of building the adult educations service to the attention of your local election candidates.