Adult Learning Australia Celebrates 60 Years
AONTAS’ sister organisation Adult Learning Australia (ALA) celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2020. ALA is the largest national not-for-profit organisation representing adult and community education in Australia. Their mission is similar to that of AONTAS as they work to ensure that all Australians can access the benefits of lifelong and lifewide learning. In this blog AONTAS Member Rob Mark shares the highlights of one of the key events that took place as part of these celebrations which included a video presentation from AONTAS CEO, Dr Niamh O’Reilly.
Delivering Blended Learning Opportunities for Adult Learners
On Wednesday, 25th November, over 40 AONTAS members nationwide attended our Membership Update and Engagement Webinar facilitated by Dr Michael Hallissy, Co-founder of AONTAS member organisation H2 learning. H2 Learning work with teachers and learning organisations at all levels to integrate digital technologies into teaching, learning and assessment practices.
AONTAS Submission to SOLAS’ Public Consultation on the 10-Year Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy for Ireland
As part of our advocacy work AONTAS has submitted a number of written policy documents outlining a range of recommendations to various Government Departments and statutory bodies this December. One of the most important and recent of these was the submission made to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science as part of the public consultation on the new Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy 10- Year Strategy for Ireland.
AONTAS Submission to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science’s Statement of Strategy 2021 – 2023
AONTAS welcomed the opportunity to make a submission to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science’ s Statement of Strategy 2021 – 2023 consultation. The Statement of Strategy will set out how the department does its work over the next three years, and what our guiding principles are.
New Data Released by the HEA on Socio-economic Profile of Irish Higher Education Institutions Demonstrates a Need for Supported Pathways through Community Education
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) released data earlier this week on the socioeconomic profile of Irish Higher Education Institutions. In this blog, Eve Cobain, AONTAS Research Officer, discusses how community education promotes pathways into higher education and how data generated from the AONTAS CEN Census can support the development of the next National Access Plan for higher education.
EPALE Conference Highlights Risk of Rising Educational Disadvantage due to COVID-19 Pandemic
From Tuesday 6th to Thursday 8th October 2020, EPALE hosted an Online Community Conference with thousands of attendees from across Europe. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event took place in an online format, allowing participation from a broad group of stakeholders, from a range of sectors and countries in Europe and around the world.
AONTAS Managing a Range of New European Projects to Strengthen Adult Education in Ireland
AONTAS, the National Adult Learning Organisation, are proud to manage and implement a range of European projects in Ireland, as well as partnering with other adult education organisations across Europe to share learnings and develop best practice. Adult learning plays a central role in supporting individuals to engage in society and learn the skills required to benefit from digital transformation and overall civic participation.
Community Education in a Time of COVID-19: responding and building back better together for community education
On Monday, 12th October, over 110 participants across the lifelong learning sector gathered online to take a ‘virtual visit’ of community education, highlighting the vital work that is taking place across Ireland. We were delighted to have Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), Simon Harris TD and Andrew Brownlee, CEO of SOLAS in attendance, giving them an opportunity to hear first-hand the unique contribution that community education groups are making at a local level.
AONTAS members work to ensure inclusion remains a priority during COVID-19
On Wednesday, 16th September, Marian Hennessy of AONTAS member organisation and AONTAS STAR Award winner 2020, the Cope Foundation, delivered a presentation at our weekly membership update and engagement webinar on how they have continued to support their learners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AONTAS Membership Webinar Focuses on Best Practice in Online Learning
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact on the provision of learning, AONTAS members have expressed the need to learn new teaching methods and best practices for engaging with learners and supporting peer collaboration during emergency response online teaching. In a recent weekly membership webinar AONTAS Head of Advocacy, Dearbháil Lawless, outlined innovative activities for delivering programmes online while staying focussed on the principles of adult learning. 78 members from adult education organisations nationwide joined us to share creative ideas for teaching and learning online.