Reaching for the Stars
The AONTAS STAR Awards 2018 took place in Number 6 Kildare Street on the 5th March 2018.
The STAR Awards
A poem by adult learner Noeleen Watson
Sharing Experience, Gaining new Skills and Fostering a Sense of Identity
As an EU Member State, Ireland has access to EU funding programmes like Erasmus+ which supports people to acquire new work skills, contributing to active citizenship, and personal development. Such programmes allow AONTAS to support our members to promote and profile the work of adult learning in Ireland. It also provides members with an opportunity to learn from our EU neighbours and bring new ideas back to Ireland.
Community Education – Widening Access to Lifelong Learning
The 9th of November saw the release of the EU Education and Training Monitor 2017 focusing on the theme of inequality in education, and the important role that education plays in building a fairer society. While Ireland continues to compare well on education targets for early school leaving and tertiary education attainment, inequalities in participation and access still need to be addressed. With two weeks to go until the AONTAS CEN10 Conference: Sustaining Community Education, AONTAS CEO Niamh O’Reilly highlights community education as a vehicle to widen participation for those most disadvantaged.
Adult Learning: National and European Challenges, Greece
A fundamental component of the European Agenda for Adult Learning (EAAL) approach is to increase Europe-wide best practice, through the sharing of information and learning, by facilitating collaboration between national coordinators in the EU. Consequently, AONTAS has been given a number of opportunities to present the outcomes of our EAAL project ‘Learning Today for a Better Tomorrow’ (2015-2017) at four other closing events in Europe including Greece. In our latest blog Bríd Greenan, AONTAS Information Officer shares her experience of presenting in Greece.
‘Learning Today for a Better Tomorrow’ – Closing Event
On 24th October 2017, AONTAS, as national coordinating body for the European Agenda for Adult Learning (EAAL) in Ireland, welcomed more than 50 project partners and stakeholders to the closing event of the ‘Learning Today for a Better Tomorrow’ 2015-2017 project. The conference marked the completion of the two year programme of collaboration and innovations under the EAAL agenda to increase participation in adult learning across the EU, enhance policies and supports for adult learners, and gather and disseminate best practices.
EU Leverage to Improve Participation in Lifelong Learning in Ireland
The Clock Tower at the Department of Education and Skills hosted a full house for the AONTAS transnational seminar on the impact of the EU on Ireland’s adult learning policies and practices on 28th April 2016.
AONTAS welcomes the new Minister of State with special responsibility for Training and Skills
AONTAS welcomes the new Minister of State with special responsibility for Training and Skills at the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, John Halligan TD. We look forward to working with him in his term of office, in particular highlighting the potential of adult and community education to meet the skills needs of the future.
What’s Happening to Adult Education? Let’s Listen to the Educators and Learners
Stephen O’Brien is a college lecturer and researcher in the School of Education at University College Cork. He has recently written a book called Inside Education: exploring the art of good learning.
D8CEC – 20 Years from the Classroom to the Community
AONTAS is passionate about advocating for the value of community education and our Community Education Network (CEN), set up in 2007, is pivotal to this work. The CEN comprises of over 130 community education organisations who work collectively to gain recognition for community education, raise its profile and lobby to ensure it is adequately resourced.