Dear AONTAS Member,
One year on, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health restrictions, we in AONTAS are acutely aware that educational inequality has been exacerbated. Next month we will launch a campaign to highlight the impact on adult and community education. We know that there has been a significant reduction in participation in Further Education and Training (FET) (by 25% for Travellers and Roma), however, we do not have a clear picture of the impact. We are gathering information and would encourage you to attend the Membership Update and Engagement Webinars to share your views on the issues so we can act together for adult learning.
AONTAS has engaged on a range of advocacy issues recently. As a reminder, please note that I am a member of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) COVID-19 tertiary education response steering group. The group meets every second Friday, with Minister Harris in attendance together with DFHERIS officials and representatives from across further and higher education. We are eager to hear your views so that they are reflected in our work, from submissions to steering groups, so please get in touch.
How are your learners faring at present, what are the challenges you are facing, what innovation have you undertaken to respond? There are many channels to participate in our work, share your issues with our advocacy team, share your expertise at our membership webinars and the AONTAS Community Education Network (CEN) meetings or stay connected through our social media channels.
I look forward to your continued engagement,
In support,
Niamh O’Reilly
CEO, AONTAS
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AONTAS is committed to advocating for educational equality for all adults in Ireland. Please email mail@aontas.com with any queries.
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