A taste of full time education

PEARSE College, Crumlin, Dublin, is offering two eight week taster courses for the long term unemployed to help their return to full time education.

Subjects covered in the course include English, maths, history, geography, media studies, catering, computers, horticulture and French tuition will take place over 15 hours on three mornings per week. The courses begin on April 22nd and there is no charge.

As this study comes under the VTOS umbrella, participants will not lose any of their social welfare payments and will be entitled to meal and travel allowances. They will be awarded a certificate on completion.

Last year, 22 people took the course in Crumlin and this year it is hoped to accommodate up to 40 on the two courses, which will run more or less simultaneously. Quite a number went on in September to study for the Junior Cert; others took the Leaving Cert course and several enrolled in PLC courses.

"The participants found it was a huge benefit when they started in full time education in September. It really broke the ice for them," says Marian Horan (tel: (01) 4536661), the course organiser.

Mature Students in Higher Education is the theme of a one day conference organised by the Higher Education Equality Unit, which takes place in Athlone RTC next Tuesday. In 1993-94, there were 6,665 mature students in higher education, of which 25 per cent were full time and 75 per cent part time.

The conference will address a range of topics of concern to mature students, including equality issues, overcoming barriers to higher education, developments in Europe for mature students, financial and academic problems and personal case histories.

There is an impressive line up of speakers, including Dr Sheelagh Drudy of Maynooth College, the chairperson of the Higher Education Equality Unit, Dr Kathleen Lynch of the Equality Studies centre in UCD, Attracta Halpin, assistant registrar of the National Council for Educational Awards and Liam Kelly, education officer of the Union of Students in Ireland.

Advance booking is essential, as numbers will be limited, and the conference fee is a hefty £50.

. Contact: Orla Egan, Higher Education Equality Unit, College Road, Cork (tel (021) 902167, 902038) or (fax (021) 271349).

DCU is hosting its annual mature students' information evening tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m. If you're interested in pursuing a degree course as a mature student, you must be over 23. Intending applicants will have an opportunity to discuss each degree programme, career options and financial issues with DCU personnel, academic staff and current mature students.