It's never too late to learn

THERE can be any number of reasons why people drop out of the formal education system before achieving a higher education qualification. A bad experience at school, disappointing results in the Leaving Certificate or the need to go straight into full time employment may all be factors and once the pressures of a family and a job are added, making time for study is difficult.

The National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA) has recognised the pressures adult learners face and it has put a number of systems in place designed to facilitate their return to an academic environment.

A key element in this is the council's Prior Experiential Learning scheme which takes account of what people have learned in their daily lives through their jobs, involvements with voluntary or community organisations and working in the home.

This prior learning can be assessed by specially trained personnel in the 42 NCEA designate colleges around the country and it may entitle a prospective student to exemptions or credits from subjects on approved courses.

The scope for participation in this scheme is wide and people can rest assured that their case will be fully considered on its merits," says Denis McGrath, assistant registrar of the NCEA. "We can accommodate people with all sorts of experience and from all types of backgrounds and it can be an important step onto the ladder of higher education."

A second system designed to help mature students is the Accumulation of Credits and Certification of Subjects (ACCS) scheme.

This means that students do not have to study a whole course simultaneously but can opt to take subjects individually (or in groups) at their own pace and build up credits towards a final qualification. These credits are fully transferable to other NCEA colleges and to many educational institutions within the EU.

"We recognise that many people simply do not have the time to get heavily involved with a course even on a part time basis and the ACCS scheme is meant to overcome this," says McGrath. "We believe that such flexibility is going to become an even more important issue in the years ahead as research indicates that there is going to be a large increase in the number of mature students in higher education who are likely to be balancing a number of factors such as a career, a family and study.

"We will also have to accommodate a diversity of age groups and educational needs from those who want to enhance their professional skills to those who want to learn for pleasure."

THE third plank of the NCEA's framework to encourage lifelong learning is its Foundation Certificate course which is aimed at adults who have been out of the education system for some time. Foundation courses prepare students to move up the ladder to National Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor degree courses and they also aim to promote the personal development and self esteem of the participants. Entry to foundation level courses is open and the NCEA's Prior Experiential Learning scheme is applicable.

"The idea is that our awards system is integrated into a ladder of progress beginning with the National Certificate and going right up to the level of PhD if that is what the student wants," says McGrath. "Taken together the Foundation Certificate, Experiential Learning scheme and the ACCS system are a very strong combination which enables adults to participate in the higher education system in a relatively barrier free way.

"Our system is highly regarded around the world and we have recently been involved in developing a link between Sligo RTC and a business college in Czechoslovakia whose students will receive NCEA awards."