Political parties were today urged to commit themselves to investing in adult education in Ireland.
The call was made at the start of a campaign by the National Adult Education Association (AONTAS) to focus on better recognition, resources and representation for adult education.
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AONTAS director Ms Berni Brady said a lot remained to be done in terms of the delivery of investment commitments made by the Government.
"AONTAS is disappointed at the delay in implementing the recommendations of the welcome and long-awaited White Paper on Adult Education, which was published in August 2000. Investment is urgently needed in a number of areas if the Government's own targets are to be met," she said.
She said the association needed the full backing of candidates in the forthcoming general election to ensure the full implementation of the White Paper on Adult Education.
Mature students now account for about 5 per cent of full time students in higher education - well below the average for Western countries.
Ms Brady said: "Considerably more investment is required in areas such as the National Adult Literacy Programme, which has seen participant numbers increase by 17,150 in the last five years.
"A massive investment programme is required to address the needs of the 500,000 adults with literacy problems in this country," she said.