Significantly more than half of those who took advantage of a televised literacy project supported by the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) last year were women and most learners were early school-leavers, a report on the project has revealed.
A second series of the Read Write Now television programme aimed at Irish adults with literacy problems will be screened in the autumn, it was announced yesterday.
The programme, produced for RTE with the support of NALA, secured an audience of 190,000 in its last season.
A spokesman for NALA said there was "without doubt" a massive demand for literacy tuition in Ireland, where half a million adults have literacy difficulties.
Some 10,000 callers to the Read Write Now freephone helpline last year were offered confidential support and a free learner pack. Over 27,000 packs had been sent out to individuals and organisations from the first television series.
The helpline is still dealing with calls nine months later, said NALA.
The report published yesterday found the profile of those using the series was "very varied".
The number of students using the programme was between 55 and 65 per cent female. Learners ranged in age from their early teens to over 60.
The majority had left school at age 14 or lower. A total of 11,000 independent students used the Read Write Now project, while a further 19,000 accessed the project through institutions and community groups.
Primary and second-level schools, Travellers and prison education groups also used the programme as a teaching tool.
NALA, along with the Department of Education, RTE, the VEC, the AV Edge campus innovation centre and other representatives from literacy organisations were partners in the project.