The State’s vocational colleges have today called for significant expansion of the adult education service.
Speaking at the launch of a series of new adult education initiatives, the General Secretary of IVEA, the national representative body for the State’s 33 VECs, Mr Michael Moriarty welcomed the measures but stressed the need for expansion. "There is still need for greater administrative support for adult education and a much greater package which would include stand-alone adult education centres that are not attached to schools," he said.
The Minister of State for Adult Education, Mr Willie O’Dea, outlined a set of new initiatives aimed at securing a strategic framework for lifelong learning.
The measures include the establishment of a National Adult Council (NALC); Back to Education Initiative (BTEL); the appointment of 35 Community Education Facilitators; the expansion of the adult literacy service and an increase of €2.92 million for adult literacy in 2002.
Mr Moriarty said setting up the Local Adult Learning Boards (LALB) was vital to ensure the allocation of resources at local level.
These LALBs should have representatives on the NALC to ensure there is a link between local and national administration and to prevent any duplications in the delivery of the service, he said.
Recognising the extra funding allocated today and the improvement in the literacy problem particularly among young people, Mr Moriarty said: "A particular concern for us is the older age groups. The State has failed them in the past and this is our chance to rectify that."
He called for additional funding so the VECs can establish the stand-alone centres for adult education.
The IVEA further called for additional back to education services such as psychological support and counselling. "The hill they [people with less than secondary education] have to climb is much more difficult than the average learner," Mr Moriarty said.