Vol. 498 No. 1
358 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress, if any, made towards the implementation of a national literacy programme; the funding, if any, provided for adult literacy courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26441/98]
A number of educational initiatives are in place at school level which are designed to combat the problem of early school leaving and in the process facilitate the attainment of improved levels of literacy. These include curricular change at first and second levels, the Early Start and Breaking the Cycle pilot projects and the home-school-community liaison scheme.
In the area of curricular change, it is intended to introduce a revised primary curriculum to schools during 1999. There is an increased emphasis in the English curriculum on raising literacy standards through the development of reading skills. At second level, a new leaving certificate English syllabus will be introduced in 1999. This will complement the emphasis on functional literacy in the junior certificate English syllabus.
Funding for adult literacy programmes is a priority of the Government and of my Department. Literacy courses for adults are mainly provided by vocational education committees, with funding from my Department. Having doubled funding to £5.3 million for literacy courses in 1998, a further £3.2 million has been allocated for the next two years, with the primary objective of increasing the number of clients served by the system, giving priority to those most in need, particularly the unemployed. In addition, annual grants in aid are awarded to organisations involved in the promotion of literacy. These amount to £210,000 in 1998.
