Vol. 516 No. 2
72 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the fact that a recent conference was told that Ireland has the lowest participation in adult literacy and training in the western world; and the proposals, if any, he has for initiatives for local and community based learning. [7124/00]
The provision in the education sector for adult literacy increased from a base of £0.85 million in 1997, when the Government took office, to £7.825 million in 2000.
The national development plan provides for an investment of £73.8 million in the coming years in adult literacy, which will be supplemented by a £1 billion investment under a back to education initiative providing for an expansion of part-time Youthreach, PLC and VTOS options. This will become an important bridge from literacy tuition to certified learning options.
The information given at the conference in question related to the international adult literacy survey of 12 countries conducted in 1995, and published in 1997, which provided a profile of the literacy skills of adults aged 16-64.
With regard to adult education and training, the report states that, while the majority of the countries surveyed had a participation rate in education and training of around 40% for the 12 months preceding the survey, the rate in Ireland was low at 24%. The rates in Belgium and Poland were lower.
Recent initiatives taken in the area of adult literacy include the following.
(a) An adult literacy development fund was established to fund a range of pilot actions to test models and innovatory approaches which will inform future practice in this area. Since the fund was set up, the clients catered for have doubled to at least 10,000, flexibility and awareness and outreach approaches have been increased, referral networks have been strengthened and expanded, family literacy groups involving both adults and their children are running successfully, and a number of open learning centres are being piloted, along with literacy groups for migrant women, travellers, and programmes for the unemployed in co-operation with FÁS, the community employment scheme and the local employment services.
(b) An expansion of investment in staff development, including national certified programmes offered on a modular in-service basis for tutors and literacy organisers, in co-operation with the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) and Waterford Institute of Technology.
