Vol. 532 No. 1
365 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who left school at 14 years of age and who is in part-time employment is being charged £1,600 to attend a two year leaving certificate course provided by Kerry Education Services. [6579/01]
Tuition is generally free for participants on full time programmes in further education and at higher education under-graduate level, while students on part-time programmes are charged fees. There are of the order of 1.1 million adults aged 15-64 who have less than upper second level education. It is not considered feasible to introduce free education for part-time participants in this group at this stage, given the scale of the challenge which is required to promote a framework for lifelong learning. The developments proposed in the White Paper on Adult Education, Learning for Life, provide for large scale increases in adult literacy investment, a major expansion of part time options at further education level, the development of supporting services such as guidance and child care third level initiatives to promote adult friendly policies, and capital and structural investment. Given the scale of change needed, the priority is to expand the flexibility of core programmes and services for adults and to concentrate fee relief for part-time participation on those most at risk. The impact of this policy on the participation of specific groups will be monitored.
The back to education initiative under which part-time options for adults in further education are being expanded, provides for free tuition for participants and their dependants who are unemployed, in receipt of medical cards, means-tested welfare payments or family income supplements. In addition, a reduction to 30% of tuition costs is provided for unwaged students with less than upper second level education, while the remaining part time students will be charged fees. The person to whom the Deputy refers does not qualify for fee relief under the new initiative. However, grants are paid each year to vocational education committees under the special initiatives for disadvantaged adults scheme under which flexible supports may be provided on a discretionary basis to enable disadvantaged students to participate in courses free or at nominal cost. It is understood that the person involved in this case has recently agreed to provide information to the Kerry Education Service which would help establish her eligibility for assistance under this scheme. The fee quoted has been calculated on the basis of £2 per hour and is in keeping with charges elsewhere across the system towards delivery costs.
