Vol. 568 No. 1
146 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Science his Department's current strategy to deal with illiteracy in adults; the latest statistical information on the problem here; the amount spent by his Department to combat the problem for every year since 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15805/03]
The most recent statistical data on the extent of the national adult literacy problem are contained in the report of the international adult literacy survey of adults aged 16 to 64 that was published in 1997. It found that about 25% of our population, some 500,000 adults, scored at the lowest literacy level used in the survey.
I will expand the adult literacy services as resources become available.
The national development plan committed €93.5 million to the service in the period 2000-2006, with a target of reaching 113,000 clients over that period, or an average of some 16,000 per annum. Currently, the annual number of clients of the general adult literacy services provided by the vocational education committees is 28,000. Literacy funds are being used to expand the scale and scope of provision, improve outreach and referral links and promote flexibility and quality. In addition to expanding the general adult literacy services, specially-targeted programmes have been introduced for people with special literacy requirements, in such areas as family learning, workplace learning, provision for special needs, and catering for those for whom English is not the mother tongue. To try to reach as many people with literacy needs as possible, use is made of radio and television, so that people can access help in the privacy of their own homes.
A weekly total of 150,000 people watched three television series commissioned by my Department in literacy awareness and tuition for adults.
Annual expenditure since 1999 has been as follows. The 1999 figures include provision for community education.
|
1999 |
€10.028 million |
|
2000 |
€10.344 million |
|
2001 |
€13.407 million |
|
2002 |
€16.597 million |
|
2003 |
€17.900 million (allocation) |
