Emer Higgins
Question:115. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Defence the type of education supports that are provided to members of the Defence Forces such as those under the Military Education Strategy. [3640/22]
View answerThursday, 27 January 2022
Questions (115)
Written answers
Training and education in the Defence Forces is conducted in line with national and international best practice, including the manner in which students are supported. On average, the Defence Forces conducts between 1,200 and 1,400 courses of training and education each year.
The Defence Forces is committed to the promotion of lifelong learning and the accreditation of Defence Forces training and education where appropriate. As such, the organisation has a number of collaborative partners across the Further and Higher Education sector including IT Carlow, Maynooth University, Munster Technological University and SOLAS. In addition to these partnerships, the Defence Forces operates a refund of fees scheme that facilitates personnel in accessing partial funding to pay for courses in which they are engaged in their own time.
The Defence Forces Policy on Specific Learning Difficulties (SLDs) provides information for Defence Forces training establishments, students and instructors on the supports available to personnel with SLDs. Guidance is available on disclosure, screening, teaching strategies, assistive technologies and assessment supports to be utilised. The Defence Forces has trained a number of Officers and Non Commissioned Officers as Student Liaison Officers to assist in the provision of these supports to personnel across the Defence Forces through the completion of a Level 9 Programme in Adult Guidance and Counselling. Defence Forces personnel are also supported to access further and higher education programmes through Recognition of Prior Learning and Work Based Learning Portfolios. These mechanisms allow access to programmes through non-traditional methods.
The Defence Forces has recently published its first formal Professional Military Education Strategy, covering the period 2021 to 2024. It builds on the Professional Military Education framework previously developed for Officer Ranks, as well as the annual Training and Education Directive.
The aim of the Professional Military Education strategy is to develop and maintain military capability by building on existing Professional Military Education concepts, incorporating 'best practice' approaches as utilised by other international military academies, Partner Nations, and national Higher Level Institutes in order to develop a future framework that clearly defines Defence Forces educational and career pathways, while also enabling an effective and progressive approach to the delivery of Defence Forces Education and Training needs. It will assist in ensuring that the Defence Forces attract, develop and retain high quality personnel and will underpin the capacity of the Defence Forces to fulfil the roles assigned by Government.