asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that some adult literacy teachers are working without pay due to financial shortages; when the 1988 financial allocation for adult literacy will be made available to the vocational education committees; the plans she has for developing adult literacy courses as an integral part of the education system; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Adult Literacy Courses.
1.
The issue of adult literacy teachers working without pay due to financial shortages has not been raised with me or my Department. The vocational education committees are at present being informed of their allocation for 1988, and arrangements are now being made to make the payments to them. I have no plans to change the present arrangements for providing adult literacy courses. The VECs have the primary role in providing adult education, including literacy and community education. Adult literacy education is, therefore, part of the educational system.
Can the Minister advise when she anticipates that the final budgetary allocations for VECs will be fixed? I am surprised to learn she has not been made aware that the budget for adult literacy throughout the country, and for Dublin in particular — I am concerned with Coolock — expired in December 1987. They have no budgetary allocation currently and cannot be provided with funds until the VEC budget for 1988 is settled. I am advised that usually takes up to March, if not April, with the result that——
Please Deputy, let us have a precise question. The Deputy seems to be imparting more information than he is seeking.
I am sorry to do so but it appears the Minister has not been made aware of the situation. Since January all the workers in the adult literacy scheme are without wages and until the VEC make the allocation, they have no income.
I might have read my answer too quickly, but I said the vocational education committees are at present being informed — today and tomorrow — of their allocation for 1988. That answers the point raised by the Deputy. Admittedly the allocation was made on 6 April last year because there was a change of Government and the budget was being introduced. As I said, over the next few days, the vocational education committees will be informed of their allocations for 1988. The Deputy said he was referring to the city of Dublin. We have been in touch with the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee and they tell us it is not true that literacy teachers in their area are working without pay. These teachers do not start until late January. We told the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee on 29 January that they would get at least the same allocation as that given in 1987 for literacy and community education, and they have informed us that they have acted on this information. There is a letter on the way from the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee to school principals telling them of their provisional allocation for 1988.
May I welcome the decision that the allocations are going out today because as the Minister is aware, it is unsatisfactory when allocations are late. Further to Deputy McCartan's question, could she inform the House what rates of pay are usually paid to adult literacy teachers and in line with what qualifications?
That seems to be a separate question.
Not really because——
The Chair decides these matters.
The chairman of the VEC must know that.
He is not so clear on these matters and is openly admitting it in this House. Has the Minister any information on file relating to the fact that adult literacy teachers are working without pay, but not to my knowledge? What is their rate of pay?
I do not have that information on the file but it is an interesting question and I will have my Department convey the information to the Deputy.
There is obviously a breakdown of information between the Department and myself, having been at a local meeting recently when we talked to people on the ground. However, I am glad the Minister's action has led to a resolution of the matter. May I ask about the future of adult literacy? Would the Minister indicate if at some stage she would make a statement either in the House or elsewhere about what the future holds for people involved in adult literacy courses? The allocation is provided for this year but there is a major problem at ground level for people planning the development of these courses and trying to work towards the future because there is no clear indication of the Minister's intentions towards adult literacy and its eventual integration into the education system.
The Deputy has raised a very interesting question. The previous Government allocated a sum for adult education and literacy and community education to be spread over three years. That sum has been exceeded and the end of that global allocation was reached last year. Despite very stringent circumstances, we have been able to provide the same amount this year. In general, the adult education community workshops and other groups will, within the next few weeks, know their allocations. I was very interested to see the Aontas report — the Coolock report —Live and Learn, a copy of which was sent to me. My Department will be undertaking a review——
Another review.
——of the financing of such projects, particularly in view of the fact that we want to see what has been done to date. We have given a research grant to the IVEA to undertake research in the area of work already carried out in adult literacy. The results of their findings will be available to me very shortly. The purpose of the project is to establish the effectiveness of the use of those funds provided for adult literacy and community education, and when that is done, we will quantify the results. We want to see if the considerable amount of money we are providing is being spent in the right way. The project undertaken by the IVEA and funded by us should give some very valuable information. That answers the Deputy's question.
I agree there is a need for the constant evaluation of the provision, the way the provision is allocated, the type of courses and the type of allocations made in the area of adult education, because new needs are constantly emerging as environmental changes occur, particularly work patterns, return to work, redundancies and so on. These matters will evoke a greater need for adult education as time passes.
May I point out what was perhaps an unwitting erratum in that report which stated that nearly all the courses were self-funding and that that was a barrier to development? May I ask the Minister if her Department will take note of that error in the report because it is not factually correct.
I noticed that. The minute I read the report that point struck me and I raised it with the Department. It appears that one-third of the courses are self-financing.