County Kildare vocational education committee have been running the VTOS for the long term unemployed for the past two years. During that period a lot of time and effort has been spent in promoting the belief that adult and second chance education offered a real choice for many unemployed adults. This intervention has been recognised widely as one of the most creative and significant educational initiatives of recent years. Currently County Kildare have 72 people on the programme, a solid testimony to the attractiveness and integrity of the programme among unemployed people.
Of the initial group of 15 who have finished up this September three have obtained places in third level colleges. The academic progress of these three individuals has been phenomenal and they now have a unique opportunity of obtaining a qualification which in time will enable them to seek new jobs and make a new life for themselves. As things stand at present they will only receive their social welfare entitlements and their core tuition fees will be paid via the third level grants scheme. They will be expected to meet all other costs e.g. travel, books, field trips from their dole money.
In essence none of the individuals can take up the offers unless further financial support is forthcoming. Take, for example, the travel costs involved in attending college. All three are living over 24 miles from the relevant college and there is no direct public transport service linking home and college. The following will illustrate the financial consequences of attending.
|
Allowances |
Cost of travel per week |
|
Case 1. |
|
|
£158 (2 adults and 3 children) |
£25 |
|
Case 2. |
|
|
£49.50 (single) |
£25 |
|
Case 3. |
|
|
£49.50 (single) |
£25 |
If you add all the other ancillary costs such as books, which amount to a minimum of £100, then you will realise that attending college for these people is simply not on. To demonstrate the commitment of the individuals concerned, two of them who live in Kilcullen leave home at 7.35 each morning and return at 7.10 each evening.
The initiative to allow people drawing social welfare to attend college has been welcomed on all sides. However people living in urban centres close to colleges have a distinct advantage over people living in more rural and provincial areas where access is much more costly and difficult. To continue this scheme without some financial support for travel and other ancillary costs will effectively put the opportunity beyond the reach of most unemployed people. In the last two years we have encouraged these people to improve their educational standards and qualifications in order to improve their job prospects but the Minister is effectively saying to them "so far and no further". In effect, the principle of equal access does not apply in their case. An ironic aspect of the situation is the fact that travel costs are paid to attend the VTOS locally, but not when they have to travel further. At the beginning of the year there were strong indications that a strong supportive package would be forthcoming to enable people to go on to third level education. A number of submissions was made pointing out that the cost involved would be minimal and that it would be very easy to administer. We were also led to believe that money was available to cover these costs. Given our optimism, we encouraged students who were academically capable to achieve standards to gain entry to third level institutions.
There is now a deep sense of disappointment and frustration because the proposed supportive package has disappeared. This was only conveyed to me on Wednesday, 21 October. The Minister has betrayed these people and the vocational education committee authorities who run the schemes. Furthermore, for future students coming through the VTOS the possibility of attending third level education is no longer a realistic option.
At a time when there are high levels of unemployment, every effort should be made to smooth the educational path of those who are able and committed to doing something about their situation. Instead, we put barriers in their way, which would cost very little to remove. It is as if we opened the door, showed them what the future might hold and then slammed the door in their face. The present urgent crisis for the three individuals concerned is that they will have no option but to leave college by Wednesday, 28 October — the final date for late registration. The sadness and heartache created by this is unbelievable. Therefore, I urge the Minister to pay the travel costs involved, which are very small, but which will rescue these three individuals under the VTOS scheme or through the vocational education committee.
