Vol. 536 No. 5
378 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the status of the White Paper on Adult Education; if there is a working group established to implement its proposals; if so, the membership of any such group; when it last held a meeting; the measures it has taken to date or plans to take in the near future to implement these proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14921/01]
I published the White Paper on Adult Education, Learning for Life, in August, 2000. The White Paper set out a range of measures for the future development of adult education and was presented by the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dea. These measures are being implemented on a phased basis as personnel and financial resources become available. Working groups are established for various aspects of the White Paper as resources come on stream. For example, to date, there are a number of inter-agency working groups for the implementation of adult guidance, the development of an assessment framework for adult literacy, the co-ordination of radio and TV developments for adult literacy, an interdepartmental group on literacy for the unemployed, the implementation of the national qualifications structures, the funding and implementation framework for the back to education initiative, the review of administrative, organisational and technical structures for the PLC sector, the steering group for the education equality initiative. All such groups include Department staff, key education interests, and where relevant, other agencies such as FÁS local employment service, Department of Social Community and Family Affairs and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and community and voluntary sector interests.
At this stage, critical developments have been implemented in adult literacy, increasing participation from 5,000 in 1997 to 17,150 at the end of 2000, from expanding to 595 venues, strengthening referral networks, introducing a quality framework, providing nationally certified staff development programmes, expanding family learning, piloting workplace learning, and implementing national TV and radio programmes so that people can learn in the privacy of their own homes. In addition, work has been advanced in testing models of practice in relation to the needs of non-nationals, such as asylum seekers and refugees.
The back to education initiative will come on stream later this year. The adult guidance service began in 2000, and applications have been invited for phase 2 of the initiative with a view to selection next month. The education equality initiative is up and running and the outcomes from the previous women's education initiative have been disseminated.
