Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2004
530 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Science, further to Question No. 450 of 27 April 2004, his plans to implement the recommendations of the McIver report; and when this process will commence. [25278/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe post-leaving certificate review was commissioned by my Department to examine the sector and make recommendations as necessary on the organisational, support, development, technical and administrative structures and resources required in schools and colleges with large scale post leaving certificate, PLC, provision having regard to good practice in related areas across the system and in other countries. The final report was completed in April, 2003.
The report contains 21 over-arching recommendations incorporating over 90 sub-recommendations. The recommendations of the report are wide-ranging and encompass proposals that extend beyond PLC provision. There are issues which impact on the shaping of structures for the delivery of further and adult education into the future and may have implications for other sectors which require consideration at an interdepartmental level. There are significant cost implications in the report's recommendations, which must be measured against needs across the education system, as well as substantial industrial relations issues which will have to be processed through the normal industrial relations channels.
PLC provision is only one aspect of the Department's provision in the further and adult education area. Developments in recent years in adult literacy and community education, the introduction of part-time options in further education for priority target groups under the back to education initiative and programmes for young early school leavers as well as the range of self-financed courses run by VECs and schools are all part of the strategy to offer wider choices and options for further and second chance education. VEC outreach programmes in prisons and other institutions, as well as co-operative ventures with other training providers such as FÁS and Fáilte Ireland are also important in the overall mix of provision.
The rapid expansion of activity in this area in recent years makes it imperative that the overall structures for the delivery of further and adult education are reviewed with a view to establishing a robust, co-ordinated and coherent system into the future. These structures should encompass all opportunities for further and adult education and training and vocational education and training within the context of overall national and EU policies on lifelong learning. The options for greater integration and coherence in the organisation and management of this total provision need to be fully explored. The Department acknowledges that the further education colleges will have a key role in advancing this aim and the research which informed the McIver report together with the report's recommendations will assist in the development of an overall framework.
Arising from my Department's discussions with managerial and trade union representatives on the recommendations of the McIver report, each of these organisations has indicated what its priorities are on implementation. As the principal representative body for the management of further and adult education, the IVEA has submitted a document to the Department which outlines its view of the way forward in the prioritisation of the report's recommendations. This document places the recommendations of the McIver report in the wider context of the structures required to support the development of further and adult education into the future. My Department is engaged in more intensive discussions with the IVEA on its proposals and will embark on further discussions with staff interests when the structural and financial details of the IVEA proposals have been clarified.
