25 Feabh 2014, 17:24
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection tomorrow meets with a range of stakeholders to consider the role and potential of Community Education and Vocational Education.
25 February 2014
Representatives from the following organisations will address the Committee:
- Aontas (Irish National Adult Learning Organisation);
- City and Guilds;
- Education and Training Boards of Ireland (ETBI);
- Quality and Qualifications of Ireland (QQI), and
- SOLAS (Further Education and Training Authority)
Chair of the Committee, Joanna Tuffy, TD, says “The community and vocational sectors are key pillars of our education system. They have a valuable role to play in accessing hard-to-reach learners and getting them involved in the first rungs of learning, while enabling others to develop their skills over time and realise their full potential in a wide range of activities. Though Community Education is open to all, it is commonly focused on people who experience disadvantage or have been out of education for some time. Meanwhile, a recent report by City and Guilds suggests that the role of Vocational Education relatively poorly understood in Ireland, compared to many continental European countries where sophisticated vocational systems provide for highly desirable career paths.
\"A wide range of statutory and other bodies are engaged in various capacities throughout the State. The Committee looks forward to engaging with stakeholder representatives tomorrow on how these two distinct sectors can be harnessed to complement the other strands of the education system and deliver on their full potential for the community and the economy.\"
The meeting takes place tomorrow Wednesday 26 February at 1 pm in Committee Room 3, LH 2000 and can be viewed online here.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
Media enquiries to:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee Membership
Deputy Joanna Tuffy - Chair
Deputies James Bannon, Ray Butler, Joan Collins, Clare Daly, Brendan Griffin , Jim Daly, Derek Keating, Charlie McConalogue, Nicky McFadden, Jonathan O’Brien, Willie O’Dea, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Brendan Ryan
Senators Terry Brennan, Jim D'Arcy, Marie Moloney, Mary Moran, Marie-Louise O’Donnell, Averil Power