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AONTAS Update...
25th May 2010 Issue Number 35 Welcome Welcome to the AONTAS Update! The AONTAS Update is a weekly resource designed to keep members informed about current lifelong learning issues as well as what’s happening in AONTAS! Please let us know what you think of the bulletin by taking a short survey here. Last Wednesday the AONTAS AGM took place in Dublin. A big congratulations to everyone elected into the AONTAS Executive. Please click here to see the full list. Also, AONTAS are delighted to welcome the three new individual members who joined in the last month. The Update will be e-mailed to members every Tuesday afternoon. If you have difficulty viewing the Update in your e-mail window, download as a PDF by clicking here. Members are very welcome to contribute and if you have anything for inclusion, please e-mail it to Eleonora Peruffo (eperuffo@aontas.com) by 5pm on Monday afternoon.
POLICY
PROMOTION
MEMBERSHIP
Adult Education News Politics
Events Publications & Websites Press Release
AONTAS News AONTAS Membership
Survey Do you think enough progress has been made on the implementation of the National Skills Strategy? Click here to let us know.
Each week, we will include a short poll / survey in the AONTAS Update. This is just one opportunity for members to let us know your opinions on the current issues!
INFORMATION Information Referral Service
POLICY ADULT EDUCATION NEWS
POLITICS February 2010 - Adult
Income cut-offs for college grants to stay unchanged Despite pressure to increase third-level access for poorer students the income cut-offs for college grants next autumn will remain largely unchanged. This means only those from families earning less than €22,308 will qualify for the maximum grant. Around 62,000 students qualified for student grants in the current academic year, up from just over 57,000 in 2008/09, with payments ranging from €330 to €6,350 for those from households earning up to €56,000. The €1,500 college registration fee is paid for students with a maximum household income of €61,295 a year. (Irish Examiner, 19th May 2010) Leaving Cert, must go says education boss Michael Moriarty, general secretary of the IVEA, has called for a reform of the Leaving Cert saying that it should be replaced by a modular approach to exams and coursework. He also intends on Tuesday to ask for a 30% increase in PLC courses which at the moment are capped at 31,000. He would like to see it increased to 40,000 to help the unemployed with retraining and reskilling. (The Sunday Times, 23rd May 2010) €115m from job subsidy not used Out of €250m allocated to the scheme which is designed to encourage companies to retain staff during the downturn, only €135m has been withdrawn. A maximum subsidy of €200 was available per full-time employee per week for the first 26 weeks, falling to €150, €100 and €50 respectively for each of the subsequent 13-week periods. A spokeswoman for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation said that the scheme had resulted in the retention of almost 100,000 jobs and that 1,670 companies had participated in it. (Irish Times, 21st May 2010) The education system fails those we most need to help An opinion piece from Ferdinand von Prondzynski: The truth is that ‘free fees’ are nothing more than the transfer of resources from the poor to the wealthy. (Irish Times, 18th May 2010)
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POLITICS Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education & Skills –Thursday, 20th May 2010 The Joint Committee on Education and Science will meet in Committee Room 2, Leinster House 2000 Financial difficulties facing access students o Access students Click here to read the full transcript
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Education: A Current Diagnosis & Measures for Recovery As part of the Adult Learners' Festival 2010, Lobby for Learning Day AONTAS invited education spokespeople together with the Minister for Lifelong Learning Sean Haughey to hear firsthand about a service that is overstretched and struggling to cope with the current demand from adults for education and training. At "The Adult Education Clinic" Minister for Lifelong Learning, Sean Haughey, along with Green Party TD Paul Gogarty, Fine Gael TD Brian Hayes, and Cllr Aodhan O Riordain from the Labour Party re-created the format of a constituency clinic in order to hear from providers on the ground, as well as adult learners accessing the services.
****** Adult Education: A Current Diagnosis & Measures for Recovery, a short paper illustrating the current demand for adult education and three measures for recovery, was launched at the event.
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Seanad Private Members Business – Wednesday. 26 May 2010 Fianna Fail Group on the National Skills Strategy "That Seanad Éireann commends the Government for its commitment to lifelong learning and upskilling for implementing policies in support of activation and training, skills development and lifelong learning and for the significant progress it has made in meeting the objectives set out in the National Skills Strategy. Watch online at www.oireachtas.ie at 5pm on Wednesday
****** Report Launch – Tuesday, 25 May 2010 Staying in Education: A New Way Forward School and Out-of-School Factors Protecting Against Early School Leaving. This is a first report by the Joint Committee on Education and Science and is being launched in the Audio Visual Room, LH 2000 on Tuesday, 25 May at 2 p.m.
****** Third Level Places Update (Parliamentary Questions [20181/10] 18 May 2010) Deputy Brian Hayes asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of the 2,500 undergraduate and post-graduate part-time places offered to unemployed people from September 2009 that were filled; the number of applications in total that were received for these places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): Some 2,500 places were made available for unemployed people on parttime undergraduate and postgraduate courses from September 2009 on courses that support the goals of the ‘Smart Economy’ and particularly those relating to the specific skills needs of exporting sectors identified by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs. It is estimated that in excess of 3,000 applications were received for places under the scheme, almost 2,100 offers were made and more than 1,750 places were filled. A preliminary analysis by the HEA of information received to date from participating institutions shows that the majority of students are male and aged between 26 and 40 with previous qualifications at NQF 6 or above. Some 50% of participants were previously employed in the engineering, manufacturing or construction sectors. Over 70% were between 6-12 months on the live register and 55% indicated that their
motivation for undertaking the programme was to enhance their career prospects.
****** For AONTAS policy updates, please visit www.aontas.com/policy
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PROMOTION Events
Press Release
ERA Charter for the Promotion of Equality and Human Rights: Consultation sessions As you are aware ERA is developing Ireland’s first Charter on Equality and Human Rights which will set out the developments and standards necessary for a strengthened equality, anti-poverty and human rights infrastructure. Niall Crowley has been awarded the tender to develop our Charter and as part of the process of developing the different elements in the Charter they are holding 4 consultation workshops as follows: Dublin : Wed June 16th and Thurs June 24th Letterkenny : Friday June 18th Galway: Tuesday June 22nd It is important that ERA members working to address inequality, poverty, and human rights abuses contribute to the development of the Charter and therefore they would very much appreciate your attendance at one of the workshops. As places are limited they would ask member organisations to limit their participation to one person per organisation. The participation of those working at a policy level within your organisations would be particularly beneficial. http://www.eracampaign.org/contact-era
****** Website Centre for Research in Wider Benefits of Learning (www.learningbenefits.net) The Centre for Research on the Wider Benefits of Learning (WBL) investigates the benefits that learning brings to the individual and to society as a whole. WBL's main objectives are to clarify, model and quantify the outcomes of all forms of intentional learning so as to inform the funding, implementation and practice of educational provision through the life course. It is funded by the Department of Children Schools and Families in the UK. The research looks to inform policy, to deepen understanding of the complex ways in which learning can benefit individuals, and to provide robust evidence about the scale of these effects and the returns they
Adult Education sector still struggling to meet demand, despite Knowledge Economy rhetoric The government has still to fully embrace the potential of adult education to combat recession and contribute to the knowledge economy, said Berni Brady, Director of AONTAS.
PUBLICATIONS & WEBSITES Explore Magazine The spring edition of Explore magazine has now been printed. It will be posted to members soon. ****** Adults Learning The May edition of the NIACE magazine is now available in the AONTAS library. Click here for the table of contents.
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Creating a Logo for Senior Learning! Wednesday, 26 th May 2010 The next Senior Learner Network Meeting is taking tomorrow, Wednesday 26th May in Dublin, 10am-3pm, as part of the Bealtaine Festival. One of the proposed actions will help address manifesto point 2: Creating and distribute information on the learning opportunities for older learners in every community – is the creation of a logo which identifies that the course is aimed at older people. Therefore this will be the basis for the next meeting as it moves on implementing the manifesto and is also creative, because the learners will create the logo, and therefore fits into the criteria of the Bealtaine festival. Please click here for the full agenda.
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MEMBERSHIP AONTAS NEWS Annual General Meeting The 40th AONTAS Annual General Meeting took place on Wednesday, 19th May 2010 at the IFSC Clarion Hotel, Dublin 1. Almost 70 members of AONTAS attended the event, and elected a new Executive Committee. The meeting also initiated an extensive consultation process for the next AONTAS strategic plan, which will run from 2011 to 2013. There will be plenty of more opportunities to give your input and ideas that will shape the strategic plan, which is in development at a crucial point for the adult and community education sector. Please click here for a copy of the consultation document. For more information, please contact Niamh O’ Reilly, Head of Membership Services at noreilly@aontas.com / 01 4068220
****** Welcome New AONTAS Executive A big congratulations to everyone elected into the AONTAS Executive at the AGM on Wednesday, 19 May 2010.The new AONTAS Executive 2010 / 2011 are: Marian Duffy Co Carlow VEC President Loretta Needham Croi na Gaillimhe, St Vincent De Paul Vice President Ruth Smith Tipperary Women’s Network Hon. Secretary Maria Gorman Hon. Treasurer Lorraine Cunningham Blayney Blades Lorne Patterson Longford Women's Link Michael Murray NUI Maynooth Liam Kilbride Presentation Education Development Office Linda Greene Clondalkin Womens Network Liz Waters An Cosan
AONTAS MEMBERSHIP Over 550 learners, tutors, adult education coordinators, managers, policy makers and many other interested organisations and individuals avail of the many benefits of AONTAS Any organisation, group or individual that is involved, or interested, in adult and community education may apply for membership. If you feel that you would benefit both in your practice and personally from AONTAS join our vibrant organisation today!
Eithne NicDhonnchadh Elva O'Callaghan Deborah Brock Jillian Harrison John Ryan
Adult Education Officers Association NCCWN Dodder Valley Partnership Individual Member
For more information on the Executive please click here
****** Welcome New AONTAS Members AONTAS are delighted to welcome three new individual members. Over 550 learners, tutors, adult education coordinators, managers, policy makers and many other interested organisations and individuals avail of the many benefits of AONTAS. ****** Many Happy Returns AONTAS have recently published a short booklet chartering the organisations 40 year history (1969 – 2009). For your copy, please contact Ciara Murphy, Resource & Communications Officer at cmurphy@aontas.com
****** For more membership news, please visit www.aontas.com/membership
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INFORMATION Information Booklet If you are interested in returning to education why not download a copy of the Information Booklet by clicking here. ******
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Information Referral service The service is suspended until further notice.
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AONTAS is the National Adult Learning Organisation. It is a non-governmental organisation that exists to ensure that every adult in Ireland has access to appropriate and affordable learning opportunities throughout their lives, thus enabling them to participate in the economic, social, civic and cultural development of Irish society. For further information visit www.aontas.com or www.adultlearnersfestival.com. Apologies for any cross posting. If you no longer wish to receive information from AONTAS, please e-mail mail@aontas.com. AONTAS – The National Adult Learning Organisation 83 – 87 Main Street, Ranelagh, Dublin 6W Ph 01 4068220«Fax 014068227«E-mail mail@aontas.com Company Registration: 80958 Charity Registration: 6719