View the AONTAS Update as a PDF – Click here
AONTAS Update...
1st June 2010 Issue Number 36 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.
Weekly Survey Do you think enough progress has been made on the implementation of the National Skills Strategy? Click here to let us know.
This week you might want to have a look at the annual statistics for BTEA participants. Click here to find out more. Each week, we will include a short poll / survey in the AONTAS The Update will be e-mailed to members every Tuesday afternoon. If you have Update. This is just one difficulty viewing the Update in your e-mail window, download as a PDF by clicking opportunity for members here. Members are very welcome to contribute and if you have anything for inclusion, to let us know your please e-mail it to Eleonora Peruffo (eperuffo@aontas.com) by 5pm on Monday opinions on the current afternoon. issues!
POLICY Adult Education News Politics
PROMOTION Events Publications & Websites Press Release
POLICY
MEMBERSHIP
INFORMATION
AONTAS News Membership News AONTAS Membership
Information Referral Service Education & Training Opportunities Funding
ADULT EDUCATION NEWS Union warns of threat to 5,000 jobs in community and voluntary sector Wicklow HSE branch member, Margaret Coughlan told the IMPACT trade union delegate conference that up to 5,000 workers in the community and voluntary sector will lose their jobs before the end of the year. She was basing her claims on the recently published Harvey report and has stated that the 5,000 figure may even be "cautious and conservative". (Irish Examiner, 22nd May 2010) ASTI calls for trainee teachers to get a year in schools ASTI has called for second level teacher graduates to be guaranteed a year's apprenticeship in schools when they leave college. It would allow teachers to gain valuable experience and would give schools extra resources in a time of cutbacks. Similar schemes are in place in Scotland and Finland with graduate teachers getting 70pc of normal starting salary. (Irish Independent, 24th May 2010) Students can apply for grants now Minister for Education Mary Coughlan has announced that the application process for maintenance grants will open two months earlier this year with application forms being available to download for the first time. Funding to pay the grants will also be given in advance to local authorities this year. (Irish Times, 25th May 2010) Thousands fret over student grants New figures show that 3,436 applicants are still awaiting decisions by the VECs on their grant applications even though some have already finished their academic year. The figures for the VECs are on top of the 1,960 applications that local authorities were still considering at the end of March. Gary Redmond, incoming USI president, has described the figures as ‘astonishing’. (Irish Independent, 25th May 2010) Struggling with literacy, numeracy and now, recession NALA in collaboration with the EBS have launched a new educational website aimed at adults with financial literacy issues – makingcents.ie. The website aims to help people to improve their financial literacy and to avoid falling into debt. The last OECD international adult literacy survey found that almost a quarter of adults have difficulties with simple numeracy tasks such as adding up a bill, understanding a pay slip or filling in a form. (Irish Times, 26th May 2010) Early school leaving ‘requires action’ A study on early school leaving by the Oireachtas education committee has recommended that all children should be tracked from pre-school through to college to monitor their progress and help find ways to cut dropout rates. It has also called for greater coordination between the agencies that deal with young people at risk of not reaching Leaving Certificate. (Irish Examiner, 26th May 2010)
******
POLITICS Back to Education Allowance Statistics
Annual statistics are collated by the Department for the number of participants on the Back to Education Allowance on the basis of the relevant academic year.
*Source: Parliamentary Questions No.22803/10 and 22804/10 (May 2010) Seanad Private Members Business – Wednesday, 2 June 2010 at 5pm 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 2nd June.
****** February 2010 - Adult 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.
****** For AONTAS policy updates, please visit www.aontas.com/policy
Back to Contents
PROMOTION Events
Press Release
Open Training College featured on RTE show 'Outside The Box' In celebration of winning the Aontas STAR Award (National Category) recently, the teaching staff of the Open Training College was invited to speak on the popular RTE Radio 1 show 'Outside The Box'. . Outside the Box shines a spotlight on issues of broad concern to disabled people, their families and representative organisations. The show confronts issues head on and is not afraid to challenge commonly held assumptions about disabled people and the disability sector. . Discussion between Olan Mcgowan, the shows presenter, and the three OTC teaching staff members - Raymond Watson, Alacoque McAuley Savage and Mick Keating centered around the collaborative nature and flexibility of all courses on offer from the College to adult learners, particularly the BA in Applied Social Studies (Disability). Please click the link below to access the 24 minute show that released on May 21st, 2010. When you get to the RTE page by using the link below, click the Open Training College audio link under the Latest Outside the Box Podcasts section, to hear the show. http://www.rte.ie/radio1/outsidethebox/ ******
Back to Contents
Social Welfare Reform Falls Short of the Mark Click here to read full press release (31st May 2010) ******
PUBLICATIONS New Report from the Joint Committee on Education & Science Staying in Education: A New Way Forward School and Out-ofSchool Factors Protecting Against Early School Leaving. This is a first report by the Joint Committee on Education and Science
and was launched on Tuesday, 25 May at 2 p.m. Please click here to download your copy. ******
MEMBERSHIP AONTAS NEWS 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. ******
AONTAS MEMBERSHIP
Any organisation, group or individual that is involved, or MEMBERSHIP NEWS interested, in adult and community education New AONTAS Executive A big congratulations to everyone elected into the AONTAS Executive at the AGM on may apply for Wednesday, 19 May 2010.The new AONTAS Executive 2010/2011 are: membership. If you feel that you would benefit Marian Duffy Co Carlow VEC President both in your practice Loretta Needham Croi na Gaillimhe, St Vincent De Paul Vice President Ruth Smith Tipperary Women’s Network Hon. Secretary and personally from Maria Gorman Hon. Treasurer AONTAS join our Lorraine Cunningham Blayney Blades vibrant organisation Lorne Patterson Longford Women's Link today! Michael Murray NUI Maynooth Liam Kilbride Presentation Education Development Office ****** Linda Greene Liz Waters Eithne NicDhonnchadh Elva O'Callaghan Deborah Brock Jillian Harrison John Ryan
Clondalkin Womens Network An Cosan 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. ******
Back to Contents
INFORMATION EDUCATION & TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES Open Training college information session, 29-30 June 2010 You are invited to an upcoming information event in Galway(29thJune) or Cork (30th June)where you can explore the adult education opportunities that are available to staff and managers working, or currently seeking work, in the non-profit/human services sector. The new regional timetable for the BA in applied social studies(disability) that launches in September 2010 will be announced by Raymond Watson, Course Director. Please click here to read more.
******
FUNDING Website: www.makingcents.ie makingcents.ie is the new website for anyone interested in learning about money and financial matters. It includes online exercises to help you understand how to use and manage money better. Makingcents.ie is brought to by NALA (National Adult Literacy Association) and EBS Building Society who have worked together since 2004 to address the issue of access to financial services for those with literacy difficulties.
INFORMATION REFERRAL SERVICE The service is suspended until further notice.
******
Information Booklet If you are interested in returning to education why not download a copy of the Information Booklet by clicking here ******
****** Student maintenance grant schemes Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan T.D. has announced details of the student maintenance grant schemes for the coming academic year. This year's schemes include administrative and service improvements aimed at ensuring students getting their grant entitlement on time. The changes include:
www.ifpro.de
Early announcement of the 2010 schemes and application form to facilitate students in making an early application; New more user-friendly student grant application form for 2010/11; Downloadable student grant application form; and New payments process, including advance payments to awarding authorities. The student grant application form can be downloaded from www.studentfinance.ie ******
Back to Contents 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