View the AONTAS Update as a PDF – Click here
AONTAS Update...
22 June 2010 Issue Number 39 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. Planning had just gotten underway for the Adult Learners’ Festival 2011. This week don’t forget to put the Festival dates in your diary - the 2011 Festival will take place from 21 – 25 February. 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 Adult Education News Politics
Weekly Survey Do you agree with plans to reform the one parent family payment? Click here to let us know what you think! 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!
PROMOTION
MEMBERSHIP
INFORMATION
Events Publications
AONTAS News AONTAS Membership
Information Referral Service Education & Training Opportunities
POLICY ADULT EDUCATION NEWS
POLITICS
Temporary teachers to have wages cut by third New regulations due to be introduced by the Department of Education and Skills in September will see more than 100 secondary-trained teachers who are working on temporary contracts in primary schools have their wages cut by up to a third. The new regulations mean all new primary teacher appointments must have primary school qualifications. Secondary teachers had been treated and paid as qualified to teach at primary level, but the new regulations deem them unqualified. (Irish Times, 14th June 2010) College heads hold talks on creation of ‘super IT’ Talks between the Dublin Institute of Technology, the institutes of technology in Tallaght and Blanchardstown, and the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology have begun with a view to creating a ‘super Institute of Technology’. If the merger goes ahead then the campuses will remain as they are but will house more specialized departments. For students this would mean a reduced choice of courses and increased travel time. (Irish Independent, 17th June 2010) All colleges expected to give maths extra marks There was welcome news this week for Education Minister Mary Coughlan with four universities backing the idea of bonus points for maths and the other three expected to do so in the next while. The university council favoured a 'weighting' of 40pc to recognise the extra work required by students taking higher level maths. This would mean a student who earned maximum points for higher level maths would get an extra 40 points for admission purposes for any course. (Irish Independent, 17th June 2010) Bonus for ‘maths will only lead to points inflation’ New figures have shown that the majority of CAO applicants who obtain an honour in maths enrol in courses where they don't need them. It is now predicted that bonus points for maths will just push up the entry requirements for courses such as medicine, pharmacy and law. The report also says that when the bonus points were removed, the percentage of students taking higher-level maths actually increased, rather than decreased. (Irish Independent, 18th June 2010) One parent family payment reforms ‘discriminatory’ The Dail has been warned that the plans to reform the one-parent family payment will face a legal challenge because the proposal discriminates against the children of unmarried women. Kathleen Lynch (Labour) and Olwyn Enright (Fine Gael) have both spoken out in relation to the proposals with Ms Enright stating that they will have a “profound effect on people’s lives”. (Irish Times, 17th June 2010)
****** Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010:
Adult Education: A Current Diagnosis & Measures for Recovery - February 2010 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. ******
Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010 Second Stage was debated in the Dail last week. The Back to Education Allowance, reform of the one parent family payment and activation measures were discussed. Please click 1. here and 2. here and 3. here for the debate from 16 June and here for the 17 June 2010. The bill will be debated at Committee this week. Watch online at www.oireachtas.ie
******
For AONTAS policy updates, please visit www.aontas.com/policy
Back to Contents
PROMOTION Events
PUBLICATIONS
Launch of the TEACH Report Explore Magazine National Association of Travellers’ Centres (NATC) & the Directors’ The new issue of Explore, Association of STTC Network will launch the TEACH Report “Traveller the AONTAS magazine on Adults and Education: Crisis, Challenge and Change” by Niamh Hourigan and Maria Campbell on Wednesday June 23rd at 2.30pm.Venue: Buswells adult education, is now out! Hotel, Kildare Street, Dublin. All Welcome! Visit http://www.natc.ie/ or Please click here to view it. http://www.sttc.ie/welcome.html ***** ****** RADE: Hard Day Film Screening RADE present the World Premiere of “Hard Day” on Thurs July 1st in the Irish Film Institute, Temple Bar. There will be two screenings: 12 Noon Preview for Community Projects 7pm launch of Film and Strategic Plan by Minister Pat Carey, TD “Hard Day” is an authentic and entertaining short film. Billy tries desperately to make some money busking. His girlfriend, Tina, is running out of patience with him. When intimidating street criminal Lazer and his girlfriend, Sadie stop to watch Billy busking, Billy is reminded of an old injustice and decides for once to stand up for himself and put an old wrong to right... RADE engages drug-users with the arts and therapeutic supports and provides a platform for their artistic expression. www.rade.ie ******
Back to Contents
MEMBERSHIP AONTAS NEWS
AONTAS
New Senior Learner Network Report Now Available The forth AONTAS Senior Learner Network meeting took place in the Davenport Hotel, during the Bealtaine Festival. The theme for the meeting was creating a logo for senior learning. Read the full report here. ****** New Community Education Network Report Now Available The 9th meeting of the Community Education Network (CEN) mainly focused on creating a position paper for a proposed funding mechanism for community education using the discussion document as a basis for consultation. This meeting builds on the outcomes of meeting 8 in that the position paper will also meet the issues of funding and autonomy of community education. Read the full report here. ******
MEMBERSHIP 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! ******
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 ******
Back to Contents
INFORMATION EDUCATION & TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FREE Media Training for Members Would you like hands on media training or assistance to develop your media strategy? AONTAS offers FREE media training to members, help with your press releases and advice on promoting your organisation. Training can be delivered in your area and will be tailored to suit the needs of your organisation. For more information or to discuss in greater detail, contact Niamh Farren, Communications Officer, 01 406 8220/ nfarren@aontas.com. ****** 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
INFORMATION REFERRAL SERVICE The AONTAS Information Referral 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
work, in the non-profit/human services sector. The new regional clicking here timetable for the BA in applied social studies(disability) that launches in ****** September 2010 will be announced by Raymond Watson, Course www.ifpro.de Director. Please click here to read more. National College of Ireland’s Part-time Courses Open Evening National College of Ireland’s Part-time Courses Open Evening: Tue 29th June, 17:00 - 18:30. Do you want to step up your career, develop new skills and knowledge, or build on an existing qualification? If so, then call into the Part-time Programmes Open Events at National College of Ireland on Tuesday 29th June, 5.00pm - 6.30pm in the IFSC campus. Visit www.ncirl.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