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AONTAS Update...
06 July 2010 Issue Number 41 Editorial and 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. This week, why not visit the new AONTAS Strategic Plan Consultation webpage by clicking here. If you would like to make an input, first read the Strategic Plan Scoping Document and then fill in the online questionnaire by clicking here. We look forward to hearing from you! 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 Policy
PROMOTION • • • •
Adult Learners’ Festival News Events Publications & Websites Press Release
Weekly Survey Do you agree with plans to reform the one parent family payment? Click here to let us know. Thanks to all of you who have voted on this topic already!
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!
MEMBERSHIP • •
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AONTAS News Membership News AONTAS Membership
INFORMATION • • • •
Information Referral Service Education & Training Opportunities Funding International News
POLICY ADULT EDUCATION NEWS
February 2010 - Adult Education: A Current Diagnosis 4,500 jobs at risk as €80m cut for social schemes More than €80m in direct state support is to be taken from the community & Measures for Recovery and voluntary sector this year which could result in the loss of 4,500 jobs. The cuts include €6m from schemes dealing with educational disadvantage; a 70% As part of the Adult Learners' drop in funding for sports in disadvantaged areas (from €1m); over €30m Festival 2010, Lobby for Learning taken from childcare programmes and the funding of the RAPID scheme for Day AONTAS invited education development of urban areas with socioeconomic problems cut by a quarter. spokespeople together with the (Irish Examiner, 28th June 2010) Minister for Lifelong Learning Sean Haughey to hear firsthand College staff ‘fear’ work scrutiny HEA chief executive, Tom Boland, has stated that the failure of third level about a service that is academics to allow their work practices to be scrutinized may put further overstretched and struggling to funding for the sector at risk. Pressure is being heaped on academics to cope with the current demand increase teaching activity and open their work to being examined. Mr. Boland from adults for education and also said that colleges do not do themselves justice in their capacity to portray training. At "The Adult Education what they do to the wider community, especially to policymakers and those in Clinic" Minister for Lifelong charge of funding. (Irish Examiner, 30th June 2010) Learning, Sean Haughey, along with Green Party TD Paul 'Quick payoffs wrong path' for education: Harvard Head calls for long view Harvard University has warned that focusing on universities as an engine of Gogarty, Fine Gael TD Brian economic growth can skew our ideas of what universities should and could be. Hayes, and Cllr Aodhan O She said that “The intensely competitive global economy has driven Riordain from the Labour Party governments, everywhere critical partners to higher education, to demand re-created the format of a more immediate, tangible returns on their investments. Too often such an emphasis on the short term can mean especially painful cuts for disciplines constituency clinic in order to whose value, though harder to measure, is no less real,”(Irish Times, 1st July hear from providers on the ground, as well as adult learners 2010) accessing the services. Teens benefit from early taste of college life Adult Education: A Current The Discover University programme at National College of Ireland is giving Diagnosis & Measures for disadvantaged and migrant teenagers an introduction to college by getting Recovery, a short paper them involved in various projects for the week. NCI, in an effort to be more inclusive, have set aside degree places for students from disadvantaged illustrating the current demand backgrounds with lower Leaving Certificate points than other applicants. (Irish for adult education and three Examiner, 1st July 2010) measures for recovery, was launched at the event. 96,000 vacancies per year to 2014, says Fás ****** FAS have predicted that there will be 96,000 job vacancies per year until 2014. The report, The National Skills Bulletin, predicts significant growth in the professional and service occupations and in the services and clerical areas. The authors also reported progress toward National Skills Strategy targets with third-level graduates in the labour force increasing by 2 percentage points to 39% between the last quarters of 2008 and 2009, "making good progress
towards the target of 48% by 2020". (Irish Examiner, 3rd July 2010) Community groups in crisis Full page spread in the Irish Examiner dealing with the community sector in Ireland • Community groups in crisis • There’s work being done that can’t be measured on paper’ • One more cut and we’re gone • Socioeconomic change from the bottom up • Government raids on troubled sector must be guarded against
POLICY Statement on Education Budget 2010 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the 2010 education budget through a parliamentary question on Wednesday, 30 June 2010. Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Mary Coughlan): The gross expenditure allocation for my Department for 2010, as set out in the Further Revised Estimates for 2010, is just over €9.295 billion. €452 million of this amount is in respect of funding previously funded from the Vote of the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment. This is to cover expenditure for the period 1 May 2010, when these functions transferred to my Department, to the end of this year. The National Training Fund will contribute a further €422 million, additional to the voted Exchequer allocation. To continue reading the full statement, please click here.
****** Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes Update Social Protection Deputy Mary Upton asked the Minister for Social Protection the recommendations of the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, applicable to his Department, that he accepts and those that he rejects through a parliamentary question on Tuesday, 29 June 2010. Recommendations implemented include: • Child Benefit: Reductions of €16 per month in both the higher and lower child benefit rates • Weekly Rates of Payment: 4.1% reduction in personal and qualified adult rates payable to persons aged under 66 to €196 pw. Jobseeker’s Allowance for new claimants without dependent children will be reduced to €100 for people aged 20 and 21. Jobseeker’s Allowance for new claimants aged 22 to 24, without dependent children, will be reduced to €150. Click here for the full table. Education
Deputy John McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the elements of the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes that have been implemented to date by her Department; her plans to implement any aspects of the plan in the future; if the overall plan has been assessed by her Department; and if so, her views on the benefits of the plans through a parliamentary question on Tuesday, 29 June 2010. Recommendations implemented include: • Reduction of 300 in number of Senior Traveller Training places • The HEA allocation has been reduced but it has not been subsumed in the Department of Education & Skills • 5% reduction in the rates of student grants and the withdrawal of eligibility for the student maintenance grant for BTEA recipients Click here for the full table.
****** Back to Education Allowance Update Both Minister for Social Protection, Eamon O’Cuiv and Minister for Education and Skills, Mary Coughlan were questioned on the withdrawal of eligibility for the student maintenance grant for BTEA recipients through parliamentary questions on Tuesday, 29 June 2010. Fianna Fail TD and former Minister for Education, Mary O’ Rourke asked the parliamentary questions. Minster O’ Cuiv said, “I am very conscious of the particular difficulties faced by people who pursue third level education after completing Access courses. While the student maintenance grant scheme is a matter for my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills, the matter has been referred to in the course of discussions between the Tánaiste and myself in relation to the implementation of Budget measures and will be subject to further discussion.” Minister Coughlan said, “The Deputy will be aware that the current difficult economic circumstances have necessitated tough choices to control public expenditure and to ensure sustainability in the long run. In these circumstances, from September 2010, as announced in the budget, all new applicants who are in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA), and the VTOS allowances for those pursuing PLC courses, will be ineligible for student maintenance grants. The cost of the student services charge and any fees payable to colleges will continue to be met for eligible students by the Exchequer on their behalf. Students currently in receipt of the BTEA or VTOS allowances and the maintenance grant will continue to be eligible for both payments for the duration of their current course provided they continue to meet the terms and conditions of the relevant grant schemes. Students progressing to a new course with effect from 2010-11 will no longer be eligible for student maintenance grants but can apply for assistance towards the cost of the student services charge and any fees payable. The Minister for Social Protection and I have discussed the particular impact of
the decision on the students referred to by the Deputy (ie. those who in 2010 have or are in process of completing their access course) in the context of implementation of these changes and the matter is being examined by both Departments.”
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PROMOTION Events th
RADE Art Exhibition “Portrait Me I” will open Monday 12 July at 2pm Newly elected Lord Mayor Gerry Breen will officially open RADE’s art exhibition next Monday 12th July at 2pm. The inspiration for this year’s exhibition is the Self. RADE participants have turned the canvas on themselves and have come up with realistic and symbolic portraits of themselves. Admission Free, All Welcome “Portrait Me I” will run until Fri July 23rd. Venue: The Atrium, Dublin City Council Civic Offices, Woodquay, D8 Web: www.rade.ie Tel: 014548733 ****** The Summer Sensational (8th-11th July)-Temple Bar Temple Bar Cultural Trust's 4 day festival bursting with exciting events for you, your family and friends to participate in and enjoy. The festival promises something for everyone from family films, baby discos and kids. View a full programme of events here or contact them at info@templebar.ie / Ph: 01 677 2255. ****** CELTS Summer in the Woods A Gathering for Gary, Saturday 17th July, 8pm in Bealkelly Woods. CELT is holding its “Summer in the Woods” event on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th July, in Bealkelly Woods, at which Gary was to be Site Manager and one of the organisers. On the Saturday night there will be a bonfire, open to all Gary's friends, to share memories and stories, photos and poems. On Sunday, a commemorative stone bench will be built in a quiet area of the woods, near the ramp-pump, where Gary spent a lot of time. The “Summer in the Woods” workshops will run from 10am on Saturday and from lunchtime on Sunday. http://www.celtnet.org/
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PUBLICATIONS & WEBSITES NALA Newsletter, “Literacy Matters”, Summer 2010 issue is now available on the NALA website. ****** June 2010 issue of “Adults Learning”, the NIACE Journal, is now available in the AONTAS library, Please click here to look at the table of contents. ******
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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
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MEMBERSHIP NEWS Strategic Plan Consultation Process AONTAS is currently engaging in a consultation process to develop its next Strategic plan which will guide the work of the organisation for three years from 2011 until 2013. The consultation began at the Annual General Meeting of membership held on May 19th 2010. Now you can make your own input! 1. Look at Strategic Plan Scoping document (pdf) 2. Take the questionnaire online OR Download the word version Read more: http://www.aontas.com/membership/strategicplan20.html
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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!
INFORMATION International News AONTAS is now part of the Grundtvig project “Sowing the Learning Seeds”. It involves a European partnership project to learn from each other’s Learners Festivals. Our partners are: 1.Bureau Lidwien Vos de Wael (Netherlands) 2.Foyer Jean Thibierge (France) 3.Kahramanmaras Rehberlik ve Arastirma Merkezi (Turkey) 4.Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE) (Slovenia) 5.Central Transdanubia Regional Adult Education and Folk High School
INFORMATION REFERRAL SERVICE The AONTAS Information Referral Service is suspended until further notice.
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Association (Hungary) 6.Association of Estonian Adult Educators (Estonia) - coordinator organisation More information about the Grundtvig programme is available here.
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Information Booklet If you are interested in returning to education why not download a copy of the Information Booklet by clicking here.www.ifpro.de
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