I’m still learning... In this issue: • NewAONTASExecutiveElected• OlderLearners–WhataretheOptions?• TalkingInterculturalism–AdultEducationandInterculturalDialogue• FromMenAloneinNo-Man’sland,toSuccessStoriesonHenriettaStreet

Issue No. 10 Summer 08

EXPLOREThe quarterly magazine from AONTAS, the National Adult Learning Organisation

Adult Education News

List of Contents Page

Adult Education News 3

Members News From Men Alone in No-Man’s land, to Success Stories on Henrietta Street. 4

AONTAS News Find out who’s on the new AONTAS Executive. 7

International News Grundtvig Awards, the Nile Partnership and CONFiNTEA Vi. 10

In Depth Berni Brady considers how adult education can help shape intercultural dialogue. 11

In Action Never too old to teach – Fáilte isteach is an initiative with an intergenerational, intercultural focus.

Tuam a Town of Many Nations – a new research report highlights the benefits and challenges of diversity in Tuam. 14

Focus On... Older Learners New research conducted by AONTAS on the lifelong learning needs of older people identifies the digital divide as key issue. This article considers the research findings, and looks at some of the options for older learners – from Older Learner Networks and community based initiatives to the University of the Third Age. 16

Ask Jenny Jenny Gunning answers your information queries. 23

Under the Spotlight iRAACE is a vibrant network of researchers in adult and community education. 24

International The theme of Confintea Vi which takes place next year in Brazil is ‘Living and Learning for a Viable Future – The Power of Adult Learning’. Niamh O’Reilly gives an update on the preparations from an irish perspective. 26

Diary of a Principal Officer Seamus Hempenstall describes his role in Further Education. 27

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Note from the Editor

Hello and welcome to this issue of Explore!

This issue highlights a num-ber of changes for AONTAS. First of all, congratulations to our new Executive recently elected at our AGM in May. It is with some sadness that we said goodbye at the AGM to longserving Executive Member and acting President Brid Connolly as well as Paddy Ryan from Co. Wexford VEC. We also saw the departure of Maureen Kavanagh who had worked with the organisation for ten years. We wish all of them well and know that our paths are sure to cross again in the future.

Change is a theme explored from a number of perspec-tives in this edition. Over the last number of years, Ireland has witnessed increased lev-els of immigration, and Berni Brady considers the role of adult and community educa-tion in assisting immigrants to come to terms with their new situation and environ-ments, but also in giving Irish people the opportunity to engage with other cultures.

Older learners are a big focus for this issue – in 2000 the White Paper Learning for Life identified learning as a key coping mechanism for older people dealing with change. We consider the edu-cation options for older peo-ple in Ireland, as well as the challenges for service provid-ers and individual learners, in a new piece of research conducted by AONTAS and supported by Age and Opportunity. This report also documents examples of

best practice, and proposes opportunities for those who want to return to education – whether it’s for a qualifica-tion or simply to see what silver surfing is all about.

This is the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, and later this year AONTAS will host a European conference on the theme of adult edu-cation and interculturalism. More details on the confer-ence and booking arrange-ments will be available on our website. We can also prom-ise that the Adult Learners’ Festival is set to return next year starting February 2nd. Next years festival will include a particularly interest-ing campaign sure to arouse curiosity in education. All will be revealed at the Local Links Day in November.

As usual, this issue contains updates and news about the latest developments in adult education in Ireland. There’s also an extended members news section, which we hope to develop further in future issues so that you can let oth-ers know what’s happening with your group.

That’s all for now. Hope you enjoy the read, and as always feel free to contact us with your thoughts and ideas for future issues.

Niamh Farren, Communications Officer AONTAS

ISSN

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Explore offers discount advertising rates to all community and voluntary groups. To find out more about advertising in future issues, contact Niamh Farren, Communications Officer, AONTAS, Tel: 01 406 8220, email nfarren@aontas.com.

New Minister for Education Appointed

The most significant change in adult education over the past months has been the appointment of a new Minister for Education and Science, Batt O’Keefe, follow-ing the appointment of Brian Cowen as Taoiseach.

Minister O Keefe is a former lecturer in Communications and General Studies in the Cork Institute of Technology. He is a former Minister of State at the Department of the

Environment, Heritage and Local Government, and has participated in a wide variety of committees and working groups. He began his political career as a county council-lor and was elected to the Dáil in 1987.

Since he took office, Minister O’Keefe has been coming to grips with this extensive portfolio. One of his first tasks involved meeting with comedian Des Bishop. The Minister discussed with the comedian new ideas on how to make teaching of the language a more positive experience for students. The Minister also officially opened the new offices of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) in June.

NALA at the National Ploughing Championships

National Adult Literacy Awareness Week takes place this year from September 22nd to September 26th, and this year NALA will host an exhibition for three days during the National Ploughing Championships in Kilkenny. Over 160,000 people attend the event each year and NALA will be promoting the theme of ‘the benefits of learning in

communities’. During the week NALA will also launch their new website and distance education supports. An Post will broadcast an advertising campaign during the week.

NALA is also running the ACE awards again this year. The awards aim to identify and support research into innova-tive and high quality learning opportunities for adults. The event is run in partnership with the EBS and €20,000 in research grants will be available. The closing date is October 24th 2008. Contact NALA for more information or an application form, on 01 855 4332.

QualifaX – The National Learners' Database joins National Qualifications Authority of Ireland

Since its establishment in 2001, the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland has been working to develop a single, coherent and more easily understood qualifications system for all levels of education and training in the state. The ten level National Framework of Qualifications was launched by the Authority in October 2003 and is now being imple-mented throughout Ireland by stakeholders in learning. The Framework provides the structure through which informa-tion about qualifications can be assembled. New Minister for Education Batt O’Keefe observed ‘it defines the relationship between different qualifications, enabling and encouraging learners to achieve awards for learning on a lifelong basis.’

QualifaX, as the National Learners’ Database, was identi-fied as a key mechanism through which learners could access such information. The Qualifications Authority took responsibility for QualifaX earlier this year and will continue

to work with the Institute of Guidance Counsellors and other national stakeholders, to further develop the services avail-able to learners.

QualifaX has proven itself an invaluable tool to help learn-ers explore possible education and training courses. QualifaX received over 24 million website hits in 2007, and 8 million in January 2008 alone. QualifaX is used widely by adult learn-ers, containing information about post Leaving Certificate courses, adult education, part-time and post-graduate cours-es, amongst others.

The Institute of Guidance Counsellors has played a vital role in the success story that is QualifaX today and has been involved with QualifaX since 1990.

‘For anyone thinking about choosing an education or training course, it is important to know about the quali-fication to which it will lead, including the correct title and awarding body, framework level and award type, and what opportunities are open to them afterwards. QualifaX, is a key mechanism through which learners can access this information. It clearly indicates which courses lead to awards recognised through the Framework and their level’ the Minister finished.

Front cover image: Marian Duffy, AEO with Co. Carlow VEC and new President of AONTAS.

Men Alone in No-Man’s Land (MAIN) a recently founded Community Based Men’s Group (CBMG) launched their study on male urban isolation in Dublin’s Inner City at The Mansion House on May 16th. The beautiful wood panelled Oak Room was graced by the presence of the Lord Mayor Cllr. Paddy Bourke who entered to the dulcet tones of the of the Kylemore College Orchestra led by Mona McMahon who continued to entertain the appreciative audience throughout the morning. The Lord Mayor official-ly launched the study entitled “Own Goals and Penalties” a Study of Socially Excluded Males in Inner City Dublin and pledged his continued support for the ongoing work of the group.

Outreach StrategyThe purpose of the study was to iden-

tify practical ways of reaching men suf-fering from various forms of isolation and social exclusion in an urban envi-ronment. It was conducted between the winter of 2006 and spring of 2007 and was funded jointly by Dublin Inner City Partnership and The Social Inclusion Unit, Dublin City Council. The methodol-ogy used was the Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approach. This was very eloquently explained by one of the researchers Tomas De Brún from the Centre of Participatory Studies in Galway as his partner Ed De Vivier nodded in agreement from amongst the gather-ing. The Meeting was chaired by Joe Murdiff, Chair and Group Development Officer with MAIN.

The morning continued with an explanation by J.P. Trainer (Programme

Development Officer) of “The Stepping Stones Project” a personal development programme specifically designed to tar-get the issues focussed on during the course of the research study.

Keynote AddressThere were tributes paid to the work of

MAIN by two of the participants. Owen McCabe said that his involvement with the group "gave him a sense of belong-ing”. Will Johnson said "the only reason I have the confidence to stand up here today is because of MAIN and I thank you all for your help and support.”

After this moving tribute, there fol-lowed a short excerpt from the play ‘Give U a Break’ by a members of the group Frank Allen and performed by members of MAIN Drama in association with Tobar Na Run Theatre Co-operative.

The sketch was extremely well received and as a result we plan to stage the full version in the New Theatre in September.

The launch was closed with an illuminating oration by the keynote speaker Joe Higgins. He opened with his usual bonhomie by alluding to the fact that he himself had been a victim

of social exclusion from the Dail in the recent general election. He left us in no doubt he was very much aware of the dangers of isolation rural or urban, male or female.

He closed by commending MAIN on their excellent work and vowed to help the group in any way he could.

The Chair thanks all my colleagues on steering committee of AONTAS CEN and in particular Niamh Farren Communications Officer for her invalu-able help with the media coverage.

Joe Murdiff,Chair and Group Development Officer,MAINwww.main.ie

BackgroundIntegrate Ireland Language and Training, winner of an

AONTAS STAR award, is to close the beginning of August. IILT has been providing full-time language and integration classes to holders of Stamp 4 in centres around Ireland since 2001. The IILT says the closure will result in the loss of direct teaching services to the adult refugee community as well as the loss of support and training to the language support programme in schools, training and online support and resources for teach-ers and tutors of adult ESOL learners. The closure also means that forty four people employed by the organisation stand to lose their jobs. The Department of Education has announced that services will be mainstreamed through the VEC network.

The IILT held a protest on June 20th, World Refugee Day, where over 500 students, tutors and supporters of the organi-sation marched from Liberty Hall to the Department of Education Offices. SIPTU Education Branch Organiser, Chris Rowland, called on the Department of Education to restore funding to IILT as a matter of urgency and says the decision to close the centre flies in the face of the Government’s Language Policy Campaign to promote integration for immigrants.

Meanwhile, Dara Brophy, principal teacher at the IILT cen-tre in Castlebar expressed his concerns over government plans to mainstream the service. ‘Many of the students lack literacy in their own languages, have been traumatised by their experiences and have spent years in refugee camps’, he explained. A statement by the Department explained that the Department is currently exploring other options to provide for in-service English Language Support teachers in primary and post-primary schools. The learning and support materials already developed by IILT will transfer to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) which will ensure that these materials continue to be available to schools and ELS teachers throughout the primary and post-primary system.

Future of the ServiceIn early July, in an oral response to a parliamentary question

on the matter, Minister Conor Lenihan stated ‘IILT approached my Department earlier this year with a proposal to withdraw from direct tuition for adult refugees and with a request that this tuition be mainstreamed. IILT envisaged continuing direct tuition for a group of up to 200 programme refugees. My Department accepted that mainstreaming of service provi-sion was appropriate as it accords with the overall approach to provision of services to migrants as set out in "Migration Nation" – a statement on integration strategy and diversity management which I recently launched.

In doing so the Department decided that all provision should be mainstreamed and provided by VECs as it would it would be less efficient to seek to continue with a small element of provision by IILT. The funding allocated to IILT will now be redirected to provide for the continuation of this ser-vice through the VEC network. The Irish Vocational Education Association has confirmed that it is happy to cooperate and collaborate with my Department in delivery of necessary English language services.’Joe Higgins with members of MAIN at the recent launch of ‘Own Goals and Penalties’

Joe Higgins is the MAIN Man MAIN is a men’s group and actively involved in the Community Education Network. In this

article, Joe Murdiff from the group describes their recent event at Dublin’s Mansion House.

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Joe Murdiff, founder member of MAIN

Language Training Service for Refugees to Close

Integrate Ireland Language and Training closes at the beginning of August. This article outlines statements from both the IILT and the government as to what happens next.

"Many of the students lack literacy in their own languages and have been traumatised by their experiences"

"Services will be mainstreamed through the VEC network"

Stefan Piskorski, Outreach Co-ordinator with the IILT at the AONTAS AGM

AONTAS says Goodbye to Maureen Kavanagh

Earlier this year AONTAS said good-bye to one of its longest serving staff members, Maureen Kavanagh. Maureen worked with AONTAS for ten years. During her time in AONTAS she was Co-ordinator for the Training and Support Programme for Community Education Facilitators (CEFs). Maureen was also involved in the development

of the Community Education Network, and will remain on the Steering Committee. Throughout her time at AONTAS she contributed immeasur-able expertise, bringing a particular interest in the ethos and values of community education, as well as gen-der issues. She represented AONTAS in an official capacity on a number of different networks and organisa-tions. We congratulate her on her new appointment as CEO with the Active Retirement Association, and wish her all the best.

Maureen Kavanagh at the AONTAS AGM earlier this year

Adult Learners’ Festival Update

A new ALF Steering Committee is in place and busy making plans for next year’s festival. This year, Mary Hilda Cavanagh (IVEA), Kevin Molloy (Active Retirement Ireland), Clare McNally (NALA) and Fionnuala Anderson (FÁS) are joined by Deborah Brock from TALENT on the Steering Group. We are delighted to have the support of a number of new local links around the country. Their names and contact details will be available on www.adultlearnersfestival.com over the coming months. AONTAS has recently been working with artist Christian Kotey to develop a new logo and design for the festival.

Nomination Forms for the STAR Awards are now available – you can fill one in directly online at www.adultlearnersfestival.com, have it emailed to you in Microsoft Word format for completion, or hard copies are available from AONTAS. There are a number of changes to the nomination forms this year. Projects can still be nominated in the same categories as last year, but we have introduced three new categories. These are (1) projects in progress, for learning initiatives which are not yet complete, (2) once off projects such as the production of a DVD or toolkit, and finally this year we have introduced a new category for workplace learning initiatives.

Nomination Forms must be received at the AONTAS offices by no later than November 14th. This year we are asking groups not to send in any accompanying materials with their nomination forms. The Judges will make their announce-ment on January 5th, so there’s something to look forward to after Christmas!!

Success Stories Celebrated on Henrietta StreetYvonne McCarthy is Co-ordinator with HACE (Henrietta Adult and Community Service).

In this article she writes about a recent awards ceremony for adult learners.

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On Thursday evening, June 19th, Minister for Lifelong Learning Sean Haughey, TD presented certificates to 150 adult learners who complet-ed courses at the Henrietta Adult and Community Service (HACE). The awards ceremony took place at St Vincent’s Trust, on Henrietta Street.

HACE was established by St Vincent’s Trust in 2002, providing basic adult education opportunities primarily to adults from the local authority housing complexes in the catchment area. HACE is the largest dedicated community adult education provider in the North West Inner City. The cen-tre now delivers 25 different courses per term including Basic Computers, One to One Literacy, Drug Awareness, Drama, Personal Development and Childcare classes.

Since the service was established in 2002, HACE has responded to the increasing demand for adult educa-tion in the local community. In January 2002 we received 90 enquiries for courses from local people. In 2007 we saw a substantial increase with over 300 adults taking part in courses through the service. This is an occasion for everyone who comes to HACE to celebrate their achievements”.

HACE works by supporting adults to discover and achieve their own person-al learning goals. It is often extremely difficult for an adult to return to learn-ing, especially when they may not have had a positive learning experi-ence the first time around. HACE is a place where everyone is respected and made feel welcome.

Building ConfidenceOn the night, adults who took part

in courses through HACE told their stories. Linda, is both a volunteer and learner in HACE and she talked about her own experience. “I left school early and went into the clothing industry. I stopped working when I got married and then when my mother died I took up a job in a restaurant. A foreign man would often come in ask me how to spell certain words. I got frustrated when I couldn’t spell them. A friend then told me about a Read, Write and Spell Service where I could go and get one to one classes. I was terrified at first about going but once I went I

enjoyed it and have done many adult education classes since. Doing these classes has given me my confidence back. I have even done a tutor training course in HACE and I can’t believe that now I am a one to one tutor helping adults. I am now a much stronger person and am not afraid to speak my mind".

The ceremony was followed by a barbeque and an exhibition of learn-ers work. An enjoyable evening was had by all.

HACE will run its next programme of evening classes in September 2008. The programme will be available in August 2008.

Sean Haughey with adult learners from HACE

AONTAS News

Date for your Diary – Creating Intercultural Communities Creating Intercultural Communities is a European Conference hosted by AONTAS on October 21st this year.

The conference will provoke a discussion reflecting the theme of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, and how adult and community education contribute to interculturalism. The conference follows the annual EAEA Assembly on October 20th, with both events taking place in Malahide. More details on both events are available from www.aontas.com.

Do you have an event or issue that you’d like to see in print in a future issue of Explore? Why not write and tell us about it? Email nfarren@aontas.com or telephone 01 406 8220 and we’ll try to include it.

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This year’s AGM at the Royal Dublin Hotel saw a number of new faces taking up positions on the AONTAS Executive. Members of the Officer Board were elected as follows: President: Marian Duffy (Co. Carlow VEC), Treasurer: Cllr Maria Gorman (Kerry Education Services), and Honorary Secretary: Ruth Smith (Tipperary Womens’ Network). Executive Members John Ryan (City of Limerick VEC), Jan Lewis (Second Chance Education Project for Women), Morgan Dunne (Co. Wexford VEC), Eithne Ni Dhonnchadh (AEOA), Elva O’Callaghan (NWCCN), Stephen Flitton (Warrenmount Community Education Centre) and Jillian Harrison (Individual Member) were re-elected. AONTAS welcomes new Committee mem-bers Loretta Needham (Tuam Community Development Resource Centre), Lorne Patterson (Longford Women’s Link), Una Buckley (Individual Member), and Mary Sweeney (Co. Laois VEC).

The AGM was attended by almost one hundred AONTAS members. Special tributes were paid to outgoing officers Bríd Connolly (NUI Maynooth), and Paddy Nolan (Co. Wexford VEC). Outgoing President John Ryan was also thanked for his contribution to AONTAS and all three were given a special presentation. Director Berni Brady acknowledged the huge commitment of time, expertise and experience contributed by these three officers and particularly thanked them for the support they provided to her as Director and to the staff team as a whole.

Some of the new members to take up positions outlined what prompted them to go forward. Lorne Patterson is Project Co-ordinator at Longford Women’s Link. Lorne has worked with AONTAS on behalf of the Women’s Link in exploring the pos-sibilities of developing FETAC-accredited modules in Women’s Community Education, and also represents the group on the Community Education Network. ‘Longford Women’s Link views participation in AONTAS as essential to development of a vibrant, resourced and sustainable community educa-tion sector in Ireland’, Lorne outlined. ‘Our organisation views resourcing as the single biggest issue for the sector.’

Loretta Needham is Co-ordinator with Tuam Community Development Resource Centre. ‘I feel it is a good opportunity for people to work together to build up co-operation and a

working relationship at a national level’, explained Loretta. ‘I will be able to bring the issues and concerns that are facing education practitioners on the ground to AONTAS. I feel it’s important to keep people who are marginalised to the fore-front of education’.

Roles and Responsibilities The Executive Committee meets six times each year, and is

responsible for the overall governance and well being of the organisation. The Committee takes a lead role in the devel-opment of the Strategic Plan, now in its second year, and

supports the staff team in the implementation of the plan. The Executive is responsible at Board level for all aspects of human resources, financial policy and accountability, and has the power to initiate working groups to deal with particular issues. The members of the Committee represent a diversity of issues within the adult and community sector, and bring their knowledge and experience to a national level. The new Committee has already participated in training on Corporate Governance issues since the AGM.

Issues for the New ExecutiveThe AGM considered the main challenges for adult learn-

ers and the adult and community education sector in Ireland today. Berni Brady pointed out that while progress had been made since the general election in expanding the criteria of the Back to Education Initiative to include people on low

incomes, there was still much to be done to make learning more accessible for adults. ‘Information queries handled by AONTAS indicate the need for flexible learning opportuni-ties’, she explained. ‘The new Student Support Bill refers to ‘appropriate courses’, which in reality means full-time courses. We are concerned that this may prevent mature stu-dents from accessing financial supports for part-time study options,’ she concluded.

The needs of immigrant adult learners were also high-lighted through a presentation from the Integrate Ireland Language and Training Programme, which delivers ‘real life’ training to immigrants in a number of centres throughout Ireland. Emer Gilmartin, Executive Manager with the IILT listed childcare as one of the biggest obstacles to encour-aging adult immigrants to access further education. ‘If you have children whose mothers can’t access childcare to fur-ther their own education, then those children already have limited access to learning English’, she pointed out. ‘Straight away you are building a ghetto.’

Speaking after the AGM, Berni Brady, AONTAS Director, gave a warm welcome to the new Executive. ‘Over the past number of years the organisation has developed to include a broad membership from around the country. It is through our relationship with our members that we can continue to identify and make progress on the crucial issues facing adult learners and the organisations which support them. We are delighted to have such a range of skills, experience and per-spectives represented on this new AONTAS Executive.’

For more information about the Executive of AONTAS, visit www.aontas.com.

AONTAS AGM 2008 Earlier this year a new Executive was elected at the Annual General Meeting of AONTAS.

The meeting also considered the important issues for the sector over the coming months.

Outgoing Acting President Brid Connolly and former President John Ryan

Executive Members Elva O’Callaghan and Loretta Needham, with Julie Comerford from the NWCCN

Executive Member John Ryan with Sean Treacy from the City of Limerick VEC

L-R Cllr Denis Foley, Chairman Carlow VEC, James O’Loughlin, Cork Adult Education Council, Mary Sweeney, Chair Laois VEC and new AONTAS Executive Member

Thanks Brid! Berni Brady makes a special presentation to Brid Connolly

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NILE Partnership Meeting

From 22nd to 24th of May the 25 partners of the European Network on Intercultural Learning in Adult Education (NILE) met for an intensive 2 day transnational meeting in Spain in the office of the Spanish Federation of Folk High Schools (FEUP) in the centre of the city.

The 4 working groups of NILE, which have been developing tools for advanc-ing intercultural learning met for a last time to put some finishing touches to the products and to discuss the final dissemination event planned for 17th of September 2008 in Brussels. Other issues discussed were how to secure sustainability of the network after the financial support by the European Commission runs out at the end of September this year and the dissemi-nation of the different results produced in the framework of the network.

The overall feedback on the different products and the reflection of NILE partners on the intercultural dialogue

that had taken place in the working groups made visible the full range of challenges, frustrations and satisfac-tions which are obviously part of the process for finally developing a true European network identity.

In September, in the framework of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, members of the network will present the intercultural tools gener-ated in the 4 working groups:

• good practice examples from Austria, UK and Greece in form of 10-minute videos which can be used in training

• guiding principles for starting the process of an intercultural opening of organisations

• a ‘special´ 12 page newsletter on inter-cultural media and adult education

• a methodological guide for imple-menting intercultural activities.

Information on the final dissemina-tion event and all results will also be available to download from the web-site www. intercultural-learning.net.

Grundtvig AwardsEach year the EAEA recognises excel-

lent initiatives in adult learning by presenting the Adult Learners Award (Grundtvig Award). This year the focus of the award is intercultural dialogue.

In order to reach as many candidates as possible, the EAEA invite you to nomi-nate a project or initiative that you know of or to forward this information to others. The EAEA is especially eager to receive applications from outside of Europe.

There are two different awards categories:

1. European Projects

• EU and candidate countries: need to be transnational (a minimum of 3 countries involved)

• All other European countries: need to be either transnational or have a strong national partnership with a diverse range of stakeholders.

2. Projects from outside of Europe

Projects can, but need not be supported by the European Commission (and can, but need not be Grundtvig projects).

Criteria for Nominating a Project:

• The project must have a clearly defined aim of facilitating intercultural dialogue

• It must have evidence of outcomes, such as a report, DVD, or any form of verification

• It is desirable that the project is trans-ferable and/or useful for others

• The project or the initiative is completed or is close to completion.

You are asked to provide a description of your project and some explanation about the impact.

What made this project special and what could others learn from it?

Entries must be received by the EAEA no later than Friday, 5 September 2008.

For more information about EAEA and the Award, please visit www.eaea.org.

Confintea VI Date Fixed!The date for the CONFINTEA International Conference in Brazil has now been fixed

for 19-22 May 2009. The proposed motto of the conference is "Living and Learning for a Viable Future: the Power of Adult Learning".

In line with standard procedures the list of invitees has been submitted to the Executive Board of UNESCO for adoption in its spring session from 1-17 April 2009. The most prominent invitees are representatives of member states, but the list also includes a large number of international organisations. These include UN organisa-tions and agencies, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organisations and net-works, and foundations and bilateral organisations active in the field of adult learning and education. Invitation letters will be sent out once the list has been approved.

Meanwhile, most of the dates for the regional preparatory meetings have now been set. The cycle of meetings will begin with Latin America and the Caribbean in Mexico from 10-13 September 2008. To facilitate synergies, especially regarding literacy as a focus area of CONFINTEA, this conference will be combined with the Regional Conference for Global Literacy, a UNESCO initiative in support of the UNLD and LIFE. From 14-16 October 2008 the Asian Preparatory Conference will take place in the Republic of Korea, followed by the African meeting in November. From 3-6 December 2008 the European Preparatory Conference will be held in Hungary. Finally, the meet-ing for the Arab region will take place in January in Tunisia.

in Depth

The Background2008 has been designated by the

European Commission as the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. The deci-sion to focus on intercultural dialogue reflects the growing diversity within the EU as a consequence of inward migration. The national co-ordinat-ing body in Ireland is the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) which has identified six programmes for the year, one of which is education.

Interculturalism is one of the three core principles of the White Paper on Adult Education, Learning for Life (2000). It identifies:-

The need to frame educational policy and practice in the context of serving a diverse population as opposed to a uniform one, and the development of curricula, materials, training and inser-vice, modes of assessment and delivery methods which accept such diversity as the norm. This refers not only to com-bating racism and encouraging partici-pation of immigrants, refugees and asy-lum seekers in education, but is also a recognition that many minority groups such as Members of the Traveller com-

munity, people with disabilities, older adults, participants in disadvantaged areas, may have distinct needs and cul-tural patterns which must be respected and reflected in an educational context. It also envisages a more active role by adult educators in the promotion of Irish language and culture. (p 13)

Towards an Intercultural Society

When the Paper was being written Ireland had just begun to benefit from the most rapid economic growth in the history of the State. Since then Ireland has also experienced rapid growth in ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, as a consequence of the most signifi-cant recent inward migration in its his-tory. The most recent Census (2006) shows that one in ten of Ireland’s cur-rent population has nationality that is not Irish by birth. Between 2002 and 2006 newcomers to Ireland increased from 224,000 to 420,000. The fastest growing category is EU nationals par-ticularly from Eastern Europe and the Baltic states along with people from Asia and Africa. Polish nationals are the biggest minority in Ireland. Much of the inward migration is closely linked to the very rapid economic growth rates but Ireland also has become home to a number of asylum seekers and refu-gees with specific needs. Currently nine per cent of our workforce is comprised of people who were not born in Ireland and schools now cater for children with a range of cultural backgrounds and

languages. All of these changes have happened very rapidly and have major implications for the development of our education service at all levels. While the changing demographic offers new opportunities to create a richly diverse and multicultural Ireland it also pres-ents us with new challenges to our own thinking about Irish identity, inte-grating new ethnic groups and cultures, supporting migrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers and creating truly intercultural communities.

The adult and community education service was one of the first of the edu-cational services to take up the chal-lenge of catering for the many and var-ied needs of immigrants whether they were migrant workers, asylum seekers or refugees. In many cases education was one of the few activities that could

The Role Of Adult And Community Education during the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue

Berni Brady outlines how adult and community education can contribute to an intercultural society.

Berni Brady, Director of AONTAS

"Interculturalism is one of the three core principles of the White Paper on Adult Education"

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be pursued by many of these people and the adult and community educa-tion service proved to be responsive and flexible in its actions. One of the first demands was for language classes and in the absence of any planned and resourced provision these have been largely supplied through the literacy service. Over one third of the 35,000 adult literacy learners in 2007 were people who were learning English as a second language. Many of these learn-ers are already well educated but find that the adult literacy service is their only option to avail of language educa-tion at a low or no cost.

Acknowledging Difference

The Department of Education and Science has recently completed a con-sultation process designed to feed into a strategy for the development of a coherent ESOL policy and programme but the consultant’s report has so far not been published. The recent contro-

versy generated by the funding chang-es affecting Integrate Ireland Language and Training, which won the AONTAS national STAR category earlier this year has served to highlight the issues sur-rounding the language needs of new-comers and the urgent need to address them. As we all know language is not the only thing that people entering a new country needs. The White Paper also identified the recognising and embracing difference. It states:-

The challenge of an intercultural edu-cation is to simultaneously acknowl-edge and celebrate the cultural heritage unique to each different ethnic group while contributing to a shared collec-tive awareness of nationhood. It must

work towards a view of difference as something to be celebrated and which is enriching to the totality of the society rather than the basis for enmity. (p34)

But this is easier said than done. Irish people would probably pride them-selves on being non-racist and indeed it is probably easier to perceive oneself as such if the population is relatively homogeneous. But one only has to look at the treatment of Members of the Traveller community, or indeed look at the experience of Northern Ireland over thirty years of conflict to see how com-plex it is to develop a society where equality and justice prevail. While legal arrangements such as the Equality Act outlaw discrimination, the true devel-opment of interculturalism requires the nurturing of understanding of dif-ference and support for the practice of living together.

Iris Marion Young’s work Justice and the Politics of Difference (1990) examines the nature of racism, sex-ism, homophobia and ableism in the North American context which might equally be applied to 21st century Ireland. While she acknowledges that a discursive commitment to equality has emerged she suggests that racism, sexism, homophobia and ableism have not disappeared but have gone under-ground', 'dwelling in everyday habits and cultural meanings of which peo-ple for the most part are unaware’. She argues for recognition and acknowl-edgement of group difference and rep-resentation of such difference at policy

level. She puts forward the notion of democratic cultural pluralism in which vision a good society does not tran-scend group difference. Rather there is equality among socially and culturally differentiated groups, who mutually respect one another and affirm one another in their differences.

A Vision of a Diverse Education System

Lifelong learning has a key role to play in nurturing the learning about each other’s lives, beliefs and cultures and in exploring practical ways of liv-ing together as human beings. Such connections and spaces for learning have to happen at a number of levels and have to be supported by policies

and resources from Government.

AONTAS has emphasised the impor-tance of recognising, respecting and indeed resourcing different forms of learning whether they take place in an institutional setting or in the home, community or workplace. The vision of a diverse education system designed to suit a diverse society as outlined in the White Paper is still a long way off but is one which we have no option but to develop if we are truly to embrace the rich opportunities which a truly multi-cultural society affords.

In 2005 AONTAS held a conference to mark the European Year of Citizenship through Education which provided an opportunity to create a space for dia-logue about the concept of citizenship and hear about the experience of citi-zenship for newcomers to Ireland. The essential finding that emerged from that conference was that adult educa-tion is a process of human and social

development integral to the exercise of citizenship, to the strengthening of democracy and to the building of sus-tainable peace and security in society.

In 2008 AONTAS aims to build on this dialogue by examining in a more indepth way how adult and commu-nity education is contributing to cre-ating intercultural communities and how its role in this development can be strengthened and supported. The conference will provide a rich mix of analysis, dialogue and practice draw-ing on a diverse range of activities currently taking place within the adult and community education sector. It will provide participants with oppor-tunities to learn from one another, to showcase their work, meet new peo-ple and seed new ideas and thinking which will feed into their future work. All are welcome to this exciting event on October 21st in the Grand Hotel, Malahide, Co. Dublin.

Oluwayemisi Ajoke Erinle speaking during the Adult Learners’ Festival in Clonmel in February

Emer Gilmartin and Stefan Piskorski from IILT recieve a National STAR award

"Language is not the only thing that people entering a new country need"

"Adult education is a process of human and social development"

in Action

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‘Never too Old to Teach’ – Intercultural Dialogue and Adult Learning

In this article, Berni Brady looks at an example of older people helping new migrants to Ireland to improve their English Language skills.

Tuam: A Town of Many NationsConor Lenihan, T.D. and Minister of Integration launched the report ‘Tuam a Town of Many

Nations: Profiling Diversity in Tuam’ in mid July this year. In this article, Loretta Needham, outlines the findings of the research.

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Earlier this year the AONTAS STAR awards showcased a number of adult learning initiatives which demonstrated the innovative use of adult education methodologies and a team approach to adult learning. A project which has generated a great deal of interest this year is one which involves older people helping new migrants with their English.

Named Fáilte Isteach – meaning Welcome In, the proj-ect began in October 2005 and was the direct result of an observed local need among the increasing popula-tion of new migrants in a local community in Co. Meath. Many members of the new migrant communities were experiencing difficulty in their social and working lives as a result of their lack of english language skills and since Ireland has no particular system in place to cater for the English Language needs of speakers of other languages, this community decided to help themselves.

English for the Real WorldMembers of the Third Age Foundation came up with

the idea of using their skills and talents to teach conversa-tional English to newcomers from a wide variety of coun-tries including Argentina, China, France, Germany, Spain, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine and Sweden. The project focuses on conversational English, basing lesson plans on daily scenarios such as ‘visiting the doctor’, ‘my work’, ‘shop-ping’, or ‘making a telephone call’. The children of the learners are also encouraged to come along to the classes with their parents, and volunteers assist parents to help their children with homework making this a truly intergenerational pro-cess. Children often learn English faster than their parents and because of this they may have to take on adult respon-sibilities such as shopping, paying bills, writing letters or answering the telephone; so learning together is a key focus of this project.

Volunteers generally work with two to three learners and encourage social interaction by introducing individuals from different countries to one another. Together the volunteers and learners identify their particular needs which vary from communicating in the workplace or socially to understand-ing rights and entitlements or accessing services such as

health and education. Lesson plans are then designed to suit the needs of the learner taking into account their proficiency in English. Plans can be adapted for all levels from basic through intermediate to advanced. There is a high level of collaboration between the project and the local schools with teachers identifying needs and using their expertise to sup-port volunteers to develop lesson plans. The volunteers use a variety of teaching and learning methods including small discussion groups, visual aids, practical demonstrations and role play focusing on everyday activities. Classes are delivered at times that are suitable for learners taking into account their home and work commitments. Volunteers also act as advocates providing assistance where necessary, particularly in relation to rights and services.

The beauty of this project is that it is totally learner-centred and careful consideration is given to ensure that the needs of learners are met in such a way as to encourage maximum participation. The project is not just about transfer of skills and knowledge. It is achieving much more than that. It is build-ing a new sense of community spirit, creating new friend-ships, facilitating learning and encouraging people to become interested in each other’s culture. It promotes the value and contribution that older people can and do make to society, generating trust and respect and alleviating isolation through the extension of the hand of friendship and goodwill. The project is making a tremendous difference to the lives of all those involved. It has increased the confidence and self esteem of both volunteers and learners and has improved the working and social lives of newcomers. As a result of their work there is a greatly enhanced social interaction between new and indigenous communities, thus reducing fear and suspicion by building trust and embracing diversity.

The Fáilte Isteach Project was one of one hundred and thirty one exciting projects competing for an AONTAS STAR Award earlier this year.

Researching DiversityWe knew that there were many dif-

ferent nationalities living in Tuam and that they were key to the recent eco-nomic successes in Tuam. What we didn’t know was how many different nationalities were living in Tuam, what their age groups were and, critically, what their needs were. This report set out to look at all of these issues.

The report was commissioned by Tuam Community Development Resource Centre, and profiles diversity in Tuam Town. The research was con-ducted and written by Ann Irwin, an Independent Researcher.

The field work for the report was designed and administered by a multinational group of fieldworkers under the guidance of the researcher. They represented many of the target nationalities, including Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, Romania, Brazil, Nigeria, the Gambia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Philippines, Slovakia and China. In all, the field-workers surveyed 113 families and 194 individuals – representing a total of 557 people – in their own languag-es. The survey was supplemented by a number of Focus Groups with different nationalities, and with members of the Traveller and settled communities.

Main FindingsAccording to the National Census of

Population 2006, 11.7% of the popula-tion described themselves as having non-Irish nationality, a larger propor-tion than that in County Galway (8.1%)

or the State (10.1%). According to our own survey the largest proportion of non-Irish people living in Tuam are from Poland, followed by Lithuania and Hungary. The migrant population is extremely young with sixty per cent of people were between the ages of 20 and 35 years. Over sixty per cent of people are working, with a further 6% looking for work. Only 17% of people were working in the home and 13% of young people in education. Over ninety per cent of people were living in private rented accommodation, indi-cating the importance of the non-Irish community to that sector.

The biggest need identified was the need for English language skills, fol-lowed by an improved health service, activities for young people, the right to work, training, an improved pub-lic transport system and enhanced employment opportunities.

One fifth of people said that they had experienced some from of rac-ism or discrimination in Tuam town. Despite this almost 70% of people stated that they believed Tuam to be either “excellent, I really like it” or “good, it's a nice place to live”, and a large number of people indicated that they want to make their permanent home in Tuam.

Research ImplicationsFirstly, we need to ensure that we

facilitate integration in Tuam so that the opportunities presented by diver-sity are maximised. This is beyond the capacity of any one organisation. The report recommends the establish-

ment of an Interagency Task Group on Interculturalism and we hope that community, voluntary and statutory organisations will join us in develop-ing a coherent response to the needs of the new communities living in Tuam. The development of an Anti-Racism and Diversity Plan for County Galway would provide a valuable stra-tegic framework for the development of a strategic approach to intercultur-alism, integration and anti-racism in the county and in Tuam. On a more practical level, an Integration Support Worker and a Migrant Family Support Worker are crucial to seeing that the needs of these communities are met.

Tuam Community Development Resource Centre is a community based and community managed organisa-tion, which is involved in antipoverty and social inclusion initiatives. Funding for the study was provided by Dormant Accounts Funds, Rapid, and Galway Rural Development. Further information is available from the centre on 093 253 40.

"The beauty of this project is that it is totally learner-centred"

Standing: Loretta Needham & Michael Gorry Seated: Carmel O’Brien & Ede Enaholo

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Focus On... Older LearnersNew research conducted by AONTAS on the lifelong learning needs of older people identifies the digital divide as key issue for older people. This feature considers the research findings,

and looks at some of the options for older learners – from your local community centre to the University of the Third Age.

AONTAS has just completed research on the lifelong learning needs of older people. In this article, Niamh Farren con-siders the findings of the research, and the implications for service providers and policy makers in Ireland.

Twenty years ago AONTAS carried out research into the educational needs of older people. ‘Never too Old to Learn: A study for Education for Older People in Ireland’, was the name of a report written by Margaret Mc Carthy. ‘Adult Education has a role in helping older adults solve or overcome many problems we face as we grow older’, McCarthy wrote at the time. ‘Adult education also has an important role in trying to ensure that the wisdom, experience and skills of older people are used to benefit the communities and societies in which they live.’ In her research, McCarthy found that despite these benefits, there was a lack of edu-cational opportunities for older people. Education for older people was mainly restricted to arts and crafts activities, bridge and keep fit. Her findings were further supported through an ESRI report issued in the same year, which revealed that less than 1% of retired people took part in educational courses.

So what has changed for older people over the past twenty years since this report was first written? Why revisit this issue twenty years on?

A Changing IrelandIf we could identify one word which

describes Ireland over the past two decades, that word would probably be ‘change’. A period of relative economic prosperity over the past two decades brought with it increased employment and foreign investment. Inward migra-

tion from different countries increased substantially, provoking discussion on issues ranging from Irish identity, to lan-guage supports and interculturalism. The development of the information society means that we can now commu-nicate faster, using a number of different devices and technologies. We also live longer – by 2025 it is predicted that 36% of the population will be aged 50 plus – which has opened debate on the current retirement age and pension concerns. In fact by 2036 it is estimated that older people (65 years and older) will account for one fifth of the population.

Education has been identified as a mechanism for coping with change. In 2000 the White Paper on Adult Education ‘Learning for Life’ highlighted ‘the critical importance of access to learning as a key tool to coping with change, and the importance of physical, social and men-tal activity to general well-being.’ The paper also recognised that because post primary education was not very acces-sible before the 1960s in Ireland, older people were more likely to experience literacy difficulties. New technology and means of communication also present

"Adult education also has an important role in trying to ensure that the wisdom, experience and skills of older people are used"

Bridging the Digital Divide

challenges to older people. Further dif-ficulties may arise as current education policy is driven by economic needs – meaning that older people’s access to education may be even more restricted – or the courses on offer may not be relevant to their needs. On the more positive side, older people have gained a stronger voice through campaigns such as the 'Older and Bolder' initiative, and organisations such as the Senior Citizens Parliament. Active ageing is the buzz word of today, the Bealtaine Festival and Positive Ageing Week in particular dis-pelling former myths that life was over at retirement age.

Against this changing background, and with the support of Age and Opportunity, AONTAS carried out research on the learning opportunities currently on offer to older people. The research had a num-ber of aims; to map out the provision of learning for older people, to give older people the opportunity to articulate their own learning needs, to showcase exam-ples of best practice and to identify inno-vative ways in which adult and commu-nity education providers could address the learning needs of older adults. The research also looked at the feasibility of an Older Learner Network, an activ-ity which AONTAS has progressed since completing the research.

Consulting Older Learners

The research was conducted using a number of different approaches. Firstly, service providers were invited to outline opportunities available to older learn-ers, and to describe how they attracted older learners. Secondly, a brief snap-shot from individual older learners was obtained through a survey conducted at the recent AGM of Active Retirement Ireland. Finally, a number of focus groups were conducted around the country which captured the experiences of those involved in different learning initiatives around the country. A unique feature of this research initiative also allowed older people themselves to con-duct interviews with older learners. A steering group made up of representa-tives of relevant groups, including Active Retirement Ireland, the Older Women’s Network, the IVEA and North Cork VEC supported AONTAS staff to carry out this ambitious research project.

Learning Options for Older People

Those involved in the provision of edu-cation for older people currently include Local Area Partnerships, County and City Development Boards and Family Resource Centres, with VECs shoulder-ing most of the responsibility. Courses are generally funded by the provider, and those currently on offer for the older learner range from physical fit-ness classes, such as the ‘Go for Life’ programme, to literacy and numeracy. Many service providers identified older people as those most at risk of experi-encing the ‘digital divide’ and have tai-lored their courses accordingly, offering older learners the chance to learn and brush up on basic PC skills and texting. These initiatives can satisfy the basic requirements of technophobes who want to keep in contact with family and friends living abroad, but also offer learning opportunities for those hungry for new skills and accreditation.

Members of Embrace IT, an initiative of Drogheda Partnership

Older people learning to text

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Members of Active Retirement Ireland identified health and fitness pro-grammes, information sessions on rights and entitlements, and computer classes as their most popular learning activities. Those who answered the questionnaire identified a number of ways in which they benefited from being involved in adult education. The social aspect to learning is still a big motivation when it comes to learning. ‘It helped me to inte-grate with different groups in the local-ity and extend my social circle’, explained one woman. In many cases, taking part in a learning activity led to the estab-lishment of new friendships. Secondly, those surveyed contradict common per-ceptions that we lose our desire to learn new skills as we get older. Many iden-tified great satisfaction in discovering that they were good at something, or learning to master a new skill, such as using a computer or the internet. This was also seen as something which kept the mind and brain active, and which could lead to a longer and healthier life. Learning about the world around them was an additional benefit of taking part

in adult education. ‘I’ve learned a lot about what I’m entitled to. I can share this information with my friends’, said one ARI member. The opportunity to learn about other cultures was also seen as a benefit.

More PleaseThe research indicates that we have

come a long way since McCathy’s report, with increased numbers of older peo-ple eagerly availing of learning oppor-tunities where possible, although it is clear that the demand for learning far outstrips what is currently available. Technology was seen as an area where older people wanted to develop their skills; others were interested in more physical fitness classes and informa-tion on health and entitlements. This raises an important issue regarding the role of service providers in introducing new learning opportunities. According to Adele McKenna, Policy and Research Officer with AONTAS, 'the service provid-er plays a vitally important role in intro-ducing other elements to their learning, not only through continued consultation

but also by strategically and proactively interpreting their needs. This requires particular skill and ongoing training.’

Older Learners – The Challenges

Focus group sessions with older people in different parts of the country affirmed the experiences of those involved in Active Retirement Ireland. The social aspect to learning was attributed as much importance as the learning itself. The researchers were also struck by a profound philosophy of lifelong learning which permeated through the groups. ‘We are all learning from each other all the time,’ said one group member. ‘Retelling stories and sharing experienc-es’. However, there was also awareness that many older people had negative experiences in the classroom and might be discouraged from taking part. This is further complicated by the common view amongst older people that younger people tended to be better educated nowadays. Intergenerational education projects which allowed for mutual learn-ing between older and younger people helped to overcome these insecurities.

Further discussion on information and communications technology yielded interesting insights into the reality of the digital divide for older people in Irish society. Knowing how to use the internet was not just a means of com-municating with friends and families, but also represented an important way to become more included in society. For example, the common practice within many companies of dealing with queries over email means that older people who are not IT literate can often be forced to pay up a hefty administrative fee. The fact that many tasks considered routine in daily life now involve the use of the internet or mobile phone technology is one that has serious implications for older people, and is one where educa-tion can play a relevant and useful part. There is some evidence that government is trying to address the issue, through the recent expansion of the Telephone Allowance Scheme by Minister for Social

"The social aspect to learning was attributed as much importance as the learning itself"

Cooperation Ireland Pride of Place Competition – pictured are members of Sutton – Baldoyle U3A and judges from Cooperation Ireland

and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin, which now provides some financial support to qualifying persons mobile phone usage.

The research also looked to examine the role of transport on participation rates of older learners, and although ser-vice providers did not view transport as a barrier to accessing learning, this view was refuted by older people themselves. In fact, transport was a crucial issue iden-tified in rural areas, arguably where older people are most at risk of geographic isolation. In areas with poor public trans-port infrastructure, participants often relied on lifts from friends, or transport arrangements made by course providers, which meant that their choice of activi-

ties was limited. The focus groups also allowed for older people to suggest cre-ative ways of addressing this issue rang-ing from a local minibus service which would bring them to and from classes, to a greater emphasis on outreach through facilities such as a mobile ICT unit.

It is also worth noting that the engage-ment of men in adult education contin-ues to prove a challenge for service pro-viders. Those consulted felt that ‘women make more of an effort to get out of the house’ and so were more inclined to take part in learning. These patterns were reflected in the research as the major-ity of respondents to the questionnaire were women.

Creating a Lifelong Learning Culture for Older Learners

The report concludes with a number of practical recommendations based on the research findings. Firstly, the report calls on government and service provid-ers to make learning in later life a prior-ity. ‘This will involve the resourcing of outreach activities, as well as reviewing the upper age limit of schemes such as the Back to Education Initiative, so that people over the age of 64 can take part’, says AONTAS Director Berni Brady. The report also recommends that the role of the new Minister of State for Older People should be cross departmental in function and influence policy within the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Health and Children, and the Department of Social Welfare. Additional resources are needed, espe-cially for training of service providers, capital funding for premises for groups to meet, and increased investment in rural transport initiatives. ‘Programmes themselves should be longterm and strategic in approach, fostering a cul-ture where older learners are enabled to share their skills with others’, Brady concludes. In conclusion, the report tells us that the secret to identifying learning initiatives which benefit older learners is to consult with them directly about their own needs. An AONTAS discussion document completed in advance of the research suggests ‘You are pushing an open door with older people, provided the learning is done in a way that they want it to be done. It boils down to con-sultation first and foremost, to know-ing your client base and knowing the population base that you are trying to accommodate. It is all about conducting needs assessments and then specifically tailoring the service to their needs.’

The study ‘Don’t Stop me Now – A Report on the lifelong Learning Needs of Older People in Ireland’ was supported by Age and Opportunity and produced by AONTAS in June 2008. A full copy of the research will shortly be available from the AONTAS website.

Aqua aerobics at U3A Sutton-Baldoyle

U3A Cross Border Meeting – pictured are representatives of all the southern U3As visiting Newry U3A

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European Digital Older Learners (EDOL) is a Grundtvig 2 Learning Partnership involving eight countries. It was designed to engage older people in using Information Technology to enable them to explore their own histo-ries and localities and to share this rich experience with European partners while acquiring ITC skills. The project can be viewed at www.edolproject.com.

How it StartedIn November 2003, a single page correspondence

crossed the desk of Mary Mc Geehan, Training Officer with Inishowen Development Partnership in County Donegal. It was an invitation from Léargas, the Irish Support Agency for European-funded programmes, to attend an information session on how to make applications for fund-ing under the Grundtvig Programme. Mary attended the meeting and came away full of enthusiasm for the pos-sibilities this funding could open up for older learners in her locality. Thus was born a Grundtvig 2 Learning Partnership project named EDOL, European Digital Older Learners. The project which has run for three years and just completed its final evaluation set out to teach Information Technology skills to people over the age of 50, but like all learning processes it brought all kinds of benefits from friendship and fun to life-changing independence. The online communities stretched across seven European countries, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, UK and Ireland. The two Irish partners were in the North West and South East of the country.

The EDOL group grew out of another project called 'Silver Surfers' who were availing of basic computer training provided by the Inishowen Partnership. The project offered an opportunity to learn digital photography, to use the internet and library facilities to research information on the locality with the intention of compiling a booklet,

and conversational Spanish lessons. All the groups across Europe were linked in an online learning community and each member set up their own web pages, using the user friendly Tiki Wiki content management system. Members of the different partnership groups communi-cated regularly, not just by reading each other’s pages, but also by ‘shoutbox’ instant messaging and email. They all shared their life experiences through a project entitled ‘When I was Young’ on the TikiWiki website. In addi-tion everyone accepted the challenge to write a book on their reminiscences and personal reflections.

The Irish group produced a beautiful publication entitled ‘Passages from Inishowen’ which contains reminiscences of times past, poetry, prose and beautiful pictures which provide a fascinating snapshot of life in the area from a dif-ferent era. James, a participant in the project who also took the photographs for the front and inside covers describes how the process got started:-

‘We sat around the table one morning, all of us waiting on instructions from our tutor. She was trying to tell us how we were going to write a book of short stories, some creative writing and some reminiscence… only the poor woman couldn’t get started as someone started to waffle about something they had done or heard; then someone else joined in and knew far more than the last speaker; finally everyone joined in at the same time!’

Et voila! The book began to come together.

Getting Connected: Grundtvig 2

A Unique Learning Partnership engages Older Learners, writes Berni Brady.

"It brought all kinds of benefits from friendship and fun to life-changing independence"

Outcomes of EDOLThe members of the EDOL Project have shown a strong

commitment to learning and great enthusiasm for it. The practical outcomes of the project included;-

• Basic ICT and English language skills

• Use of the Digital Platform, where it has been possible to upload multimedia products

• Promotion of mutual respect and improvement of self esteem in older learners

• Major knowledge and awareness of the European dimension through learners’ participation in transnational meetings

• Development of the a website, DVD and publications.

Intercultural UnderstandingA key factor in the success of the project was the skill

and experience of the tutors who were always there to instruct, guide and at times, gently push the participants to reach their full potential.

'They have come so far along the IT highway since they first came together and it is great to hear them using com-puter jargon like IT boffins!' commented one tutor.

The European added value came from the strengthening of the European partnership which has involved formal and non formal training/learning institutions across eight European countries. The co-operation between partners has been an important requirement not only for the exchange of best practice and adult education method-ologies among tutors/teachers, but also for the develop-ment and improvement of intercultural understanding among learners. The project organisers are convinced that the mobility of tutors and learners has strengthened the awareness and experience of active citizenship at a European level as well.

Mary’s experience of the project has been very positive. The project gave her great insight into how other countries run similar programmes and the type of facilities they have at their disposal. Mary has commented, ‘I believe Ireland compares very favourably to other countries in the way facilities and supports are organised for older learners.’

AONTAS Older Learner NetworkThinking about going back to education? AONTAS

Learner Networks are a great way to get support, share your experience and improve education opportunities for adults.

Supporting learners’ networks is part of AONTAS strategy to empower learners to take action on the issues affecting them, by bringing people together to meet and share experiences.

This year for the first time AONTAS organised an Older Learner Network meeting, which took place in Galway in mid July. The meeting was aimed at older adult learners who want to discuss their issues and look at working together to improve adult education provision for older people in Ireland. In a survey distrib-uted to members of Active Retirement Ireland at their AGM, out of 139 respondents, 103 people said that they would be interested in finding out more information about a Learner Network for older people.

‘Learner Networks act as a medium for dialogue with, and between, learners’, explained Niamh O’Reilly,

Membership Development Officer with AONTAS. ‘Learners are enabled to come together to discuss their experiences as adult learners, also to talk about the barriers and issues that arise during their learning journey.’ The networks aim to be as relevant and useful to learners as they are actually planned by adult learn-ers themselves.

Over seventy older learners took part in this initial meeting, with another follow up session scheduled for later in the year. The meeting started by looking at the opportunities for older learners. Ger O’Neill, himself an older learner, spoke about his own experience of going back to learn at a later stage of his life. In the afternoon, guest speaker Louise Richardson from the Older Womens’ Network looked at the possibilities for lobbying and advocating nationally on the barriers for older adult learners.

If you would like to hear more about the Older Learner Network, contact Niamh O’Reilly, Membership Development Officer at AONTAS, noreilly@aontas.com or on 01 406 8220.

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A Learning Movement for Older People

The University of the Third Age can open many doors for older learners, writes Dr Ann Neville.

The University of the Third Age movement was created in France in 1972 when staff at the University of Toulouse creat-ed a learning movement for older people. Known as U3A, this had the unique feature of offering older people the chance not just to be passive recipients of a learning curriculum imposed on them by others but it gave them the opportunity for ownership of their own learning pathway. The movement quickly spread from France to the UK in 1982 where there are currently some 500 U3As with more than 120,000 mem-bers. In 1995 Age Action Ireland introduced the U3A learning model to Ireland where it is supported by the Department of Education and Science. U3A is now global in its spread with branches in the U.S., Europe, Australia and South America.

How it Works: Groups Without Funding or Premises

Each U3A group is entirely autonomous and typically meets in a library or community centre or some other suitable public place. There is no formal learning curriculum or exams. Older people learn from each other and the agenda is entirely determined by the interests and skills of the group members. The key to a successful U3A is a sharing of learning responsi-bilities. There is no rigid demarcation between group leader and group members. In many groups chairing of a meeting is rotated among the members so that everyone can expect to be responsible for organizing one event, either giving a talk themselves, or organising a speaker or an excursion, at least once a year. This gives each U3A member a sense of owner-ship within the group and at a time of life when opportuni-

ties for assuming new responsibilities are limited, it allows them the chance to acquire new skills and find new openings for those skills they already enjoy. 'The main thing U3A does is facilitate an exchange of ideas. It’s a stimulus, which makes you think about things you’ve done in the past, and things you would like to do. If you don’t make an effort to keep con-tact you hibernate and become a cabbage’, explained Maire O’Hanlon from Blackrock U3A.

What’s on Offer?Many U3As offer a mix of learning and physical activities,

such as sports and games. This can be as simple as Maynooth U3A where each meeting begins with a short walk. In other groups, such as Baldoyle U3A, the County Council Sports Officer allows the group access to activities such as aqua aerobics. This mix of physical activities and learning means that U3A offers something of interest to all older people, whatever their preferences.

But the key to the success of the U3As is the opportunity to make and sustain friendships. As Sheila Cullen, Leader of Sutton-Baldoyle U3A says: 'The underlying agenda of the U3A movement is socialisation, inclusion and getting to know those who may be on their own, or new to the area.' 'Many will have worked at home all their life or were in the business or professional sector. Now may feel unneeded and isolated so that the social care function of the U3A is an essential element of its mission.' It is this social care aspect of the U3A movement that made Fingal County Council nominate Baldoyle U3A to represent it in the Pride of Place awards, an all-island competition run by Cooperation Ireland that celebrates achievement in the community sector at a county level.

The U3A movement in Ireland is small but growing. Age Action Ireland’s role is to assist that growth through establishing international links with the U3As located in other European countries and closer to home, with U3As in Northern Ireland.

If you are interested in finding out more about the U3A move-ment you can contact the Education Development Officer at Age Action Ireland, Dr Ann Neville at u3a@ageaction.ie or phone 01 475 6989.

Baldoyle U3A members celebrating Bealtaine 2008

Jenny Gunning from AONTAS Information Referral Service answers your adult education queries.

Contact AONTAS on 01 406 8220, or visit our website www.aontas.com. AONTAS recently produced an Information Booklet for adults returning to education – give us a call and we’ll send you a copy free of charge.

Hi Jenny,

My name is Jackie and I am currently considering going back

to education after spending the last fifteen years at home

raising my two children. I have always been interested in

gaining a third level qualification but since I have been out

of the system a long time I don’t feel quite prepared to take

on a full-time course within a third level institute just yet. Do

you know if there are any courses I can avail of to overcome

my fear of being overwhelmed and help me to prepare for

studying full-time in a University or I.T?

I look forward to hearing from you,

Jackie.

Hi Jackie,

Thank you for your query. Choosing to return to learning

is certainly a big decision but can be very worthwhile.

Foundation / Access courses have been established in

many third level institutions to prepare mature students

for the challenges of third level education. These courses

are primarily aimed at adults who have been away from

formal education for a number of years and would like

to improve their skills, confidence and knowledge in

order to gain access to a third level course. Depending on

learners’ requirements courses can be full or part-time,

usually taking place over a one year period. You have not

specified if there is a specific course you are interested

in, however some Foundation/Access courses prepare

the learner for specific courses such as Engineering or

Science while others provide a general preparation for

courses in Humanities or Social Science. To find out

more about one of these courses I would recommend

that you contact the Mature Student Officer/ Access

Officer in the institute you wish to attend.

Good luck in your future studies!

Jenny.

Hi Jenny,

My name is Rita and I am considering going back to repeat my Leaving Certificate. I first sat the Leaving Certificate back in 1993 but for several reasons at the time it didn’t go exactly as planned and unfortunately I didn’t gain the points I had hoped for. Over the years I have debated whether to go back and re-sit it but now I feel ready to go back and repeat the Leaving Certificate. However I don't know how to find a course or how much it will cost? Can you please advise as ideally I would like to begin a course in September 2008?Thanking you in advance,Rita.

Hi Rita,

City and County Vocational Educational Committees (VEC's) offer repeat Leaving Certificate courses in a number of colleges throughout the country. Alternatively a number of private colleges offer repeat Leaving Certificate courses. Enrolment and advice on subject choices normally takes place from the beginning of August to mid September each year, depending on the college. Entry onto a course may be subject to an interview and you may be asked to meet with a Guidance Counsellor from the college. Full-time repeat Leaving Certificate courses are normally offered over a one year period and part-time repeat Leaving Certificate courses are normally offered over a two year period. Most colleges offer a broad range of subjects both at higher and ordinary level. Availability of subjects at respective levels is however normally subject to demand.The cost of repeating the Leaving Certificate varies. VEC colleges are the less expensive option and usually charge €200. However students are advised to check with their local VEC to see what exact costs are involved. If you choose to repeat it with a private college the cost is considerably higher. If you have access to the internet and want to find a listing of colleges in your area which offer repeat Leaving Certificate courses visit www.qualifax.ie -the National Learners’ Database or alternatively contact your local VEC.Wishing you success in your studies!

Jenny.

Under the SpotlightUnder the Spotlight

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As far back as 2003 a small number of researchers active in the field of adult education had already identified a number of common obstacles. These included difficulties in locating exist-ing research, identifying relevant data sources and accessing funding for research projects. This prompted a number of organisations active in adult and community education to come together to form a develop-ment committee. The organisations involved included NALA, AONTAS, the UCD Education Centre, the Department of Adult and Community Education, NUI Maynooth, Waterford Institute of Technology and the School of Education, Queens University Belfast. This was the beginning of IRAACE – the Irish Research Association for Adult and Community Education.

The group commissioned a short feasibility study in 2005, and the net-work was formally launched in 2006 by Professor John Field, University of Stirling, in the National Library in Dublin. Following the launch, AONTAS, together with NALA got busy planning a strategy to support the network. Part of this support role is administrative, by setting up a database of researchers in the field of adult and community edu-

cation, but it also involves development activities which enable the network to grow. ‘We’re committed to host-ing two networking events during the year’, explained Adele McKenna, Policy & Research Officer with AONTAS. ‘These events will give researchers the oppor-tunity to network, to share ideas and experiences of projects they are work-ing on. The Development Committee is also looking to explore funding sources which might employ a part-time devel-opment manager. We will be develop-ing a new IRAACE website which will promote the network and act as an information resource.’

IRAACE held the first of these net-working events in April this year, with over forty interested researchers tak-ing part. This lively event featured a thought provoking input from Professor Lynn Tett, Professor of Lifelong Learning and Community Education in the Moray House School of Education at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Professor Tett outlined some of the key ingredients to successful research projects: defining clear questions and objectives for the research, but also highlighted some considerations for research in a community setting. For example, researchers should always be

aware of the power dynamic between researcher and subject and they should, where possible, draw on local knowledge of the research topic. ‘People in disadvantaged communities rarely have their voices heard,’ she said, ‘so it is vital to listen to them and treat them with respect.’

‘Finally we can only really enhance our work with communities if we are clear about what will make a difference and using research is a powerful tool to help us do that’, she concluded.

Researching Adult and Community Education

Niamh Farren profiles a growing research initiative in the adult and community education sector in Ireland.

"These events will give researchers the opportunity to network, to share ideas and experiences of projects they are working on."

Professor Lynn Tett addresses an audience of researchers

Speed Networking for Researchers

A number of themes were identi-fied for discussion in different smaller workshops. These workshops included 'Policy Issues Emerging from Research', 'Widening Participation and Access', 'Literacy', 'Community Based Research' and 'Supporting Researchers in Third Level'. What was different was the format, with participants given the opportunity to network with oth-ers, using the 'speed-dating' format. One of the benefits of this approach

is that everyone gets the chance to meet each other. Each participant gets to spend 5 minutes network-ing with another participant in the group, before moving down the line to the next participant. This process is repeated until every member of the group has had an opportunity to speak to one another. Feedback from delegates on the speed-network-ing format has been very positive. ‘I found it very informative and useful’, remarked one participant. ‘The speed-dating was a good wary of sharing ideas’, observed another.

The final phase of the workshops involved a discussion about the main themes emerging, and these themes have now been documented and are available in a report on the AONTAS website.

Next StepsAONTAS has held the secretariat of

IRAACE over the past year, and this responsibility now moves to NALA. Another event is planned later in the year, so if your interest lies in research, then email iraace@gmail.com, or con-tact Tina Byrne, Research Officer with NALA, on 01 809 9183.

Speed Networking at the IRAACE event

Thematic workshops at the IRAACE event

Diary of...international

Moving from Rhetoric to ActionNiamh O’Reilly reflects on the upcoming CONFTINTEA VI, the sixth

international conference for adult education.

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The most important international conference in the adult education calendar, CONFINTEA VI, is fast approaching. From the 19th to the 22nd May 2009 Government officials, repre-sentatives from non-governmental organisations, learners and educators will converge in Brazil to discuss the state of the art of adult and lifelong learning. This conference offers an essen-tial platform to highlight, and lobby for, improvements: in the adult and community education sector and sets about creat-ing guidelines to assess improvements and developments over the coming 12 years.

According to the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, CONFINTEA VI is aimed at renewing international momentum for adult learning and education. It will highlight the cru-cial role that adult learning and education play in achieving international policy frameworks including the Millennium Development Goals. CONFINTEA VI is an opportunity to move from rhetoric to action so to ensure that education for all becomes a reality.

Conference PreparationsThe preparatory process for the conference is outlined below:

A number of preparations have taken place for the confer-ence thus far, including country reports that provide informa-tion on all aspects of adult learning including: policy, legisla-tion and financing; quality of adult learning and education; research, innovation and good practice; and adult literacy. This initiative has provided fascinating information on adult learning globally, each national report submitted is available to read at http://www.unesco.org/uil/en/nesico/confintea/confinteanatrep.html.

The Role of AONTASWhilst the Irish national report is still in progress, AONTAS

has made a submission to the Department of Education and Science so to ensure that the needs and issues of AONTAS members are included in the Irish report. These national reports will feed into the regional report and global report on adult education and learning; this will be an invaluable resource for the sector in terms of best practice and will for the first time give a clear overview of adult learning globally. The global report on adult education and learning (GRAEL) will be used as the base document for the conference so it is vital that it accurately reflects the reality of adult learning. For this reason, AONTAS is joining with other relevant organisations in Ireland and linking with our European and International counterparts to ensure that we continue to contribute to the preparation process in a meaningful and effective manner.

AONTAS contributed to the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) seminar in May 2008 which was a space to debate various issues pertinent to adult and community edu-cation. The themes covered were all mainstreamed by a gender approach and included: (i) literacy; (ii) migration; (iii) poverty, education and work; (iv) policy, legislation and financing. Each theme was debated using papers compiled from the virtual sem-inar as a backdrop. Berni Brady (Director, AONTAS) contributed to the virtual seminar in order to provide an Irish perspective on the issues and Niamh O’Reilly attended the ICAE seminar. To view the contributions to the virtual seminar log on to the ICAE website.

AONTAS is currently in the process of developing strategies and alliances in order to further contribute to the preparatory process. Our next piece of work will focus on the European and North American regional preparatory meeting will take place in Hungary from 3rd – 6th December 2008. We will be updating AONTAS members on how they can participate in the conference and the preparatory process. If you would like to know more about AONTAS' involvement in CONFINTEA VI please contact Niamh O’Reilly.

Useful Websiteshttp://www.aontas.com/international/icae.html

http://www.unesco.org/uil/en/nesico/confintea/ confinteanatrep.html

http://www.icae.org.uy

Confintea VIBrazil

19th-22nd May 09

Regional ConferenceHungary

3rd-6th Dec 08

Thematic Consultation

& Reviews

National Reporting

Global Report ofAdult Learning & Education (GRALE)

Communication & Advocacy Strategy

I joined the Further Education Section as Principal Officer in January 2008. It was quite a change for me as I was returning from (an all too brief!) career break in Tanzania. This is my first experience of the Education sector, but I am a career Civil Servant, having served in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Foreign Affairs and the Revenue Commissioners. I am on a very steep learning curve but what bet-ter place to be on that learning curve than the Department of Education and Science!

The Section has a staff of about 20 (including me!) in our new offices in Athlone, into which we moved in early June, as part of the Government’s decentralisation programme. As a Dublin native, born between the canals, the thought of a move was a bit traumatic but I am very pleased to say that our new accommodation is excellent and I am enjoying my time in Athlone very much.

The Further Education Section

What is Further Education? A defi-nition that covers the huge variety of options available is very hard to arrive at but what one can say is that the priority target group of Further Education programmes is those adults who are educationally disadvantaged

and who wish to enhance their basic education so that they can gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to continue their participation in life-long learning. As I am finding out every day, it is an incredibly diverse and exciting area.

The role of the Further Education Section itself is to promote, co-ordinate, fund and monitor the development of further education programmes for young people and adults who have either left school early or who need further vocational education and training to enhance their employment prospects and to enable them to prog-ress their education up the National Framework of Qualifications.

The section is responsible for poli-cy development and representation in relation to aspects of vocational training and adult learning. It liaises with other Government Departments, in particular the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, to ensure an integrated, coherent nation-al policy in relation to vocational edu-cation and training. There is regu-lar contact with the Department of

Social and Family Affairs in relation to social welfare benefit entitlements of adult learners.

The Minister for Lifelong Learning, Sean Haughey TD, has responsibilities in both the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment which is clear evidence of the Government’s recognition of the cross-cutting nature of Further Education.

A Steep Learning Curve

So, as I said at the beginning, I find myself at the bottom of a steep learn-ing curve but never has it been more appropriate to be in such a position! The last six months have been very interesting and stimulating and I’m sure the years ahead will be equally so. I must say that I am very grateful for all the assistance my Departmental and inter-Departmental colleagues have given me as I settle in. The com-plexity of the whole area is astounding but the capacity of my colleagues to absorb the detail and answer my ques-tions is equally so.

I am also very heartened by the wel-comes I have been receiving from all the other stakeholders. I should note here that one of the very first events I attended was the AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival which was very, very enjoyable. Let me end by saying that I look forward to working constructively with you all in the future.

"The priority target group of Further Education programmes is those adults who are educationally disadvantaged and who wish to enhance their basic education"

Diary of a Principal Officer In this article, Seamus Hempenstall, Principal Officer in the Further Education Section at the Department of Education and Science, describes some of the challenges in his new position.

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"What better place to be on that learning curve than the Department of Education and Science"

A O N T A SA D U L T L E A R N E R S ’A D U L T L E A R N E R S ’

F E S T I V A LF E S T I V A L

www.adultlearnersfestival.com