New findings from AONTAS, the national adult learning organisation of Ireland, show that 41% of adult education students struggle to pay for household bills and meals.
AONTAS is a non-government organisation that has been in place for over 50 years. They provide a range of services but the key thing they do, according to their chief executive officer Dearbháil Lawless, is to make education more accessible for everybody.
They advocate for quality education for all adults, and raise awareness of the impact of adult learning on people’s lives and on society
“As part of that, we would lobby the Government to try and improve the conditions for people accessing education and to make sure that the experience when people enter the system is the best it can be,” says Dearbháil.
“There are a range of barriers in place that are holding people back from their education – these include discrimination, ageism, racism, stereotyping and stigma.”
Transport in rural Ireland
For adult learners living in rural Ireland, transport is a massive issue as not only have learners to travel to get a bus or train, the timetables are limited.
“We hear of people who will have to arrive two hours early, or maybe leave their course early, and as a result, people end up dropping out of their programmes because it’s just not sustainable,” says Dearbháil.
At the moment, a lot of apprentices are unable to afford to commute every day or stay overnight due to accommodation shortages and prices – as a result, they are sleeping in their cars or vans.
“It used to be in the past that people would rent a room in a local area and stay there for six weeks. They can’t do that anymore because of the cost of it. So now we have apprentices who are sleeping in their vans, which is just outrageous,” says Dearbháil.
Research
AONTAS spoke to thousands of learners across rural Ireland and in cities and they ran events to ask them about their experience in Further Education Training.
“Along with this, research also showed that almost one-third of people surveyed said they need greater financial support to remain in education to improve their quality of life, build knowledge, and boost their career opportunities,” says Dearbháil.
This wasn’t surprising to her as meal allowances for some adult learners are currently as little as 80 cents per day.
“How is anyone supposed to feed themselves on 80 cents a day? You can’t even buy a cup of tea for that,” she says.
Dearbháil Lawless, Chief Executive Officer, AONTAS.
With figures from SOLAS showing that one in three adult learners are unemployed, Dearbháil says social welfare should be benchmarked so that people’s basic needs are met to allow them to “enter and succeed in education, find a career, and improve their self-confidence, standard of living and general happiness levels.”
People can’t engage in education unless their basic needs are met, including accommodation, food, and health.
“Those with families are being forced to choose between paying energy bills or course fees. This means a lot of people end up leaving their course,” she says.
More financial supports will have wider benefits for Irish society, including increasing social equality and building stronger communities, according to Dearbháil.
With Budget 2025 looming. AONTAS is asking for the following supports:
A 50% increase in allowances for adult learners.An increase in social welfare payments for adult learners.A commitment to provide more information for the public on adult education courses and supports available. For more, see aontas.com Read more
Ag science decline continues as concerns heighten
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New findings from AONTAS, the national adult learning organisation of Ireland, show that 41% of adult education students struggle to pay for household bills and meals.
AONTAS is a non-government organisation that has been in place for over 50 years. They provide a range of services but the key thing they do, according to their chief executive officer Dearbháil Lawless, is to make education more accessible for everybody.
They advocate for quality education for all adults, and raise awareness of the impact of adult learning on people’s lives and on society
“As part of that, we would lobby the Government to try and improve the conditions for people accessing education and to make sure that the experience when people enter the system is the best it can be,” says Dearbháil.
“There are a range of barriers in place that are holding people back from their education – these include discrimination, ageism, racism, stereotyping and stigma.”
Transport in rural Ireland
For adult learners living in rural Ireland, transport is a massive issue as not only have learners to travel to get a bus or train, the timetables are limited.
“We hear of people who will have to arrive two hours early, or maybe leave their course early, and as a result, people end up dropping out of their programmes because it’s just not sustainable,” says Dearbháil.
At the moment, a lot of apprentices are unable to afford to commute every day or stay overnight due to accommodation shortages and prices – as a result, they are sleeping in their cars or vans.
“It used to be in the past that people would rent a room in a local area and stay there for six weeks. They can’t do that anymore because of the cost of it. So now we have apprentices who are sleeping in their vans, which is just outrageous,” says Dearbháil.
Research
AONTAS spoke to thousands of learners across rural Ireland and in cities and they ran events to ask them about their experience in Further Education Training.
“Along with this, research also showed that almost one-third of people surveyed said they need greater financial support to remain in education to improve their quality of life, build knowledge, and boost their career opportunities,” says Dearbháil.
This wasn’t surprising to her as meal allowances for some adult learners are currently as little as 80 cents per day.
“How is anyone supposed to feed themselves on 80 cents a day? You can’t even buy a cup of tea for that,” she says.
Dearbháil Lawless, Chief Executive Officer, AONTAS.
With figures from SOLAS showing that one in three adult learners are unemployed, Dearbháil says social welfare should be benchmarked so that people’s basic needs are met to allow them to “enter and succeed in education, find a career, and improve their self-confidence, standard of living and general happiness levels.”
People can’t engage in education unless their basic needs are met, including accommodation, food, and health.
“Those with families are being forced to choose between paying energy bills or course fees. This means a lot of people end up leaving their course,” she says.
More financial supports will have wider benefits for Irish society, including increasing social equality and building stronger communities, according to Dearbháil.
With Budget 2025 looming. AONTAS is asking for the following supports:
A 50% increase in allowances for adult learners.An increase in social welfare payments for adult learners.A commitment to provide more information for the public on adult education courses and supports available. For more, see aontas.com Read more
Ag science decline continues as concerns heighten
How to live in a shared college house
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