Thirty thousand women in community education get just over £46 each in Government funding, according to a report commissioned by Aontas.
At the launch of a major research document entitled At the Forefront, Aontas claims the Government gave just under £1.4 million a year to the growing community education sector.
According to Ms Berni Brady, director of Aontas, the National Association of Adult Education, third-level education is costing the exchequer on average between £1,500 and £2,000 per student per year but community education for women costs just £46 annually per person.
The research done by Aontas, with the help and support of the Women's Education Research Resource Centre at UCD and the Department of Education and Science, was presented to the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Mr Willie O'Dea, in Dublin today.
"Community education programmes targeted at disadvantaged groups contribute hugely to the development of individuals and disadvantaged communities," Ms Brady said. "However, up to now, community education has been the Cinderella of Irish education."
"We feel that it is now time for the Government to get serious about its important role for women and communities everywhere. Many of the women who take part in community education go on to use this experience to help develop their own communities or to go onto further education, training and employment," she said.