Adult education, the Minister of State, Mr Willie O'Dea, acknowledged yesterday, is the last area of mass-education that remains to be developed in the State.
For years it has been poorly resourced with both providers and participants often coping with unsuitable premises and a lack of back-up. The sector has been largely dependent on the tireless work and energy of community and local groups. This situation has continued despite low levels of literacy among a large proportion of the population - a 1997 OECD survey found 25 per cent of the Irish population scored at the lowest literacy level.
The robust state of the public finances means the Government now has the resources to make up for lost time and place the provision of adult education on a par with other Western nations.
The Government hopes the White Paper will raise the level of educational attainment in the State, help to make the economy more competitive by addressing the skills shortage and improve access to further education.
The White Paper envisages the establishment of a Targeted Higher Education Mature Student Fund to promote greater participation in third-level institutions by mature students. The fund will rise to £10 million a year on a phased basis.
The Republic has the lowest level of mature student participation in third-level among the OECD countries.
According to the OECD, only 2 per cent of Irish entrants to degree level were 26 or over in 1997 - compared with an average of 19 per cent in other OECD countries. The Government hopes the establishment of the fund will give the third-level sector a real financial incentive to target mature students.
The White Paper expresses confidence the new fund and other measures can achieve real progress. It believes mature students can make up 15 per cent of student entrants by 2005. Progress in achieving this objective is to be monitored by the Higher Education Authority.
Despite the controversy about the retention of fees for most part-time students, the White Paper has been well received.
Mr O'Dea and his senior officials were widely praised by many speakers at yesterday's launch. Aontas said the White Paper, if fully implemented, could go a considerable way towards addressing many issues of concern to those in the sector.
Mr Michael Moriarty of the Irish Vocational Education Association said the key to the successful implementation of the White Paper lay within the Local Learning Board structure.
He said there had to be a substantial increase in the number of professional personnel in each VEC catchment area if educational inequality is to be tackled.
Other features of the White Paper include:
The implementation of a national adult literacy and numeracy programme.
A national TV literacy tuition and awareness series to be broadcast by RTE in the autumn.
Improvements in class size to a 1O:1 teacher/pupil ratio for all mature students in the Back to Education Initiative who do not have the Leaving Certificate.
New grants for the construction of premises for adult education.
The establishment of an interagency working group to make recommendations on the future recognition of staff qualifications in the adult education and training sector.
The appointment of a national team of community education facilitators.
A working party to explore possible tax relief for employers providing free further education.