Adult literacy

Information

A significant proportion of the Irish population has low levels of literacy. This means that fairly straightforward tasks like filling in forms, helping their children with their homework or reading the instructions on a medicine bottle pose considerable difficulties for a large number of people. The Vocational Educational Committee (VEC) Adult Literacy Scheme, which is operated by the 33 VECs in Ireland, allows people with reading and writing difficulties to gain access to literacy education. The Adult Education Organiser (AEO) of the VEC is responsible for ensuring the Adult Literacy Scheme is effective. VECs and the AEOs regularly liaise with the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA), a voluntary organisation that is concerned with national co-ordination, training and policy development in adult literacy work, on matters of policy etc.

The VEC Adult Literacy Scheme involves literacy tutors providing tuition to adult students around Ireland.

In addition, the radio and television projects of NALA's Distance Education Service and the website Literacytools.ie can be used by people in their own homes.

If you wish to improve your reading/writing/maths skills

Learners and tutors interact on an equal basis in the VEC Adult Literacy Scheme and classes focus on the needs of the learner as an individual.

The people who attend the VEC Adult Literacy Scheme come from all walks of life and have different reasons for wanting to improve their reading, writing, spelling and maths, whether it be self-improvement, job advancement or just to helping their children with their homework.

You do not need to have reached a certain standard of education (for example, the Junior or Leaving Certificate) to join the scheme. You can join the scheme for as long as you wish and it is also possible to take a break from the scheme and rejoin it at a later stage.

Everyone who participates in the scheme has his or her own trained literacy tutor and, before you start your first class, you will decide together what you would like to cover. Your tutor will then plan each class to suit you. There is no set course and classes are usually around two hours long per week.

It is important to remember that there are other people of every age and from every background in Ireland with low levels of literacy. You have no need to feel embarrassed or anxious about joining a scheme and your attendance at any literacy scheme is confidential. All tutors are specially trained to help you feel at ease and get the most out of your classes.

When you contact a scheme, the person in charge of your local scheme will invite you to call in to discuss the scheme and your needs in relation to it. There is no test or right or wrong answers to questions. After this meeting, the organiser will arrange for a tutor to work with you.

Students and tutors work closely together so it is important that you get on well together. If you are not happy with your tutor, you can talk in confidence to the organiser of the scheme.

If you wish to become an adult literacy tutor

You do not need specific educational qualifications or to have worked as a teacher to become an adult literacy tutor as you will be given full training. All that is required of you is a genuine desire to work with adults who have literacy difficulties. If you can read, are a good communicator and are confident in your ability to understand adults with literacy difficulties, then you can help.

If you wish to become a tutor in a VEC Adult Literacy Scheme, you should contact your local VEC Adult Literacy Organiser for details of initial training courses in your area. You can contact the organiser by phoning your local VEC office or NALA.

National Adult Literacy Events

NALA organises two main National Literacy Events. The first of these is International Literacy Day, a one-day national conference and celebration of the work of the NALA Literacy service. The second is Literacy Awareness Week, a week of nationwide events focusing on adult literacy.