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National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA)
(Dublin, Ireland)

Family Literacy in Practice in Ireland

Grundtvig 2 Learning Partnership on Family Literacy

Istanbul 14-16th November 2005

Celia Rafferty
Adult Literacy Organiser
City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee (CDVEC)
and
Vice-chair of National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA)

The role of the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) in Ireland

• Promote literacy issues with Government Departments and other agencies
• Raise public awareness of literacy issues
• Lobby for adequate funding for the service
• Develop and co-ordinate training and special initiatives
• Advise on standards
• Encourage learner involvement
• Initiate research into literacy in Ireland

Adult literacy tuition in Ireland is provided by the Vocational Education Committees (VECs)

There is a VEC in each county/region in Ireland. There are thirty three VECs in the country.

Each VEC operates an Adult Literacy Service (ALS)

Each Adult Literacy Service provides:

• Choice of individual and Small Group Tuition
• Curriculum based on the adult learner’s needs and goals
• Option of accreditation
• Flexible duration, dependent on student’s needs and goals
• Free and confidential service
• Advice and assistance on progression routes

Classes are:

• Free
• Confidential
• Mornings/afternoons/evenings
• One to one or small groups
• Informal and friendly
• Adult centred classes
• Fun

Courses available include:

• Basic English one to one/small groups/spellings FETAC/Junior Certificate/ Leaving Certificate
• Preparation for Work Writing letters/ CVs/Filling in Forms
• Social and Civic Education
• Family Literacy Programmes
• Basic Computers
• Personal Development
• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
• Basic Maths

The one to one literacy tutors are all volunteers. Before they are matched with a student they must complete a thirty-hour tutor training course. Following the initial training tutors are invited to attend regular in service training, both within the service and with outside specialists (including NALA).

As volunteer 1:1 tutors become more experienced they may progress to group tutors. All group tutors are experienced one to one literacy tutors. Extra training for group tutors is also provided.

• Initial Tutor Training (provided by each Adult Literacy Service but the courses are all similar) Thirty hours training. This may be an accredited module of the NALA/WIT Certificate in Adult Literacy Tuition.
• In Service – at local level and by others – eg. One day workshops on spelling/making materials/dyslexia/special needs.
• Accredited courses by tutors – NALA/WIT certificate and degree courses (WIT is the Waterford Institute of Technology – third level institute)
• Modular courses – tutors may take individual modules or complete entire certificate (12 modules) and progress to degree level (6 more modules)
• Family literacy modules are provided at both certificate and degree level