Adult Literacy Awareness week takes place from Monday to Friday, September 21-25. The aim of the week is to promote local literacy services, raise awareness of the benefits of improving reading, writing, and numeracy skills, and to highlight the benefits of helping people with poor literacy and numeracy skills accessing adult education, to create a more inclusive society.
Statistics prove that people without a qualification are at the greatest risk of unemployment. Individuals who do not have a basic education also have poorer health, and in general, lower life expectancy and life chances.
Tuam Adult Learning Centre, Chapel Lane, Tuam is operated by the Galway Roscommon Education Training Board (GRETB ), and is funded by the Department of Education and Skills. The aim of the centre is to provide courses to support, assist and fulfil the needs of adults who are experiencing difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, numeracy, and computer skills and offers a second chance in education. Classes are taken in small groups and are extremely flexible, running morning, afternoon, and evening to facilitate learners.
Adults decide to return to education for a variety of reasons and at different stages of their lives such as, to improve their skills for personal reasons, to enhance their quality of life, to gain employment, and up-skill and to be able to help their children/grandchildren with homework. Adults learn best when the decision to return to learning is their own and the environment is supportive, relaxed, and friendly which is the case at Tuam Adult Learning Centre.
Programmes include; basic computers, improving reading, writing and spelling, financial literacy, everyday maths, communications, career preparation, and ESOL: English as a second or other language.
Family Learning programmes include everyday maths, Project Maths and Irish for parents. Family Learning is aimed at promoting parental involvement in children’s learning and recognises the special role of parents as their children’s natural teachers.
Themed literacy programmes include learning through the craft of stained glass, computers, gardening, and cookery.
The courses build up people’s confidence and self-esteem, therefore enhancing their quality of life. The centre works closely with home-school liaison officers, the HSE, Department of Social Protection and many other organisations.
An Open Day will take place on Wednesday September 23 at the centre from 10-1pm. Information will be available on all programmes. Representatives from the local Credit Union, MABS and home-school liaison officers will be in attendance.
The service is free and confidential and accreditation is available on all courses. (Quality & Qualifications Ireland QQI ). If interested in availing of courses please call Sheila, Ethna, or Geraldine on 093 266 09, or call to the centre on Chapel Lane, Tuam.
