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The Community Education Centre  

  1. Focuses on the needs of those in local areas who wish to access adult learning programmes. 

  2. Promotes an awareness that there are now many educational options available for those who were excluded from educational opportunities in the past

  3. Explore a wider range of educational possibilities, activities and methodologies.

  4. Provides opportunities to learners with part time courses

    • to grow in personal development and confidence.

    • to acquire the kinds of qualifications that can be used to access follow-on courses or to move on to further education
       

  5. To achieve this, through inclusiveness, design and delivery,

     

The Community Education Learner  

  • Many adults in our society now wish either to enter or re-enter the education system. 

  • Picking up and continuing on with the education they put on hold at a previous stage in their lives.

  • Participating within the areas in which they live, for learners the local community education and resource centres are generally the most accessible and least intimidating provider of learning programmes.

  •  Choosing to participate in a range of  varied courses, leisure, recreational and educational  beneficial to the individual and the local community.

  • Gaining self confidence, improving self-esteem in an informal educational setting

  • Identifying an ability, interest and talent from the varied subject areas.

  • Acquiring new skills

  • Accessing the FETAC certification system that is designed to allow open access for learners at all levels.

  • Moving positively onto a career path

  • Enriching and enhancing their lives.

 

The Community Education Learning Neighbourhood.

The provision of community education at a local level can be beneficial to the wider community. The courses give participants

  1. the opportunity to meet with other adults who either live in or are involved in some other way with the same community. 

  2. Thus, it can create informal social networks that make education accessible to a wider range of people in the community and

  3. it has the potential to create new attitudes to education. 

 

Extracts from report 2001

Community Education is concerned with drawing people from the isolation of modern living into group participation. Paddy Flynn in Mayfield states that courses are offered within his centre to help adults “overcome isolation in the home and develop with a group of fellow learners.” Community Education groups see this as their greatest responsibility in order that “We reach out to people in need in the Community”. (Mary Kennedy, Curraheen Family Centre).

There is a great acknowledgment of the ripple effect that community education courses have in reaching many people in the community. 
Clare Lovett, Knocknaheeny, says that courses are given in order to: “work with.. Adults who impinge on the life of (others)”
Lil Marshall of Mayfield Brass Band takes up this theme. “We have seen how personal skills with the band can spill over into other areas of life”.

 Community Education courses develops confidence by “Providing safe and non-threatening learning experiences that will build the self-esteem and develop positive attitudes towards education”. (Mags Coffey, The Glen).

Creating these positive attitudes plays a major role in progression routes and this progression is equally important to community co-ordinators where these courses are offered “in response to the expressed needs of local adults who have not had second and third level education” (Sr. Renee Breslin, Before 5 Nursery & Family Centre, Churchfield). 
Through these courses, groups “set in place a progression path that will lead from the trailer into education and on to mainstream courses” (Mahon Travellers Women’s Group).

Community Education is still a growing phenomenon, with community groups seeing that their work is yet to be done.  “We aim to grow and develop by recruiting people we are not reaching at present” (Noreen Glynn, Blackpool Education Initiative). 

 These aims and priorities of community education make it unique amongst the educational providers in Ireland.  The aspiration to reach out, encompass and support individuals within the community is vital to the process of education.