Each year approximately 65,000 young people complete their final exams and leave secondary school. Some will go on to further education, others will take time out to travel or pursue other interests, and many more will begin their working life in earnest.
However, over the past five years, approximately 30,000 teenagers have left school without even sitting the Leaving Certificate examination. Although many of these will create successful careers and lives for themselves, some will regret that they didn’t finish their secondary education.
The National Adult Learning Organisation of Ireland (AONTAS), says there is huge demand for adult education and it is vital for more funding to become available in order to help the many people who want to transform their lives by going back to education.
“An imbalance in funding has resulted in community education learners receiving only 2 per cent of the Further Education and Training (FET) budget, despite them making up 20 per cent of all FET learners,” says chief executive of AONTAS, Dearbháil Lawless.
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“Demand is rising, yet resources are shrinking and learners with the highest level of educational needs are not being prioritised.”
Proving that going back to school can be transformative, Jessica Lenice Miles (36) says that personal circumstances during her teenage years meant she had to curtail her education, and her dreams.
“I became a mother at 17 and had to leave school early because I didn’t have the support I needed,” she says. “For years, I stayed at home raising my children and believed it was too late for me to return to education – but not having qualifications left me feeling vulnerable and limited, and I often felt that my role was only to take care of the house and kids.
“I dreamed of doing more – such as art, cooking or helping people – but those dreams seemed out of reach. I struggled to believe that I could contribute outside the home, as not finishing education left me feeling vulnerable. And for many years, I believed it was too late to return to learning. I thought my only role was at home and although this gave me a small sense of purpose, I felt I couldn’t contribute fully to my home or community.
“I felt worthless, and my lack of certificates was often thrown in my face as the reason I shouldn’t even try.”
She says that when she was a child, she liked playing the role of counsellor for friends and family, and often advocated for others before she even knew what the meaning of the word was. She had once hoped to become a psychiatrist as people always told her she was a good listener – or even a solicitor as she had a keen sense of fairness.
But, as life changed, so too did her dreams and she realised she also had a creative streak. As a teenager, she dreamed of going to art college or culinary school. These dreams were put to one side when she became a mother, but they never died and, last year, she decided to put her ambitions into action and got involved with Cranmore Community Co-Op.
“This year, everything began to change, because I started attending a women’s group in Sligo and the support and boost in confidence were immediate,” she says. “From the first group I attended, I never missed a chance to join related workshops, courses, or community events.
“So far, adult education has been life-changing. Through Cranmore Community Co-op and other local opportunities, I began taking part in courses and volunteering with my children. This gave me confidence, a sense of purpose, and the chance to reconnect with myself. Training courses such as HACCP Level 2 and an International Cuisine course has opened doors for me and is allowing me to give back to my community,” she says.
“Being part of classes and groups also pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me see that it’s never too late to learn.”
She says that her perspective has “completely changed” and she believes she can build a better future for herself and for her children.
“Now I feel capable of helping them reach their dreams.”
Joan McKeever (62) echoes this sentiment. She left school at 14 “without any qualifications” and says that she always felt “left behind in the world”. But after learning of adult education by chance, she decided to enroll in a local community programme, which transformed her life.
“About eight years ago a leaflet on adult courses came through my letter box advertising classes at HACE – Henrietta Adult and Community Education,” says the Dublin woman. “I plucked up the courage and decided to join the drama class.
“The teacher was wonderful and with his encouragement my confidence grew – and since I started, I’ve made so many good friends from the class and now I love performing plays on stage.
“Being at the classes have helped me to forget other things, including the fact that I was sick with cancer. Also, before joining up, even though I had an operation and was doing okay, I found that my brain couldn’t let me move on and it made me worry all the time.”
However, she says HACE gave her “a whole new opening which kick-started my brain into enjoying life again”.
Meawhile, John Pearson (34) is also benefiting from a late return to education. He says personal circumstances derailed his chances of reaching his educational goals and now, he has enrolled in a part-time course in order to achieve the qualification he missed out on when he left school.
“I was really good at maths and business in school and wanted to study accountancy, but life got in the way and I ended up having to go straight into work after finishing my Leaving Cert,” he says. “I was working in the hospitality sector which was good fun but also hard work and I knew it wasn’t something I could do forever.
“ I have recently started an accounting technician course and after this, I’ll follow up with a CPA course to become an accountant.“
He says although it is “not easy” and he’s continuing to work alongside study, including attending classes for two nights a week and occasional weekends, it will be “worth it in the end”.
“Not everyone gets to follow the same path and some, like me, have to take diversions to get there, but I kind of think it’s better in a way because I will be a much better and more attentive student than I probably would have been in my late teens. So I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Recent figures show that there were more than 380,000 adult learners (between the ages of 25 and 64) engaging in either formal or informal learning activities.
Lawless says it is vital that support continues to be made available to everyone who wants to further their learning journey. “Community education is a powerful way to tackle inequality, build stronger communities, and protect our democracy,” she says.
“In a time when divisions are growing and social challenges are becoming more complex, community education offers a proven, inclusive approach that meets people where they are. It helps individuals and groups learn, connect and take action together – making real change possible.”
Lawless cites its support to families, neighbourhoods and how it assists policy efforts in areas like health, employment and civic engagement. “Investing in community education means investing in people.”
