TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1979
GOVERNMENT SUBVENTION ON ADULT EDUCATION PROJECTS PLANNED
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A PILOT SCHEME TO SUBVENT NON-PROF IT-MAKING ORGANISATIONS TO OPERATE ADULT EDUCATION COURSES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN 1980-81 IF SUFFICIENT FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION (FURTHER), MR. A.J. REEVE SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADULT EDUCATION HELD AT THE CARITAS HOUSE ON THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSED ADULT EDUCATION SUBVENTION SCHEME AS OUTLINED IN THE WHITE PAPER ON SENIOR SECONDARY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION.
MR. REEVE SAID THAT ALL THE PROPOSALS IN THE WHITE PAPER WERE SUBJECT TO A REGULAR REVIEW OF THE OVERALL RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT.
+SHOULD SUFFICIENT FUNDS BE AVAILABLE FOR VARIOUS PRIORITIES INCLUDING ADULT EDUCATION THEN WE SHALL BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD WITH A PILOT SCHEME IN 1980-81 OF ADULT EDUCATION SUBVENTION.
+BUT WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT IT IS SUCCESSFUL SO THAT GOVERNMENT WILL BE PREPARED TO SUBSIDISE MORE PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF ADULT EDUCATION IN FUTURE YEARS, HE SAID.
IN HIS SPEECH MR. REEVE ALSO LISTED SOME GUIDELINES FOR NON-PROF IT-MAKING VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS WHICH WOULD BE INVITED TO PROPOSE SUITABLE ADULT EDUCATION COURSES,
+CONSIDERATION WILL BE LIMITED TO PROPOSALS FOR ACTIVITIES WHICH ARE NOT ALREADY PROVIDED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OR FOR ACTIVITIES WHICH, ALTHOUGH ALREADY PROVIDED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, DO NOT MEET CURRENT DEMAND FOR PLACES FROM ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, HE SAID.
THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES SHOULD ALSO MEET A DEMONSTRABLE PUBLIC DEMAND FROM LOW-INCOME GROUPS AND BE OF BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, AND BE OF A RETRIEVAL+ NATURE, THAT IS, DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF A STRONG FORMAL EDUCATION.
+PROPOSED ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE PROVIDED ON A STRICTLY NON-PROFIT-MAKING BASIS, MR. REEVE SAID.
HOWEVER, HE ADDED THAT NO PROJECT WILL BE SUBVENTED UNLESS STUDENTS PAY FEES TOWARDS PART OF THE COST OF THE COURSE.+
SUBVENTION WILL BE CONSIDERED ON A PROJECT BASIS AND NOT ON A RECURRENT ANNUAL BASIS. THE RENEWAL OF SUBVENTION ARRANGEMENTS, HOWEVER, WOULD BE CONSIDERED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
NOTING THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL THE GUIDELINES TO BE TOO RESTRICTIVE. MR. REEVE SAID IT SHOULD BE APPRECIATED THAT +GOVERNMENT IS BEING PRUDENT AND CAUTIOUS IN ENSURING THAT A SUBVENTION SCHEME SUCH AS THIS, WHICH MAY WELL ENTAIL EVENTUALLY A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC MONEY, WILL BE WORTHWHILE, EFFICIENT AND MAKE THE MOST EFFECTIVE USE OF OUR RESOURCES.+
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