Mattie McGrath: Calls for Parity for Adult Education Tutors
Mattie McGrath spoke on 4 May 2023 about adult education tutors in South Tipperary, urging parity of esteem and equal pay for adult education teachers and tutors. He argued these tutors perform vital work in adult literacy and in re-engaging learners and called on the department to recognise and respect their contribution.
Campaign and concerns
Mr McGrath said he stood with adult education teachers and tutors in South Tipperary who are campaigning for parity of esteem with their teaching colleagues. He noted many tutors hold teaching qualifications, work as tutors to make it easy for adult learners to return, and are not being treated fairly.
Work and impact of tutors
He described the tutors' role in adult literacy and in bringing people back into education, saying they re-engage those who have fallen off the system and nurture them. He said their work is "tremendous" and "so badly needed" for learners who would otherwise fall through the cracks.
Demand for recognition and pay
Mr McGrath called for these tutors to be treated with respect by the department and to receive parity of esteem and equal pay with their colleagues. He emphasised the importance of recognising and reflecting the contribution adult tutors make to education.
Government response and process
The minister accepted the Deputy's general view on the value and importance of adult education and adult tutors, acknowledging the ongoing issue and campaign. The minister said the matter is within an industrial relations framework, that various offers have been made and hearings held, and that there is a desire to accelerate a resolution.
Next steps and expectations
Both the Deputy and the minister expressed a wish to see the process move more quickly to resolve outstanding issues so that the contribution of adult tutors is respected and reflected appropriately.
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You come from a teaching background. I stood last week with adult education teachers and tutors in South Tipperary who are campaigning for parity of esteem with their teaching colleagues. They are, many of them have teaching qualifications. They do tremendous work with adult literacy and with adult education and bringing people back the schemes from, you know, and they go down as tutors sometimes in order to make it easy for the adulti, for the students to come back in to learn and to read. to re-engage with the education system, but they're not being treated fairly and they're not getting the parity of esteem with their colleagues and the teachers across our schools. So it's time this was recognised. These people, I couldn't speak highly enough of the work they do. So vital when people can be left behind and fall off the system and fall through the cracks and they re-engage with them and bring them on and nurture them and do tremendous work with adult literacy and everything else and it's so badly needed. So they need to be treated with respect for the department and get parity of esteem and equal pay. Thank you. I accept the Deputy's general view in terms of the value and the importance of adult education and particularly adult tutors within our ETBs in particular and within the adult education sector. Now, as you know, there's been an ongoing issue and campaign around this, but it is within an industrial relations framework. Various offers have been made. Various hearings have been heard. And we would like to see this accelerated as quickly as we possibly can to get a resolution to these issues to respect and to reflect the contribution that adult tutors make to adult education and to education. Would you ?
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