Time to End the Disrespect of Adult Education Tutors
- Protest today at 12:30 outside Leinster House
Labour’s Further and Higher Education Spokesperson, Senator Laura Harmon, has called for urgent action to end the disgraceful treatment of Adult Education Tutors.
Today, at 12:30 PM outside the Dáil, tutors employed by Education and Training Boards (ETBs) will protest their precarious working conditions and demand equal terms and conditions as teachers in Further Education.
Senator Harmon said:
“Today’s protest highlights the Government’s failure to provide fair and sustainable employment terms for up to 3,000 tutors across the country.
“Adult education is the backbone of so many communities, providing opportunities for people of all ages to learn, upskill, and improve their lives. Yet, the tutors delivering this crucial education have been treated as second-class educators. Many are in precarious contracts, denied basic employment security, and have to sign on the dole during term breaks. This is no way to treat workers.
“Last year, the Government announced a new pay scale for tutors, but this so-called solution has only deepened the unfairness. The pay scale assumes 52 weeks of work per year, yet due to ETB centre closures, no or very few tutors work for the full year—most work a maximum of 37 weeks, some even less. This means that tutors are left to sign on to social welfare when centres close. The new scales also fail to take prior experience into account.
“Adult education is not a luxury – it is a necessity. It supports people from basic literacy all the way to pre-university courses, helping thousands of learners every year. This comes at a time when we hear that Ireland has become less literate over the past decade. And yet, the Government continues to undermine the sector by treating its educators with complete disregard. Tutors face uncertainty about their contracts year after year, making it impossible to plan for the future. This is not just bad for tutors, but also for students who rely on continuity in their education.
“We in Labour are standing in solidarity with these workers and are calling for immediate action from the Minister for Further Education. The sector cannot function on precarity and uncertainty. We need change immediately.”