Draft:National Adult Literacy Agency (Ireland)

The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) is an organisation in Ireland. According to the Irish Times, NALA endeavours to devise innovative approaches to tackle the matter of literacy. This involves collaborating with various Government departments and State agencies at a national level to create and execute policies aimed at improving the circumstances of individuals facing challenges in literacy or numeracy. Their goal is to bring about improvements for these individuals.

Documents pertaining to NALA are stored in the National Library of Ireland. According to its website, its patron is President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins.

History

The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) was established in 1977, and its initial constitution was drafted in 1980. As described by the Adult Literacy Organisers Association (ALOA), through the founding of NALA, and its primary goal of fostering public understanding, the responsibilities of literacy providers broadened to satisfy the developmental requirements of the programme. These responsibilities encompassed duties such as promoting the service, handling inquiries, conducting student interviews and assessments, and coordinating meeting schedules and locations for students and tutors. A rising demand arose for the education of tutors, leading to the establishment of tutor training programmes that were designed in response to the specific needs of the students. These training programmes were continuously refined and enhanced as the service gained more experience and evolved.

In 1997, then-Minister Willie O'Dea TD, on behalf of the Department of Education and Science, declared an additional allocation of £250,000 to supplement the existing £2 million budget for adult literacy courses. However, Inez Bailey, representing the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA), argued that the rise was insufficient, and highlighted a perceived lack of adequate funding. Furthermore, he claimed that there appeared to be "a gap between the minister’s aspirations...and the actual funding that’s being allocated."

In July 2020, the National Adult Literacy Agency released three papers that focused on research findings regarding adult literacy, recommendations for addressing adult literacy, and criticisms of present practices for their inadequacy. NALA requested that the nine government ministries responsible for adult reading, numeracy, and digital skills collaborate in developing a "cross-departmental approach." NALA expressed the view that implementing this in Ireland would be highly feasible, and referenced the Netherlands as a nation that succeeded in establishing a comparable system.

To celebrate NALA's fortieth anniversary, in October 2020, a book titled Voices was published. It was a compilation of concise narratives and analytical compositions authored by 27 individuals from Ireland. It was specifically designed for adult readers who encounter challenges in the act of reading. The editing was performed by Patricia Scanlan, one of Ireland's most renowned novelists. It featured contributions from Graham Norton, Blindboy Boatclub and Roddy Doyle.