Perlico, the leading alternative provider of the best value telecoms, broadband and related services in the Irish market, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone Ireland, today announced that it has donated 50 computers to the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) specifically for computer based literacy initiatives. Perlico’s donation of IT equipment is the first of its kind to an Irish organisation dedicated to adult literacy and reflects the company’s commitment to driving e-learning and further education.
According to the last international survey, 50% of Irish people have less than the minimum level of literacy skills needed to function effectively in a modern society. About 25% of those surveyed performed at the lowest level, which indicates that up to 25% of the Irish adult population could have significant difficulties with basic literacy tasks such as filling in an application form, understanding public information notices, or dealing with modern technology.
Equally, parents who have literacy difficulties may be unable to help their own children develop their reading and writing skills. Currently in Ireland, up to 30% of children from disadvantaged areas leave primary school with literacy difficulties. The computers donated by Perlico will be used to broaden and strengthen NALA’s distance education service and support adults and families with literacy difficulties who do not have access to computers or the internet.
Perlico’s General Manager Paul Woods said:
“We are delighted to make our donation to this worthy cause – one that lies close to our heart as an Internet Service Provider. It’s essential to promote lifelong education to ensure a skilled workforce, an essential component in fostering our economy’s competitiveness.
The participants of NALA’s distance education programme should be congratulated on their decision to return to education. This requires determination and considerable courage. Access to computers and broadband facilitates the development of IT skills and provides access to information on all subject areas. Perlico would like to wish all of the participants of NALA’s distance education programme every success in the future.”
NALA’s Director Inez Bailey commented:
“We give our sincere thanks to Perlico for their generosity in donating 50 computers to NALA. This donation of IT equipment is the first of its kind that we or any Irish organisation dedicated to adult literacy has received to date from any company.
“NALA research shows that there are a number of barriers to participation in literacy tuition. This includes the stigma and fear that still exists for some people about returning to education. While literacy tuition is available in traditional face-to-face situations through the Vocational Educational Committees, 92% of those adults identified as in need of support are currently not availing of this service. There are various reasons for this lack of involvement, many of which are associated with the provision of adult learning in school building-based centres. These include lack of childcare, lack of transport and fear of being seen by neighbours.”
“NALA believes that Perlico’s donation of laptops to its distance education service will address many of these barriers to participation and go a long way to increasing access to literacy tuition. In the current economic climate we need to support people with literacy difficulties. This donation will help to provide opportunities for those people not currently engaged in lifelong learning and no doubt will make a profound impact on many people’s lives”