Background
In September of 1994 the Open Learning Centre began its
life as a centre with an ethos to provide: ‘Educational
opportunities for people who require flexibility with their
education and for those not in main stream education’.
The centre based in Colaiste Ide Finglas has on average
three hundred and ninety five students who take advantage of
accessing computers and communication technologies annually.
Students emanate from a range of different backgrounds, lone-parent,
house-parent, the unemployed, employed, students with a disability,
the elderly and early school leavers. As well as catering for
students who attend the centre, the centre also provides:
- Computers on Wheels, this initiative enables groups to learn computing in a familiar environment within their own community.
- Computer hardware and software facilities for adult literacy classes on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.
- The Visually Impaired Computer Society (VICS) conduct classes for visually impaired students.
- The centre conducts classes with the National Association for the Deaf (NAD) for students with hearing difficulties.
- The
centre conducts classes with the Irish Wheelchair Association
(IWA) for their members .