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29 JAN 2026
News
National news

Ireland: National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) awarded 2025 UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy for eLearning programme on International Literacy Day

in September 2025, Ireland’s National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) was awarded one of three UNESCO Confucius Prizes for Literacy for its eLearning programme ‘Learn with NALA’ (LWN) at a ceremony in Paris.

“Learn with NALA”: supporting unmet literacy and numeracy needs of adults in Ireland as part of the Adult Literacy for Life Strategy.

This prize-winning eLearning programme, originally launched in 2022, is a web-based programme offering over 50 free courses for learners aged 16+. It offers a range of subjects, such as:

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Maths
  • IT
  • Personal Development
  • Health and Safety

The website, launched in 2022, updated an earlier online learning offering with a new design and range of courses specifically tailored to meet the needs of adult learners aiming to improve literacy and numeracy skills. It also offers a variety of certification options, including microcredentials, from Ireland’s National Qualifications Framework Levels 1-3 (EQF Levels 1-2).

The programme also provides individual tutoring through telephone support. A network of 250 further education and training (FET) centres incorporates this online learning platform into their own programmes to expand digital learning and certification opportunities for learners across the country. 

The programme is funded by SOLAS, Ireland’s national agency for co-ordinating and funding the FET sector. It forms part of the implementation of the Adult Literacy for Life Strategy – a 10-year, all-of-government strategy to achieve the vision of an Ireland where every adult has the necessary literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy to engage in society and realise their potential.

UNESCO Confucius Prize 2025: promoting literacy in the digital era

Announcing the award winners, Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO, said:

‘The Confucius prize rewards innovative literacy programmes, with particular focus on those that harness technology to strengthen functional literacy among adults in rural areas, as well as young people who are out of school’.

The criteria for awarding the Confucius Prize also recognise the project’s contribution to United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 to ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’.

Impact of Learn with NALA

As part of the awarding ceremony, NALA’s representative, Innovation Manager Elaine Cohalan, took part in a panel discussion on enhancing lifelong learning ecosystems where she shared the experience and impact of Learn with NALA.

To date, 12 000 learner beneficiaries have achieved 42 000 microcredentials.

The programme is free for learners. Nearly 40% of registered leaners are employed and use the programme to improve workplace skills. There is an equal number of male and female learners.

It is designed using the latest principles and technologies in universal design of learning and accessibility to enhance learner engagement and usability.

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