This paper explores the phenomenon of premature learner exit from Adult Literacy (Learning) Service (ALS) courses from the perspective of seven ALS tutors working in three Education and Training Boards (ETBs) in Ireland. The findings highlight ALS tutors' insights into the situational, institutional, and dispositional barriers facing ALS students in returning to and persisting with ALS courses. They also highlight a lack of focus on retention, which they regard as a significant weakness in current policy and practice in ALS centres. This paper recommends strategies for addressing student attrition and supporting students to persist with and indeed flourish in their studies.