ESOL provision in England

Recent government policy, sector response and the ESOL Manifesto

Elaine WilliamsonESOL lecturer

Overview of session

• Proposed reforms to ESOL in England under the Coalition government

• How teachers and students responded – the Action for ESOL campaign

• The ESOL Manifesto– offered for your comments and discussion

How does this session link to the theme of the day?• ESOL provides vital language/literacy education,

facilitating progression to work and HE• Teaches language for day to day living and survival• Promotes ‘citizenship’ – rights, responsibilities, the law• Provides language qualifications (often linked to

above)• Helps learners socialize into a new culture• Fosters political participation

ESOL in the context of work and study: Preparing learners for participation

ESOL in England

• English language education for a diverse range of migrants, including settled communities, newly arrived spouses, refugees, asylum seekers, migrant workers

• Provision in FE colleges, by local authorities, community, voluntary sector, workplace, prisons, private providers

• Most is state funded / co-funded

Policy history

• Prior to 2001 ESOL had a chequered history• 2001-2009 – Skills for Life• 2009 – Community cohesion and

disassociation with Skills for Life• 2010 – still funded but in ‘no mans land’

Initial Coalition government proposal

• Full funding only to be available for those ‘actively seeking work’ on Jobseekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance benefits

• For others ESOL co-funded • No funding for ESOL training in the workplace• Removal of learner support fund• Loss of programme weighting

Figures and impactAoC survey on ESOL (2010)• 187,000 ESOL learners in England (a

conservative estimate)• 55% have additional literacy and numeracy

basic skills needs• 99,000 learners likely to be affected by the cuts• 74% of those affected will be women (80% in

London) • Inevitable job losses

Sector response• National campaign Action for ESOL: teachers, students,

NATECLA, Refugee Council, NIACE, UCU and others• Action for ESOL web site • 1000’s of letters to MP’s by students• Petition 20,000 signatures• National day of action: London, Nottingham, Brighton,

Manchester etc• Local events• Press coverage – BBC, The Guardian, Independent, TES, Radio 4• Letters of support

Government response

• Equalities Impact Assessment• Short term change of policy – fee remission

for students on most benefits• August policy change too late for 2011 - some

losses• Provision secured for 2012 then 2013• Future undecided

What emerged from the campaign?As a sector we identified:• Reprieve for ESOL was short lived• Contrasting understanding of ESOL government/policy

makers and teachers• Other issues to address: – lack of sustainable funding– ESOL as a distinct area of practice – language as a right– professionalism– pedagogy– access to a range of provision

The ESOL Manifesto

The ESOL Manifesto

• Collaboration between 60+ ESOL teachers and other interested parties

• ‘A statement of our beliefs and values’• Makes some demands of policy makers and

also of practitioners

Next step:

• To share this with you and ask for your thoughts

• Identify any parallels/differences in provision in your own area of work

• Opportunity to discuss issues in your own area of work

• Ask for your input about how we might take this forward

Five themes:

1. Funding and the right to learn2. Language, community and diversity3. ESOL identity4. Teacher professionalism5. Pedagogy

1. Funding and the right to learn

– Removing financial barriers to participation– joined-up thinking between different

government departments and providers– a statutory entitlement to ESOL?– Free ESOL for all?

2. Language, community and diversity

– Language provision for full participation in society (not just employment)

– Recognising and valuing multilingualism– Responding to diversity in ESOL learners and

their motivation (incl. migrant workers)– Need for a wide range of levels

3. ESOL identity

– Is ESOL a distinct area of practice?– Support infrastructure to attend e.g. Childcare– High quality advice and guidance– Women with children – access to more than

community based provision and family learning

4. Teacher professionalism

– Pay, contracts and working conditions– Marginalization and casualization of the workforce– Ongoing opportunities for teachers to develop

practice including a ‘communities of practice’ approach

– A well funded research community– More BME teachers– Teachers have a right and responsibility to engage

with political and policy issues

5. Pedagogy– Research should involve a dialogue between practice and

research institutions– Prescribed central curricula can be proscriptive– A one size fits all model doesn’t fit– An over emphasis on examination and qualifications for

funding purposes– Holism of ESOL

“language education is about the whole person – about taking charge of their lives, active and critical participation in all aspects of life – the classroom and beyond”

Task:

Select a theme of interestIn groups:• What do you think of the points raised by the

manifesto?• Are there any parallels/differences with your own

practice?• What are the issues in your own field of practice?• What should the AfE campaign do with the

manifesto now?

Five themes:

1. Funding and the right to learn2. Language, community and diversity3. ESOL identity4. Teacher professionalism5. Pedagogy