Gordon Brown must invest in English language courses, say teachers of 'ESOL'

UCU said the benefits of courses in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) were educational, social and economic and extra funding needs could be met from several ministries to reflect this, if necessary. The union quoted the government's skills envoy, former CBI chief Digby Jones, who this week urged the government to 'rethink the funding mechanisms' of ESOL provision.

UCU was responding to today's update on ESOL by lifelong learning minister Bill Rammell, at a London seminar for education professionals.

The government's plans to restrict access to free ESOL have come under attack from a wide alliance of professional bodies and resulted in an unprecedented lobby of parliament recently.

Bill Rammell today outlined a number of further concessions in response to the growing 'Save ESOL' campaign, including:

• Colleges will be urged, when offering fee concessions, to consider evidence of low income such as entitlement to housing benefit.
• The Learning and Skills Council will assist local projects to help spouses in settled communities to gain language support.
• Asylum seekers and refugees will be able to access free ESOL courses after 6 months in the UK, whatever the state of their case for citizenship.

Several attendees challenged the government's unwillingness to fund free ESOL for many new arrivals in the UK, pointing to the enormous benefits to the economy of migrant workers and the great social benefits of immediate language support. Currently, a wife joining her husband in a settled UK community has to wait a year before gaining eligibility for free ESOL courses. One speaker described the isolation of women denied language help, unable to help their children's schooling or to access services.

UCU welcomed the announced changes but criticised the continued failure of the government to require rather than simply encourage employers to pay something for the language training of their staff, despite the benefits to their businesses.

Roger Kline, head of equality and employment rights at UCU, a member of the panel of speakers at today's event, said: 'I welcome the changes, which are partly due to the huge public concern which has been expressed. The suggestion that funding is limited is missing the point - there is a need for greater investment and there is a professional consensus that if the DfES can't fund more, then we must explore other ways of funding. If Bill can't do it, we shall ask Gordon'.

Paul Mackney, UCU joint general secretary said: 'Digby Jones has pointed out that there is no obligation for employers to contribute to language course costs and that the government must rethink its position. The OECD (organisation for economic cooperation and development) said the secret of the UK economy's recent success is migrant workers. There are more migrant workers than was expected and if the language needs won't be met from existing budgets it has to go to the chancellor. That's where the Save ESOL campaign will now go.'