Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
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Funding for English classes to be retargeted to aid integration
Public funding for English language teaching should be targeted where it will have the biggest impact on community cohesion and integration, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills John Denham announced today.
Under new proposals, the promotion of community cohesion would be given the highest priority in deciding on funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). This would mean retargeting spending towards those who have made a long-term commitment to live in Britain, rather than economic migrants who may only be here for a short time. In practice this will often mean the most deprived and socially excluded groups who may find it hard to find places on ESOL courses today.
The consultation follows a report published last year by the Commission for Integration and Cohesion, 'Our Shared Vision', which identified being able to communicate in English as one of the most important issues facing integration and cohesion in Britain. The report suggested that English language binds us together as a single group and vulnerable communities are being left without the English skills they need to get by.
Mr Denham said:
"The Government is committed to promoting community cohesion and integration and good English language skills have a vital role to play in this work.
"Since 2001, spending on ESOL has trebled and over two million people have been helped to improve their language skills. But we must make sure that ESOL makes the biggest possible contribution to improving community cohesion and integration.
"Recent reforms are already ensuring that those who can afford to pay for English classes do so and are encouraging employers to take more responsibility for funding training for economic migrants in their workforces.
"Now we must go further and ensure that the priority is to reach long-term residents for whom poor English is a real barrier to integration in work or in the community."
Local communities are best placed to understand what will best promote community cohesion and integration in their area. In this consultation we are asking local authorities and other groups how they would prioritise ESOL funding to achieve these aims.
Reforming ESOL provision is part of a Government-wide effort to help long-term British residents gain the English language skills they need to integrate fully into society. In December 2007, the Department for Communities and Local Government published guidance to local authorities on translation, calling for a commonsense approach to ensure that translation facilities do not act as a disincentive to people learning English. The Home Office is currently consulting on whether spouses who plan to settle in the UK should have some knowledge of English prior to arrival. The Home Office's new points-based system for managing migration will award points to skilled migrants from outside the European Economic Area who can speak English before they arrive in the UK.
Today's consultation seeks to take these reforms further and is seeking views on:
* a new national approach to funding ESOL to help prioritise funding and ensure local areas develop plans which identify the needs of vulnerable people, such as legal residents who might be expected to stay in the country for the foreseeable future, excluded women, particularly those with young children, and refugees who have established their right to remain in the UK;
* suggested new national priorities for ESOL while local areas take responsibility to target funding to best meet the needs of their communities;
* the role of the voluntary and community sector in the provision of ESOL; and
* what incentives should be provided to employers to encourage them to contribute to their employees' ESOL needs.
Darra Singh, Chair of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion, said:
"I am very pleased to endorse the Government's intention to place community cohesion at the heart of ESOL provision. I believe that English language skills are fundamental to integration and cohesion for all communities and help to create strong, positive relationships between people from different backgrounds in the workplace, in schools and other institutions within neighbourhoods. Your views too are very important and I urge you to get involved in the consultation."
Alan Tuckett, Director of National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), said:
"I warmly welcome Government's recognition of the key importance of provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages to community cohesion, and that it continues to consult widely on policy development in a rapidly evolving field. Access to a common language is a pre-condition to effective participation at work and in community life. I welcome, too, the recognition in the paper that some communities continue to have less access to provision, and the wider civic engagement it makes possible, and the clear steer that providers and funders will need to give these groups priority in the use of available resources."
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said:
"Speaking English is the greatest asset you can possess for getting involved in your community, and getting on and doing well for yourself and your family. Research has shown that 60 per cent of people believe not speaking the language is the biggest barrier to integration. Not speaking English also reduces opportunities in the labour market by 20 per cent. That is why we need to put greater emphasis on learning English as well as ensuring a commonsense approach is applied to translation."
Immigration Minister Liam Byrne added:
"It is vital that those we welcome into the UK to work and settle here play by the rules, learn English and use our language. People who want to come to the UK permanently, or as highly skilled workers are required to speak English. Now we want to go further and insist that anyone coming to Britain to work speaks English."
- Ends -
Notes to editors:
1. The consultation 'Focusing English for Speakers of Other Languages on Community Cohesion' can be viewed at http://www.esolconsultation.org.uk. The consultation will run until 4 April 2008 and is a full public consultation. Our national priorities for ESOL include:
* Legal residents who might be expected to stay in the country for the foreseeable future;
* Excluded women, or those at risk of being excluded, particularly those with children under 16;
* Parents or carers within families at risk of multiple or complex problems;
* Those identified as raising particular issues for community cohesion;
* Those having no or low levels of literacy in their own language;
* Those who have not had any secondary education;
* Refugees; and
* Asylum seekers who are still in the country beyond six months awaiting a decision on their status or who cannot return home.
2. Further background on the recent changes to ESOL policy, including information on the new ESOL for Work qualifications, can be found on the following links: http://www.dius.gov.uk/press/16-10-07.html - ESOL for Work press notice http://www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/Planning_and_Funding - ESOL background http://www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/bank.cfm?section=954- ESOL Race Equality Impact Assessment
3. On 5 December the Home Office set out plans to ensure that migrants can integrate into communities through strengthened requirements for English language. For further details, see http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/planstomanagemigration
4. On 7 December the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) published guidance on translation for public bodies in response to The Commission on Integration and Cohesion's report Our Shared Futures. For further information, see http://www.communities.gov.uk.
5. The Commission on Integration and Cohesion recommended a review of elements of ESOL provision. DCLG and DIUS are jointly running two citizens' juries looking specifically at this issue.
6. On 10 December DIUS published 'English Language at work: Work-based English for speakers of other languages', a best practice guide which showcases the achievements of employers, unions and providers who have facilitated English language learning opportunities for their employees. This can be downloaded at http://www.dius.gov.uk.
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