Refugee Council expresses grave concerns over ESOL

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) recently published its equality impact assessment on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), but regrettably made no specific mention of provision for refugees and asylum seekers.

Donna Covey, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council said:

“We are very concerned that many refugees will no longer be able to learn and gain qualifications in English language following cuts to ESOL provision. Refugees with childcare responsibilities, a disability that means they can't work, or who are in low paid jobs will be faced with paying 50% of ESOL course fees from 1 August 2011, and a majority will therefore miss out. This is a dangerous situation that will lead refugees to become more excluded, unable to use other skills they may have and relying increasingly on their children or community members to interpret for them. Expecting asylum seekers to cover half their course fees whilst denying them the right to work is completely unacceptable."

Making reference to the Big Society, Donna Covey noted that the government cannot rely on the 'already decimated voluntary sector to pick up the pieces' in terms of ESOL support for some of the most excluded people in society.