of the challenges identified by Estyn remain. These include the need to: review the funding arrangements for ESOL so that providers are better able to plan for, and respond to, increases in demand; review the guidance on residency requirements so that providers are clear about how to apply these when enrolling learners; and consider ways to improve training opportunities for ESOL teachers and strengthen arrangements whereby providers can share good practice and support each other, regionally and nationally. The latter point in particular merits further consideration.
In 2006 the Basic Skills Agency established the National Support Project in Wales as a way of delivering the Welsh Government’s strategy for basic skills, Words Talk, Numbers Count. ESOL was clearly identified as a priority area within the strategy, with commitment to enhanced support for ESOL learners and practitioners to ensure ‘that no-one is prevented from playing a full part in society by lack of basic English or Welsh language skills’. The ESOL National Support Project (NSP) was given that task of providing additional support to practitioners and the broad range of organisations involved in the delivery of ESOL and supporting ESOL learners across Wales. Widely regarded as hugely successful, the NSP came to an end in April 2008, despite the clear ongoing need for support for practitioners, and co-ordination across a constantly evolving and wide-ranging network of providers of ESOL. In January 2009, following the merger of the Basic Skills
Agency with the Welsh Government, Basic Skills Cymru (the part of Welsh Government that took over responsibility for literacy, numeracy and language, including ESOL) established the ESOL Development Advisory Group. Membership included a range of providers involved in the delivery of ESOL, as well as other stakeholders including NIACE, Estyn and Colleges Wales. In part set up to continue the work of the successful NSP, the remit of the group was to ‘Establish a strategic approach to the ongoing development of ESOL provision, in order to improve standards, and better meet the needs of ESOL learners and teachers’. Facilitated by officials from the Department for Education and Skills, the Advisory Group published an action plan, which made recommendations for the future delivery of ESOL. The action plan called on the Welsh Government to:
- Establish an ESOL strategy and plan for Wales; q Review and reshape ESOL provision to improve the relevance to learners’ English language acquisition needs and meet demand;
- Support ESOL learners’ needs to enable learners to access and benefit from learning and employment opportunities; and
- Urgently address the shortages of qualified ESOL tutors.
However, since its publication the change brought about following reorganisations with the Department for Education and Skills saw responsibility for ESOL in Wales transfer to the Support for Learners Division, alongside English as an Additional Language (and away from adult literacy, numeracy and language). The segregation of policy lead between, on the one hand, ESOL, and, on the other, adult literacy and numeracy, caused confusion for practitioners who deliver all these areas of curricula within the Essential Skills (in Wales) Framework. Despite these significant changes, and tumultuous times for practitioners, the need for opportunities for learners to access ESOL remain as important as ever. The report by GHK Consulting, commissioned (but seemingly not acted upon) by the Welsh Government in 2010, highlighted evidence to suggest that across Wales only 44 per cent of ESOL needs are being met. That report also highlighted concerns that still need to be addressed by the Welsh Government:
- There remain disparities between individual authorities and between North and South Wales;
- The dynamic nature of in-migration illustrates the need to continue monitoring the changes in supply and demand for ESOL on an annual basis;
- The lack of suitably qualified and experienced staff is a barrier to the delivery of ESOL;
- There is little investment in professional development despite the introduction of new qualifications; and
- Opportunities for the sharing of good practice should continue to be supported.
The fact that these concerns continue to be highlighted in a range of reports, and by a dedicated, but frustrated, group of practitioners, should ring alarm bells for Welsh Government. If it is accepted that ‘Effective ESOL is critical to empowering adults to gain independence and control over their lives, to increasing social inclusion and cohesion, and to the country’s skills agenda’ then there must be urgent consideration given to the challenges that have been highlighted. The GHK report estimated that there are 40,000 people who do not have English or Welsh as a first language, and 26,000 of these have ESOL needs at Level 1 or below. In 2006 More than a language concluded that ‘having a successful system of ESOL is of fundamental importance to this country’ and that there were significant issues to be addressed to meet that challenge. That remains as true today in Wales, as do the final words of that report: ‘This is not a challenge that, as a nation, we can afford to shirk’. Current work to remodel the Essential Skills in the Workplace progamme, and ongoing developments around Essential Skills Wales more broadly, should offer an opportunity for Welsh Government to look again at how best to meet the needs of ESOL learners. Responsibility for ESOL has recently transferred to the further education policy division within the Department for Education and Skills (now responsible for all post-16 policy). This should be welcomed by those in the field who have raised concerns about ESOL in Wales, and we should take the opportunity to ensure that the voice of ESOL learners, and providers, is heard loud and clear in Wales.
Cerys Furlong is Programme Director, NIACE Dysgu Cymru
SPRING 2012 ADULTS LEARNING 35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48