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CALL Bulletin 17 Available

CALL Bulletin 17 is available here: CALL Bulletin 17.

Please distribute as widely as possible.

Action for ESOL survey

Action for ESOL have compiled a short survey, with the aims of widening the campaign, and building up a picture of what different organisations are planning to do regarding ESOL provision in September.

The survey link is here

Please support us by answering the 7 questions for your college or organisation and clicking on submit.

We have already sent this to our ESOL contacts at inner London colleges, but would like to collect information from other colleges, community centres and ESOL providers around the country.

The answers you give will help us to build strategies for continuing to oppose the new ESOL funding policy.

They will also provide valuable backup information for reps to take into talks with management about the impact of the cuts on their college or organisation’s ESOL provision.

The results will be published on the Action for ESOL website as soon as they are available.

Many thanks for your support.

BBC Highlights Action for ESOL Campaign

The BBC recently highlighted the Action for ESOL’s Day of Action on 24 March. The segment shows London protestors, who were part of a larger national Day of Action.

Event: Action for ESOL Midlands Planning Meeting

Venue: Room 0.36,  South Birmingham College, Digbeth Campus, High Street Deritend, Digbeth, Birmingham, B5 5SU (map)

Date: Tuesday, 15 March, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm

Price: Free

Help Action for ESOL show the importance of English classes in the face of funding cuts. These cuts mean 76% of ESOL learners face new or much higher fees.  What will happen to these learners if they cannot pay and cannot speak English in the community or work? Join us to help save ESOL provision.

Before you join us on Tuesday, make sure you sign the petition in support of ESOL provision at  http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/defend-esol.html.

Download the flyer here for details and check out the Action for ESOL website at http://actionforesol.org/

 

 

 

 

 

Event: Action for ESOL’s Day of Action

Venue: Your local community, college, or workplace

Date: Thurday, 24 March 2011, all day

Price: Free

The Action for ESOL campaign is calling for a national day of action against the cuts to the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision. During the same week as the budget and the TUC demonstration,  ESOL teachers, students and supporters will organise in their local areas to show support for ESOL.  Actions can be large, such as a demonstration outside your workplace, or small such as having leaflets with ESOL info on them. The most important thing is to do something and let everyone in your community, college or workplace know. Let us know through the comments, or you can follow Action for ESOL on twitter (@actionforesol) or on Facebook.

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CALL Bulletin 16 Available

CALL Bulletin 16 is available here: CALL Bulletin 16.

Please distribute as widely as possible.

Event: ESOL Funding Summit

Venue: London, TBC

Date: Wednesday, 12 January 2011, 10:30am to 3:30pm

Price: £95 + VAT

Lsect, a new company specialising in post-16 funding, performance and data within the learning and skills sector, are organising an event around the announced funding cuts in English for Speaks of Other Languages (ESOL) provision.  In addition to there being less funding allocated for Adult Skills Provision overall in 2011/2012, it appears that ESOL has been singled out for particuarly severe rate and elibility cuts. Full details of these changes can be found here.

This event is a ‘must attend’ for everyone wanting to better understand the implications to their ESOL provision, as well as calling for a rethink.

The full agenda is being finalised however confirmed speakers are:

           *Nick Linford, author of the Hands on-guide to post-16 funding

           *Shane Chowen, Vice President (Further Education) , NUS

           *Alan Tuckett, Chief Executive, NIACE

To register and for more details click here.

Write to your MP to maintain ESOL provision

LetterPlease write to your MP  to express concern about the Government’s  proposal to limit entitlement to publicly-funded ESOL provision to members of ‘settled communities’, as announced in the recent Comprehensive Spending Review.

There is currently no details regarding who qualifies as a member of ‘settled communities,’ which leads to concerns about the exclusion of people such as asylum seekers, migrant workers, or refugees. A reduction in entitlement could result in a large number of currently eligible people being denied access to classes.

It is widely acknowledged that ESOL classes make a pivotal contribution to the goals of community cohesion and integration.  We fear that  marginalising ESOL provision will further disadvantage already vulnerable groups in our society.

Download the full letter to send to your MP here: ESOL Lobby Letter

EVENT: NUS/UCU National Demonstration ‘Fund Our Future: Stop Education Cuts’

Demo 2010 – Fund Our Future

Venue: Horse Guards Avenue, Westminster.

Date: Wednesday 10 November 2010 from 11:30 am

Price: Free

Join NUS/UCU to fight against education cuts

The National Union of Students (NUS) and the University and College Union(UCU) are jointly organising a national demonstration titled ‘Fund Our Future: Stop Education Cuts’.

The Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) and the Browne Review paint a bleak picture for those wanting to go to continue in education, re-skill, or go to university. These cuts will hit close to home for adult education; the combined effect of the CSR and Browne review could lead to:

     *A greater contribution from learners and employers to the cost of further education

     *The removal of entitlement for a free first full level 2 qualification (GCSE equivalent) for those over 25

     *Learners over the age of 24 will be asked to pay fees for level 3 qualifications (A Level equivalent)

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Ask your MP to sign EDM 866: Funding for Adult Learning

Please write to your MP to ask her or him to sign Early Day Motion (EDM) 866. Read the Early Day Motion below.

Funding for Adult Learning

Dobson, Frank

That this House expresses its concern over prospects of severe and disproportionate reductions in funding for adult lifelong learning; notes the public statements in support of the value of adult lifelong learning to individuals, society and the economy made by the Prime Minister and all Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills; considers that adult education provides a second chance for many who did not Read the rest of this entry »