NATECLA statement on use of volunteers in ESOL Provision - August 2015

Volunteers can never replace funded ESOL provision

In the light of yet more government cuts to ESOL funding, The National Association of Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults (NATECLA) is deeply concerned about the proposals made in a comment piece published by the TES this week (Monday 3 August) in which thinktank, Demos, suggests ‘ordinary citizens’ could deliver English language provision instead of qualified teachers. 

>> Read the piece online in the TES: 'How to ease the pressure on a creaking ESOL system'

Although the piece, written by Demos researcher Ian Wybron, acknowledges the crucial role coordinated ESOL provision plays in the successful integration of Britain’s migrants (“There is evidence to suggest that helping these people to overcome language barriers will be an important step to unlocking their often under-utilised skills – for the benefit of the nation’s productivity and economic growth” (Wybron, 2015) ), it puts forward a number of solutions to fill the ever-increasing gaps in ESOL provision left by successive government cuts. These so-called ‘solutions’, involve ‘ordinary citizens with a good standard of English’ delivering ESOL provision in the following forms:

• Option 1 - Incorporating ESOL into the existing ‘employer-supported volunteering agenda’ where volunteers from large corporate organisations would deliver local community ESOL projects
• Option 2 – Tapping-into the good-will of neighbours – using housing associations as a base for native speakers to support non-native speakers in learning English
• Option 3 – Using university students with their ‘flexible schedules’ to deliver provision 

As far as NATECLA is concerned,  volunteers cannot fill the role of qualified, experienced ESOL teachers to deliver ESOL provision that will help migrants to access the workplace and integrate into British society. Of course, migrants need as many opportunities to practise their English as possible. However, volunteer-led provision should provide a supplement to funded, well organised ESOL provision not an alternative. 

Using volunteers is not without cost  - where would the teaching take place? Who would match the learners, support and mentor the volunteers and check their suitability (especially given the vulnerability of some students)? How would necessary resources, training  and travel expenses be paid for? And how can we expect volunteers to be relied upon to deliver an essential service if they are not being paid to do so?

Overall, NATECLA is in favour of the use of volunteers to support teaching and to reach out as befrienders or mentors for migrants in need. Many of our members are volunteers and we support their work wholeheartedly. The government, however, needs to recognise that no solution is without cost and that learners benefit most from structured courses taught by skilled professionals.