ESOL fest Sunday 19 June

A celebration of our cultures, our English classes (ESOL) and a resounding “no” to ESOL cuts On Sunday 19th June, thousands of teachers and students from across London will join together to defend ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) from the savage cuts proposed by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Marches from Brixton, Stepney and Hackney will converge on Kennington Park in South London and Bethnal Green Gardens in East London for protest and revelry. The Action, organised by London’s Action for ESOL group, will demand that that the Minister for Further Education (John Hayes MP) rethink the planned cuts. The cuts will see full fee remission restricted to students claiming “active benefits”. All students claiming “inactive” benefits, such as income support, disability allowance and housing benefit will have to pay up to £1200 a year for their English classes. Students on low incomes, spouses of low-wage workers or benefit claimants and refugees and asylum seekers will also be obliged to pay. Action for ESOL, a coalition of teachers and students, is saying that people simply can’t pay and effect on our communities and will be devastating. Cutting ESOL will also leave thousands of people unable to take the first steps into employment and will only damage the UK economy in the long-term. Since January 2011, Action for ESOL, has campaigned vociferously against the cuts. We have presented a petition of 20,000 (now up to 30,000 signatures) to David Cameron, we occupied Old Palace Yard for a massive teach-out and staged hundreds of local actions from Leeds to Lewisham. Although some concessions have been won, we will not stop until John Hayes announces his complete support for free ESOL classes. Esperanza, an ESOL learner from City and Islington College says, “ESOL helps us to become independent and not rely on benefits or family. Don´t cut ESOL. “ “The cuts ....are creating the most serious crisis for the future of ESOL that we have ever seen”, National Association for Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults (NATECLA) Details for the South and East london fest -www.actionforesol.org/events Contact: Rebecca.Galbraith@yahoo.co.uk Dermot@englishforaction.com For more about the campaign and previous press coverage, go to www.actionforesol.org