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Our Brexit letter to MPs

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28 September 2018
Our Brexit letter to MPs

Update 31/10/18 - we have now received a reply from Rt Hon Anne Milton MP. The reply from Rt Hon Anne Milton states "I commend your commitment and clear passion for English and ESOL teaching provision in the further education sector and note your concerns about provision following the EU Exit negotiations.  As I hope you will appreciate, we are still working through many of the issues you raise and therefore at this stage, I am unable to fully address your concerns."


We wrote to ask for clarification on how any prospective trade deal with the EU or potential no-deal will affect ESOL and in particular its EU learners. 


As the national association that represents teachers of English, ESOL and community languages and volunteers in language, and with the rights of our language and basic skills students in mind, we are in particular seeking clarification on the following:

A) In the event of a ‘No-deal’ scenario, we would like clarification on:
  • Funding eligibility of EU citizens currently enrolled on ESOL courses in the UK,  and those already in the UK who join a course after Brexit; 
  • Funding eligibility of prospective EU citizens who come to live and/or work in the UK after a no-deal and need to study ESOL;
  • Any distinctions that might be made between those EU citizens who are living but not working in the UK and those who are working;
  • Any arrangements that will be made to enable businesses and other organisations that rely on EU workers to continue to recruit them and how these employees will continue to be fundable for the ESOL teaching that they need;

B) In the event of a trade deal with the EU:
  • Clarification on all of the above points, plus
  • How any transition or implementation period would affect ESOL provision and funding;
  • How money from the European Social Fund that currently funds English /ESOL provision is going to be replaced.
We are seeking this clarification because our members, students and sector need urgent information to allow essential English/ESOL teaching provision to be maintained after Brexit.

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