Adult Learning Pays: NATELCA supporting the AoC campaign
NATECLA is delighted to support the AoC Adult Learning Pays campaign to highlight the need for an adult education system that is both valued and properly funded by policy members and the wider public.
As the AoC says in its campaign material:
“Adult education is a powerful tool for personal growth, economic resilience, and social cohesion. Across the country, adults are gaining the skills to progress in their careers, build confidence, and connect with others. The impact reaches far beyond the classroom – employers’ benefit from a more adaptable workforce, communities grow stronger, and society becomes more inclusive.”
In respect to the UK ESOL sector more specifically, NATECLA’s Co-Chairs Naeema Hann and Paul Sceeny said:
“At a time when demand for English language learning has never been greater, ESOL provision has borne the brunt of cuts to adult education in England over the last decade and a half; ESOL enrolments fell by more than a third during the 2010s and real-terms funding by more than half.
“ESOL courses don't just help people into jobs (though they do that too!): they empower individuals, strengthen communities, promote cohesion, improve health outcomes, enhance prosperity, counter misinformation...
“That's why NATECLA is delighted to support the Adult Learning Pays campaign. When adults learn, the whole of society benefits.”