NATECLA calls out Greater Lincolnshire plan to defund ESOL

Proposals by the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA) to defund all of its adult ESOL provision would be disastrous for ESOL learners and providers in the county, as well as deeply damaging to community cohesion and the local economy, says NATECLA.

NATECLA's Co-Chairs have written directly to Greater Lincolnshire Mayor Andrea Jenkyns, outlining their concerns about her plans to scrap funded ESOL and reintroduce a three-year residency requirement for accessing adult education once GLCCA gains control of the Adult Skills Fund this summer. NATECLA is especially critical of the Mayor's attempts to play the interests of ESOL learners off against those "locals" needing support with literacy, emphasising that both need to be supported by her Authority if she is serious about growing the local economy and improving community cohesion.

NATECLA is also deeply concerned about the Mayor's suggestions that ESOL learning could be subsumed into literacy classes, or completed using apps like Duolingo, emphasising the need for qualified and experienced professionals who can tailor their approaches for contextual relevance and to reflect learners' specific needs.