NATECLA’s Response to the Immigration White Paper

Commenting on the UK Government’s Immigration White Paper and ‘Island of Strangers’ rhetoric that accompanied its launch, NATECLA Co-Chair Paul Sceeny said:

“Whilst the White Paper is unambiguous about wanting to reduce net immigration and tighten English language conditionality, it includes only one vague statement about ‘[making] it easier for those already in the UK ... to access classes for English language lessons’.

“ESOL has borne the brunt of the devastating cuts to adult education throughout the UK over the last decade and a half, and the Adult Skills Fund in England is about to be slashed by a further 6%. Much of the ESOL teacher education infrastructure that was developed on the back of the Skills for Life strategy during the 2000s has also been dismantled, resulting in an unprecedented mismatch between demand for ESOL and the availability of high-quality provision with enough qualified ESOL teachers and a well-supported workforce.

“If it is ‘common sense’, as the Prime Minister says, for people to learn English, then the Government really needs to step up to the plate with a clear plan to engage with the sector, expand provision and deal with the rigid eligibility rules that often lock out those who’d benefit most from opportunities to improve their English. NATECLA has been calling for an England-wide ESOL strategy/framework for almost a decade, and this mismatch between rhetoric and rules versus reality on the ground just underlines the need for a much more coherent and joined-up approach.

“But more than that, we need a reframing of how language acquisition is regarded by policymakers. Learning English is increasingly portrayed as a prerequisite for economic participation and employability, and as a largely personal rather than shared responsibility. Language tests tend to be seen as a device for gatekeeping, surveillance and enforcing conformity, rather than for encouraging, enabling and empowering people.

“Little attention is being given to structural barriers that affect language acquisition, such as socio-economic disadvantage, trauma, childcare responsibilities, or even the availability of free and flexible ESOL provision. The pace at which people learn and make progress in learning a language varies considerably, and there seems to be a worrying lack of understanding by policymakers of the time and effort typically involved in attaining CEFR B2 in a second/additional language.

“We’d urge the Government to dial down the exclusionary rhetoric around English language proficiency and instead engage with the sector to discuss how we can genuinely improve language acquisition and community cohesion.”

ENDS