English as a Second Language - courses in danger

12.00.00am GMT Sat 17th Nov 2007

Oval Lib Dem Councillor Robert Banks, in a motion at Lambeth Council on 7th November, expressed deep concern "about the adverse social consequences of the ever-decreasing investment by local colleges in adult education because of Government budget cuts". Lambeth Council is not directly responsible for the provision of most adult education in Lambeth, but its responsibility for promoting greater social cohesion is being seriously undermined by the cuts, especially those in the preparatory course in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) and Basic Skills.

These cuts - evident at Lambeth College in Brixton, Morley in North Lambeth and other nearby colleges - are preventing access to essential first steps towards fluent English and employability by some of the borough's most vulnerable residents, including recent arrivals from other countries, refugees and asylum seekers. Other losers from the cuts are older and retired people, many of whose 'recreational' courses are being withdrawn because they are 'unaccredited' and unlinked to employment.

The Lib Dems proposed that the three party group leaders write to the borough's MPs seeking their support in opposing the cuts and that the Council Chief Executive contact his opposite number on other London Boroughs with a view to making a joint lobbying approach to Government. We also want the Lambeth Scrutiny Committee to review the recent actions of Lambeth and Morley Colleges in response to the Government's budget cuts to determine the extent of the adverse impact on people around the borough.

(Although Labour councillors gave grudging support to us, one of their most 'New Labour' councillors came up with some classic spin in his amendments to Cllr Banks' motion, including replacing the words 'budget cuts' with 'Government re prioritisation of worklessness with a view to improving employability, through increased capacity building', and changing 'seriously undermined by the cuts' to 'potentially affected by re prioritisation reprioritisation'.)

We believe this is something everyone in Lambeth should take seriously and urge the Government to restore funding for these essential courses.

Nationally the Liberal Democrats have attacked the Government for a complete lack of joined-up thinking. Vauxhall Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson, Caroline Pidgeon comments:

"The Government is cutting something which has allowed thousands of people to learn English. The Government's own Social Cohesion Report last week said that learning English was vital for integration and harmonious communities. The Government spends over £200m per year on translation services (this includes NHS and the courts). Cutting English language teaching is a false economy if ever there was one."