Help us to help you : Language school head urges government

James Frankcom:

Noise demo in the queue for the House of Commons in 2007. Pic- indymedia.org.uk

The removal of English language subsidies is having a severe effect on the neediest of students – a leading language institution in East London claims.

The British School of Grammar and Speaking (BSGS) in New Road, Whitechapel, claims many of the neediest students are now being priced out of learning as a result of a contradictory government policy.

The subsidies that many students depended upon to pay their course fees have recently been slashed or wholly removed in the Government’s drive to cut spending.

This short sighted policy appears to directly contradict a speech given by the Prime Minister on April 14^th this year when he told supporters that immigrants who are “unwilling” to speak English “create a kind of discomfort and disjointedness in some neighbourhoods.” It would appear he was blaming the response to this “discomfort”, at least in part, on the alleged “unwillingness” of some new immigrants to learn the language and ‘fit in’.

Whilst the Tory-led Government urges foreigners to learn English – a move seemingly tailored to please its core supporters – they are actually taking learning English out of the reach of many of these immigrants by removing the subsidies they had depended upon.

Without these subsidies many new immigrants, however willing they are to speak the language, are left marooned and quite unable to afford English language tuition.

On the frontline of this new policy is The British School of Grammar and Speaking (BSGS) on New Road, Whitechapel. The BSGS is foremost among the language schools of the East End that bring English to new immigrants. Many of the students At BSGS are Bangladeshis desperate to gain basic proficiency in the English language to enable them to find employment and begin integrating into British society.

Speaking exclusively to the East London News, Habib Mirza, Head of UK ESOL at BSGS told us,

“Areas like Tower Hamlets and Newham have significant number of ethnic minorities [and] we should be looking at ways to help rather than hamper the integration process. Tower Hamlets College as well as others institutions such as our own have had to deal with massive cuts over the past couple of years and this has had a knock on effect severely limiting places available to the most needy students in most colleges.”

“People simply do not have the money to pay for private courses.”

Commenting on the importance of learning English, Mr. Mirza was happy to support the Prime Minister’s words,

“These courses are of enormous help not just with learning English but with understanding other cultures and view-points too. They really help with integration by bringing out the housewives who would otherwise be stuck at home. It even helps combat terrorism as individuals who might otherwise be narrow-minded meet different people and can see them in a new light. I’m convinced learning English helps people to understand each other’s lifestyles.”

Mirza continued, “The Council does nothing to help small institutions such as ours who are playing such an important part in helping the needy. In a time where basic education is lacking and people do not even have a basic comprehension of reading, writing and speaking, the local council should be doing more to help us. Every door we knock at is slammed in our face! We are teachers, and what we do is teach. We educate. Help us with this.”

Nationally, funding for English of Speakers of Other Languages courses (ESOL) have seen a cut of 32% in the last two years. The ramifications of the government cuts in ESOL subsidies mean that only “settled” people on Jobseekers or Employment Support Allowances will now get free classes.

The rest will now have to pay 50% or the full costs.

This group includes those on “non-active benefits” such as income support, those on very low incomes, the spouses of “settled” people, asylum seekers, some migrant workers and refugees. Even where there is no other support individuals must pay at least half the full cost of the course under a system of co-funding to share the costs between government, employers and individuals.

Furthermore, according to the Action for ESOL campaign, changes to eligibility for free ESOL classes will result in around 100,000 people, three-quarters of whom are women, being hit with fees of up to £1,200 – charges they simply cannot afford. In a survey by the Association of Colleges, 75 per cent of colleges said they would have to reduce the amount of ESOL provision they provide if there were no concessions around the changes to who is entitled to free ESOL classes, because of their concern at students’ ability to pay the fees.

The effects of this policy has been condemned by the Refugee Council, Migrant Rights Groups and the main teaching unions because, according to them, language is a basic right which people need for everyday tasks such as shopping or phoning the doctor. Without language skills many new immigrants will remain unemployed, will be less likely to obtain citizenship and may well increase the marginalisation of many migrant communities, particularly in places like East London where the proportion of immigrants is much higher.