From the February issue of The Respect PaperLabour leads attack on ESOL coursesAbjol Miah
One thousand places for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other languages) have been lost at Tower Hamlets College as a result of government cuts voted through by Labour councillors on the board of Tower Hamlets College - including Councillor Abdal Ullah.Over 20 ESOL staff have been laid off and community centres where outreach ESOL courses were being taught adversely affected.
Despite the fact Working Neighbourhoods Funding was secured for ESOL teaching, the Cabinet, of which Councillor Ullah is also a member, refused to channel this funding to the college which had a proven track record of quality ESOL provision.
New Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate, Rushanara Ali boasted she would talk to her friends Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson but still the cuts went ahead.
ESOL has now been under attack from this government, of which Rushanara Ali would like to be such a loyal member in the unlikely event of her election, for three years.
Unlike other adult courses, ESOL courses are means tested so that anyone earning over £17,000 has to pay £1,000 pounds per year to access an ESOL course.
This is, of course, an impossible charge. And yet the government claims it wants to see more community cohesion. Enabling particularly women to learn English is essential to this and yet the government is making it harder for women in particular to access these essential courses.
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