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NIACE Committee of Inquiry into ESOL
Interim Report Launch Event
This event is now FULL
If you are interested in attending the launch of the final ESOL report on 3
October 2006, please
e-mail your contact details (including name, full address and telephone number)
to
conferences@niace.org.uk.
| Date: | Thursday 18 May 2006 |
| Venue: | Skills for Business (Formerly Square Mile Training), Sheffield |
| Ref: | C13-32/05/06 |
| Fee*: | £40 (includes lunch, tea/coffee) |
[Background] [Audience] [Programme]
Background
This event will launch the interim report of the NIACE Committee of Inquiry into English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL). This independent committee is supported by NIACE and chaired by Derek Grover CB.
ESOL is one of the biggest challenges faced by the learning and skills sector in England. The pattern of demand has changed significantly over the last few years. Increasingly the labour market is using migrant workers and there are significant and increasing demands for learning English from workers travelling to England from Eastern European countries. This changing pattern of demand raises important questions about the financing of ESOL provision; should some individuals or their employers be asked to pay towards the costs of their tuition, when currently ESOL is free to all? ESOL is also critical to current government policies on citizenship. What are the implications of this for provision and pedagogy?
There is a shortage of teachers and many current teachers are unqualified. Most provision is part-time and most tutors part-time, and there are limited career opportunities for ESOL tutors. There are long waiting lists of students, particularly in London. The quality of ESOL is regarded by Ofsted and ALI as poor in many places, and there are fierce debates among practitioners about the most effective infrastructure for ESOL.
The committee was established to consider these major challenges with the following remit:
 | To review existing evidence on the provision for people with ESOL needs in England, with particular emphasis on quality and quantity of provision, staffing, pedagogy and purposes. |
| To review definitions of ESOL, evidence of need, its extent and the changing nature of demand for ESOL. |
| To identify what could be done to improve ESOL provision, including quality of management and leadership, quality of teaching, learning and achievement; assessment; recruitment of staff; qualifications of specialist and vocational staff; funding and resourcing. |
| To examine ESOL in its wider context, including its relationship to citizenship, migration, settlement, employment and social justice and equality issues, and the implications of these relationships for provision, funding and pedagogy. |
| To make realistic recommendations to policy makers, funders, inspectorates, providers and practitioners. |
The committee has focused on 5 areas: definition, purpose and need for ESOL; leadership and management; quality of teaching, learning and support; teacher training; and funding. Evidence has been gathered from a wide range of sources that includes learners, practitioners, managers, inspectorates, policymakers, funders and research bodies. An interim report will be produced for consultation to ensure that the final report to be published in October addresses all the pertinent issues and makes relevant and achievable recommendations.
This event will provide:
| Insights into contemporary challenges and debates in ESOL |
| A summary of the interim findings and recommendations |
| An opportunity to debate and respond to the issues and recommendations in the interim report |
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Audience
This conference will be relevant to:
| ALI and Ofsted inspectors; |
| Awarding bodies; |
| asylum seekers and migrant workers; |
| IAG partnerships and services; |
| Jobcentre Plus; |
| learndirect; |
| Prison and National Probation Service education managers and tutors; |
| Regional planning agencies; |
| Sector Skills Councils; |
| staff from Local Learning and Skills Councils; |
| Teacher Training agencies and providers; |
| Trade Union Congress; |
| UFI and Voluntary organisations working with refugees. |
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Programme
| 10:30 | Arrival and Registration (Tea/Coffee available) |
| 11:00 | Welcome and Introduction from
the Chair of the Day Derek Grover CB, Committee chair |
| 11:10 | Main findings and conclusions Dr. Jane Ward, Regional Development officer - North West, NIACE Dr. Peter Lavender, Director for Research, Development and Information, NIACE |
| 11:30 | Questions and Discussion |
| 11:55 | Searching for excellence in
meeting the needs of adult learners with language needs Wally Brown CBE, Principal, Liverpool Community College |
| 12:15 | Questions and Discussion |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Introduction to Workshops |
| 13:35 | Workshops: session one Please indicate your choices on the application form 1) What do we mean by ESOL? ESOL and work 2) Funding 3) Teacher Training 4) Quality |
| 14:40 | Workshops: session two (repeated) |
| 15:45 | What next? The consultation and beyond |
| 16:00 | Close of Conference (Tea/Coffee available) |
This programme is correct at the time of going to press. The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the published programme in the event of one or more of the advertised speakers being unable to attend. Delegates will have no claim against NIACE in respect of such changes.
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