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Secure Borders, Safe Haven: The Adult Education Perspective
A NIACE response to the Home Office White Paper on Asylum and Immigration, Published 19 March 2002
1. The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) works to encourage more and different adults to engage in learning of all kinds. NIACE’s functions include research, development and consultancy; advocacy to inform and influence public policy; information services and dissemination; campaigning for, and celebrating the achievements of, adult learners. Established in 1921, NIACE is an independent non-governmental organisation, a registered charity (No. 1002775) and company limited by guarantee (No. 2603322). Its corporate and individual members come from all sectors concerned with adult learning: colleges; local authorities; universities; voluntary and community organisations; churches; broadcasters and unions. While receiving core grants from the DfES, National Assembly for Wales and through the 1988 Local Government Act, the majority of its income is earned through research, development and consultancy work - including contracts with the UK government, the EU and the national lottery.
2. NIACE welcomes many of the proposals within the White Paper relating to adult learning and qualifications and training as evidence of the Government’s recognition of education as a positive force in developing active citizenship, promoting cultural diversity and combating social exclusion. The proposals we have identified as being of greatest significance to educators and trainers of adults are those to:
 | offer language and ‘light touch’ citizenship education to those settling in this country, leading to an examination covering rights, obligations and democracy for those applying for British citizenship; |
| introduce new systems and develop existing ones to allow highly skilled migrants, post graduates and seasonal workers to access the labour market; |
| prepare a resettlement programme with the UNHCR to establish legal gateways for those most in need of protection; |
| introduce new accommodation centres for asylum seekers; |
| enhance the current ESOL provision for those accepted as refugees by extending the free entitlement to ESOL to other migrant groups. |
3. The response is shaped significantly by research that NIACE carried out in 2001 on the skills and qualifications of asylum seekers. This illustrates one of the important points made in the White Paper, which is that:
“Migrants bring new experiences and talents that can widen and enrich the knowledge base of the economy. Human skills and ambitions have become the building blocks of successful economies and the self-selection of migrants means that they are likely to bring valuable ideas, entrepreneurship, ambition and energy.”
4. NIACE believes, however, that the proposals could be improved by recognising that the potential contribution that asylum seekers and refugees can make to the UK and their own futures, requires new approaches, better systems and sustained comprehensive development.
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
5. Learning English for social and vocational purposes is important to migrants. The problem is not how to encourage asylum seekers and refugees to access ESOL courses; the problem is lack of sufficient and appropriate provision in all areas of the country where it needed. It is not only that the demand for English tuition exceeds the supply in several parts of the country; it is even more difficult to access language teaching for specific vocational purposes. Qualified and experienced asylum seekers and refugees from vocational fields such as the medical professions, teaching, business, engineering, skilled manual work etc are unable to continue in these areas because appropriately focussed ESOL provision is unavailable.
6. Bottlenecks need to be overcome and the Learning and Skills Council should be resourced and charged with developing strategies to meet the needs for quality ESOL provision at all levels, from the basic requirements to professional applications. Issues of quality should be addressed by ensuring that all such ESOL provision is subject to the OFSTED/ALI Common Inspection Framework . The ongoing recruitment, training and staff development needs of ESOL tutors also requires detailed consideration by the DfES and Home Office which should address the challenge of planning provision and resources to meet the changing pattern of dispersal of asylum seekers. In addition, the new Sector Skills Councils should be invited to consider the contribution that they might make to the development of vocational English learning packages that would be suitable for use by migrants.
Recognising overseas qualifications and building upon them for use in the UK
7. A significant proportion of asylum seekers and refugees in the UK hold overseas qualifications which are not recognised. There are examples of those with medical degrees working as porters, and of graduates being required to begin their HE and professional training all over again, while struggling to support themselves and pay fees. This is a waste of talent (often in areas of shortage in the UK) and a long-term cause of frustration. It is time now for a system to be introduced which will allow overseas qualifications to be assessed and validated and for more bridging courses to be established to allow qualified migrants to convert their qualifications for use in the UK.
8. Research into and analysis of the current situation is required by the DfES. An audit of existing bridging courses; their subjects, locations and costs should be undertaken and an investigation into the need for more courses in particular fields and locations. NIACE recommends a review of the current NARIC system with the aim of establishing an identifiable point where asylum seekers and refugees can apply to have their overseas qualifications assessed and recognised.
9. The White Paper makes no mention of this issue.
Making best use of qualified migrants and those who wish to work in areas of skills and labour shortages.
10. The White Paper develops proposals to meet labour market needs and contribute towards economic development. These include the highly skilled migrants programme and other measures to enable foreign workers to enter the country. However there are no proposals to consider if the skills of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK might also contribute to the needs identified, where there are skill and labour shortages.
11. NIACE recommends that local Learning and Skills Councils should be encouraged to secure the provision of annual (voluntary) skills and qualifications audits of asylum seekers and refugees who are unemployed or underemployed. Our own research indicates that many asylum seekers have intermediate-level skills which are in short supply, while others are able and committed to work in lower skills areas where there are labour shortages. With appropriate support (including training for using skills in the UK), and active labour market measures (including skills audit) many more asylum seekers and refugees would then have the opportunity to use their skills and energies for the benefit of the UK economy.
Learning while waiting for a decision.
12. The new accommodation centres proposed by the White Paper, would house around 750 asylum seekers and may provide educational facilities for learning English and IT. NIACE believes, however, that there is a powerful case for a wider curriculum which enables a flexible approach to the diverse educational needs and interests of centre residents of all ages. In particular, we would stress the potential significance of intergenerational and family learning in this context, not least in introducing potential adult settlers to the teaching and learning which their children might experience within the UK. Ensuring that children’s parents are informed about opportunities in this way would assist integration and encourage learning to be highly valued.
13. We recommend that educational provision for adult asylum seekers in accommodation centres be managed by local providers (most notably colleges or local authority adult education services) on an outreach basis, using qualified teachers and enabling learners to participate in existing courses where appropriate. Since asylum seekers stay in such centres will be temporary, we suggest that particular priority should be given to the establishment of flexible provision using high quality learning packages developed through UfI/learndirect where possible.
14. We are aware of the fact that asylum seekers, wherever they are located or dispersed, find the waiting period, which often stretches well beyond the two months advocated, dispiriting and depressing. These factors make subsequent integration into the wider society more difficult for those who gain permission to remain. Learning opportunities provided during the waiting period, if they are stimulating, of good quality and relevant could make a significant contribution to making this waiting period useful and socially beneficial. Good practice used in other adult education settings should be adopted if accommodation centres are to provide learning opportunities. NIACE would welcome the opportunity to contribute towards discussions about this.
15. Education and Training providers recognise that asylum seekers often slip through the net of provision of learning support, because of different funding systems and regulations. We recommend a review of these problems to enable a fairer and more transparent system to be developed.
Research Requirements
16. The White Paper indicates the need for further research on issues relating to migration. NIACE supports this proposal and would wish to make a contribution to new research into the education and training needs of asylum seekers and refugees and the role that education and training might play to enhance integration in local areas. We have already undertaken a pilot research project and are currently engaged in tracking some of our original subjects to learn about the opportunities and barriers to integration which they have experienced. We would welcome the opportunity to develop further research of this kind, which we believe is important for the planning and implementation of policy.
Conclusion
17. The White Paper emphasises the importance of education for citizenship and the development of the ESOL curriculum and learning materials to enable migrants who wish to become British citizens to understand their rights and obligations and the principles of British democracy. Systems that exist in Sweden and Canada provide models which place positive value upon adopting a new citizenship while recognising that this need not mean abandonment of cultural diversity. At the same time NIACE would wish to emphasise the responsibilities of the host community to respect the rights and appreciate the diversity of migrants to the UK. There is currently a stigma attached to the terms ‘asylum seeker’ and ‘refugee’, which can lead to expressions of fear and hostility from some sections of the host community. There is a need to present more accurate and positive information about migrants and the contribution they make to our society. The introduction of citizenship education within the school curriculum may provide some incentive and ideas for addressing citizenship issues more broadly, to include not just migrants but also the wider society.
18. For further information about any aspect of this response, please contact, in the first instances: Alan Tuckett (Director), Sue Waddington (Development Officer) or the Policy, Analysis and Development team at NIACE on 0116 204 4200.
National Institute of Adult Continuing Education
21 De Montfort Street
Leicester
LE1 7GE
www.niace.org.uk
