Adult Education 'Vital' for All Migrants Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 23:50

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Adult education has a vital role to play in helping people settle into a new community, whether they have come from another country or another part of the UK. This is the key message from a new report on migration and lifelong learning, published on Wednesday 22 April 2009.

The report - Migration, Communities and Lifelong Learning, commissioned by the Independent Inquiry into the Future of Lifelong Learning sponsored by NIACE - argues that adult education can speed up the process of integration into a new community, helping people to quickly become a significant part of their neighbourhood.

The report goes on to argue that this is true for people moving within the UK, as well as from other countries, and should include rapid access to first level ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teaching for those who need it.

Professor Stephen McNair, a member of the IfLL secretariat and the report's author, said,

"Long waiting lists and complicated regulations teach people that they are not welcome, and help them to learn to survive without becoming members of mainstream society."

"Joining classes can help people to develop new skills, and refresh old ones, so that they can rapidly become contributing members of society. It can also help community cohesion by building social networks in neighbourhoods."

The report proposes four main policy principles for lifelong learning and migration.

  • Welcome newcomers promptly. A "welcome voucher" to pay for an adult education course for all new arrivals would help every individual to quickly make new contacts. We need to make it easier for newcomers who do not speak English to learn the basics quickly. The strategies of different Government Departments need to be coordinated so that people are treated consistently.
  • Prioritise integration. Once language skills have been established, people should be encouraged to learn together, rather than in segregated groups, as far as possible.
  • Encourage contribution. Migrants need to be helped to contribute to society, through paid or unpaid work. Many migrants have high level skills but these can only be used effectively if we have good systems for recognising their existing qualifications and experience. Better access to career development loans could help people to align their skills and qualifications to UK requirements, and the new Adult Advancement and Careers Service will have a key role to play in helping people find the right courses and career routes.
  • Focus on the future. Both the host community and migrants should be encouraged to focus on building a shared and successful future rather than on past differences.

Tom Schuller, Director of the Inquiry, said,

"Well managed migration is good for the UK, and lifelong learning can make the experience of immigration better for both migrants and the host community."

"Education is unique amongst public services in that it brings people together to pursue shared interests, unlike other services which deal with clients in isolation as individuals."

"In combination with other services, such as health, it can help to build confident and resilient communities with strong social networks."

Migration, Communities and Lifelong Learning, by Stephen McNair, is available for download at the Inquiry into the Future for Lifelong Learning website.

 

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