English Language: Education

(asked on 13th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Office, what support her Department is providing to local authorities to deliver English for Speakers of Other Languages (EWOL) courses in local authority areas with high levels of resettled individuals and families seeking asylum relative to other local authority areas.


Answered by
Chris Philp Portrait
Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 18th May 2020
  • The Department for Education funds English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) through the Adult Education Budget (AEB).

  • Individuals aged 19 and over, including refugees, those granted humanitarian protection and asylum seekers, can be fully funded or co-funded depending on their age, prior educational attainment, employment status, and provided they meet the residency criteria set out in the AEB Funding and Performance Management Rules.

  • Approximately half the AEB is devolved to six Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, and they are responsible for commissioning and funding provision, including ESOL provision, for learners resident in their areas.

  • As well as access to mainstream services, additional funding is provided to Local Authorities (of £850 per adult refugee) for refugees resettled through the UK’s resettlement scheme. This is intended to boost local capacity so that refugees on the scheme can receive additional hours of ESOL tuition.

  • We are also investing around £600,000 this year (2020/21) so that refugees on the UK Resettlement Scheme can benefit from additional childcare provision to support access to ESOL classes; and £360,000 to improve regional coordination of ESOL for refugees.

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