UCU members at Tyne Metropolitan College take the campaign to Stephen Byers

The campiagn to SAVE ESOL has taken many forms in the region. Here, UCU members at Tyne Metropolitan College tell us what they have been doing to influence government policy.

"In the ESOL department here at Tyne Met we encouraged students to write to their local MPs to tell them how the funding cuts will affect them. As a consequence, Stephen Byers offered to come and talk to them and staff (the college is in his constituency). He came and listened to students, assured them he agreed with their views, and said he would raise their concerns with the Secretary of State. He also urged more students to write to him, so their letters could be used in evidence. His personal feeling was that the government should backtrack on this issue, given the contradictions with their integration policy.

On the day Mr Byers was here, the union branch and ESOL staff organised a stall to publicize the ESOL situation within the college (seven out of ten lecturers in the department are due to be redeployed – they don’t know where yet). Staff and students who are not directly involved knew very little about the situation, but we raised a lot of interest – and awareness: we collected hundreds of signatures for the UCU petition and gave out leaflets about the demonstration in Newcastle."


Guy Bainbridge
Andrew Potts



UCU

Tyne Metropolitan College

Don't Lose ESOL! Middlesbrough Campaign update

Jon Bryan (UCU's National Executive)

shows the union's support for ESOL staff and students

David Branson, UCU Branch Chair at Middlesbrough College,

speaks out against government cuts

The protest in Middlesbrough gains support on the streets

DON'T LOSE ESOL!

This was the message on Saturday 3rd March as the campaign took to the streets with a lively march and a rally in Middlesbrough City Centre. The march was part of a week of action with events organised throughout the region to protest at government plans to cut funding for ESOL courses.

Tees Valley World Drummers kept the spirits of marchers high as speakers condemned the government hypocrisy and praised the staff and students for the ESOL classes that have meant so much to so many people.

UCU members from Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Deerbolt Prison Education, and New College Durham all showed their support for the Don't Lose ESOL campaign which continues to gain support amongst MPs, Refugee Groups, and the general public. Speakers from UCU praised the work of staff and students in ESOL classes across Teesside.

Pete Widlinski, North of England Refugee Service told the rally of how ESOL classes have helped many migrants and people seeking asylum integrate into the local community.

Those at the march and rally also went to Lobby Parliament earlier in the week, which drew the attention of the press to our campaign:

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/news/tm_headline=students-fighting-to-save-english-courses&method=full&objectid=18701517&siteid=109975-name_page.html

Helen Weir, Middlesbrough Adult Education Service and Tees Valley Campaign to Save ESOL, has kept the campaign against the cuts in the public eye and spoke out criticising government plans earlier this year:

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/heraldandpost/eastcleveland/tm_method=full&objectid=18528055&siteid=109975-name_page.html

Sign the Online Petition to SAVE ESOL:

http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2014

UCU members take to the streets of Newcastle to protest about ESOL cuts

ESOL Lecturer and UCU member Sue Stewart speaking at the Newcastle Rally

Ruth Crowther from Newcastle College Students' Union shows her support

Staff, students and the public stand up for ESOL courses

Staff, students and supporters made their feelings known to the government on the streets of Newcastle on Saturday 3rd March. The march and rally had been organised with the support of TCAR (Tyneside Community Action for Refugees) - a network of groups and individuals who have united to raise awareness of the situation of people seeking asylum.

Over 200 people were there and speakers included staff, students and representatives of UCU, Barney McGill of the Northern TUC, and speakers from TCAR.

The event attracted both the attention of the Newcastle public and the media:

http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/sundaysun/news/sundaysun/tm_method=full&objectid=18704957&siteid=50081-name_page.html

The march and rally sought to draw public attention to propsed changes in ESOL (English for Speakers of other Languages) provision which the government are seeking to restrict from September 2007.

UCU believes that the existing entitlements should remain unchanged. Take-up of ESOL has risen in recent years and in many cases demand exceeds supply. The changes to ESOL funding mean that for many people with ESOL needs, the cost of paying for courses will shift from the to individuals, unless employers make a contribution. The government thinks employers and migrant worker agencies should pay but there is no mechanism in place to ensure they do.

The campiagn to SAVE ESOL continues and more details can be found at:

www.ucu.org.uk

Want to get involved locally?

jharris@ucu.org.uk

UCU members across the region campaign to SAVE ESOL

UCU members who teach in ESOL departments in Colleges and many of their students went to the Save ESOL lobby of parliament. From the Northern Region Newcastle, Gateshead, Tynemetropolitan, South Tyneside and Middlesbrough Colleges were all well represented.

Over 1,000 staff and students queued in the rain to get into the lobby. Lobby meetings were held both in parliament and in an overflow hall. In the lobby meetings around 40 speakers voiced their support for the 'Save ESOL' campaign. MPs from Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties spoke in support and a Green Party MEP sent a message of support. Speakers from many national organisations added their backing and students, tutors, college principals, refugees and union members echoed the demand for the government to review its policy.

Our delegation from the region managed to secure a meeting with the Northern Group of Labour MPs, which proved quite fruitful. Concern was raised that some colleges were already retraining and redeploying staff in advance of final decisions about funding and MPs asked us to provide more information from the region. MPs listened to members concerns and issues and expressed some support for our calls for a re-think.

Local protests on 28th February and our national lobby got some good publicity:

http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/chroniclelive/eveningchronicle/chroniclearchive/tm_method=full%26objectid=18687229%26siteid=50081-name_page.html

http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/chroniclelive/eveningchronicle/chroniclearchive/tm_method=full%26objectid=18687209%26siteid=50081-name_page.html

http://www.fenews.co.uk/newsview.asp?n=2276