Charges for ESOL to come in 2007?

[Neil & Mook]

Mook came home from school with a letter saying that they are going to be charging £3 per hour for ESOL from Sept this year. The form wants to know if you claim benefits of any kind as it will be free to people on benefits. However it looks like we are going to be hit with a bill of £108 per month during term time, on top of the creche and taxi rides, this is all quite annoying and double standards when the government goes on about getting people to learn english. It's not a lot to us but i imagine it will be for some people. I am very angry if this is true, just in principle alone.
regards
Neil

[Neil & Mook]

Mook came home from school with a letter saying that they are going to be charging £3 per hour for ESOL from Sept this year. The form wants to know if you claim benefits of any kind as it will be free to people on benefits. However it looks like we are going to be hit with a bill of £108 per month during term time, on top of the creche and taxi rides, this is all quite annoying and double standards when the government goes on about getting people to learn english. It's not a lot to us but i imagine it will be for some people. I am very angry if this is true, just in principle alone.
regards
Neil

[Marcus]

Quite. Once again it won't be the well-off who are hit, or the very poor, but those struggling to get by on low wages.

[alvin]

I agree with Marcus 100%.

And what makes it worse in my area that I have heard that a majority of those on freebies now (I presume those from within E.U) have the poorest attendance record and many are still clogging up the waiting lists. I have been told that my wife must wait between 3-6 months just for an interview.

Even though I will find it difficult to make ends meet and don't see why I should have to subsidise others with an extra £108 per month to pay for now "compulsory" classes, I would feel happier if a better system was in place.

My suggestion would be for everyone to pay the same, and that those that are "genuinely" poor can claim back the fees paid on evidence of their attendance record.

Any other suggestions, before my letter to local council?

regards
alvin

[Skippy]

Money should come from the original EU countries budget to pay for these classes for their Citzens.

As a club of members with equal rights etc etc... as I have heard quoted so many times on this site - why should our share of "the pie" be used to fund others to learn another language

- Skippy

[ash]

"As a club of members with equal rights etc etc... as I have heard quoted so many times on this site - why should our share of "the pie" be used to fund others to learn another language"

Maybe because the other member states fund courses for immigrants to learn the language in there countries.

ash

[Marcus]

Originally posted by ash:
Maybe because the other member states fund courses for immigrants to learn the language in their countries.

Sometimes Ash you say the funniest things!

I have friends living and working in Estern European states, there is no way those governments would ever dream of giving them free Polish lessons!

[ash]

have friends living and working in Estern European states, there is no way those governments would ever dream of giving them free Polish lessons!

I was referring to France

[Skippy]

Yeah - Marcus, you may recall my expirience of our Portugese housemate ( and her many of her friends) who were getting Rent Assistance from the council - so they could work as cleaners, and in catering ( the same as Mrs Skippy - at the time) and study English over here.

I enquired about If I could get rent assistence if I moved to Portugal and they just laughed!!

-Skippy

[Skippy]

Ash - does France fund all immigrants equally?

Are not many of their immigrant from ex French Colonies and at least have a rudimentry knowlege of French?

Not the "I am job, here Okay?" - Rollucks that my mate gets when looking for Bar people at the moment

- Skippy

[Tobias]

Originally posted by Neil & Mook:
... It's not a lot to us but i imagine it will be for some people. I am very angry if this is true, just in principle alone.

I do sympathise with those who must pay and may struggle to meet those payments. But what is the alternative? Should the British tax payer really be expected to pay for English language lessons for those who choose to live in the UK?

If so, where does it all stop? The next door neighbour wants to learn Italian - if the immigrant who lives next door has free English lessons why shouldn't he have his free Italian lessons?

[Marcus]

Originally posted by ash:

have friends living and working in Estern European states, there is no way those governments would ever dream of giving them free Polish lessons!

I was referring to France

Does France give free French lessons to British people living there?

I have no information of or experience with this at all, but I have a gut feeling that if I turned up in Paris tomorrow looking for work with just a few phrases of French, there is no way I'd get all the support (translations at the council office, free language lessons, unemployment benefit, rent paid, translators at the job centre, etc etc etc) that the European immigrants to the UK get.

[Andy R]

compulsory" classes

Since when were the classes compulsory????

[Skippy]

Andy - I think the compulsary part relates to the new ILR requirements - so why technically not compulsary definitely necessary if you wish to stay here long term (and don't have an EU passport).

-Skippy

[upcountry]

If I just paid the 360 a year for the missus to stay another 2 years each time would this get round it????