UCU: ESOL campaign success

Motion

Motion text: Congress notes the UCU-led campaign against cuts in ESOL provision which has won significant successes such as extra funding in London and a commitment from the government to meaningfully discuss provision and funding with the probability that many courses can be reinstated. The cuts are a prime example of the dire consequences of seeking to apply market principles in post-16 education.
Congress believes this campaign owes its successes so far to the following:
1. it was set up as a broad coalition involving providers, students, staff and community organisations.
2. it explicitly exposed the political contradictions about community cohesion, lifelong learning and so on in the government's policies.
3. it was built by active and public involvement and widespread publicity for lobbies, protests, petitioning and public meetings.
Congress commends the campaign as a model appropriate to a range of other issues the union faces.