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Asked by Paula

AQW 1172/17-22 Written question to the Minister for the Economy

To ask the Minister for the Economy what plans her Department has to standardise accreditation for English language courses for people arriving in Northern Ireland who do not speak English as a first language.

Asked by Paula Bradshaw MLA on 29 January 2020

  • Answered
  • Written
  • After due date
Tabled
29 January 2020
Answer due by
13 February 2020
Answered
17 February 202019 days after tabling
Department
Department for the Economy
Priority question
No

Answer

English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) courses are provided free by Further Education colleges across Northern Ireland to refugees, asylum seekers and those granted humanitarian protection.

The Department has recently commenced the development of an ESOL Policy for Northern Ireland. A key aim in developing this policy will be to consider how best to standardise ESOL provision across Northern Ireland in a number of different aspects, including accredited qualifications.

Official sources

  • AQO 4039/22-27To ask the Minister for the Economy for an assessment of the ability of the Further Education: Fit for the Future Programme to support th…
  • AQW 52680/22-27To ask the Minister for the Economy for an update on the role of language courses in her Department's Further Education Fit for the Futur…
  • AQW 52679/22-27To ask the Minister for the Economy, given Northern Ireland's continued access to the European Single Market for goods and that German is…
  • AQW 52678/22-27To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any consideration her Department is giving to providing additional language learning resour…
  • AQW 52677/22-27To ask the Minister for the Economy whether her Department has provided any advice on the efficiency, or otherwise, of consolidating or r…