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CHAPTER THREE: PROVISION OF ESOL IN SCOTLAND

3.1 This chapter provides an overview of the supply of ESOL across Scotland through examining the numbers of learners undertaking classes since the EU enlargement.

Learners and providers

3.2 Tables 3.1 and 3.2 show the number of learners undertaking ESOL courses since 2003-04. In the most recent academic year, 2005-6, there were over 20,000 learners, compared to just over 15,000 learners in 2003-4. There appears to be an upward trend and significantly more learners in 2003-4 than reported in the 2004 University of Abertay study. ²⁹

3.3 Over half of ESOL learners are in FE colleges where the numbers have remained fairly consistently around 10,000 learners. Almost all of these learners are on SFC funded courses.

3.4 There has clearly been a response from CLD and ALN Partnerships in the last few years to increase ESOL provision. Learner numbers have risen by 85% to nearly 8,000. This increases their share of learners from under a third to around 40% in the last three years.

3.5 There has also been some growth in the voluntary sector with a doubling of learner numbers reported in the last three years.

3.6 While the survey of private providers is by no means comprehensive there has also been significant growth with learners rising from around 750 to over 1,700 in those providers responding.

Table 3.1 Learners in each sector of provision

Source: SFC, SQA, Provider Questionnaires, Provider Interviews

Table 3.2 Learners on publicly funded courses (%)

3.7 All of the growth in provision has come from local authority and other funding. The SFC funded 9995 learners in 2003-04 and 9909 in 2005-06.

Geographical patterns

3.8 The majority of learners in 2005-6 can be found in the urban areas of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen City and Dundee, as well as Fife. The Central West area accounts for over 6,000 learners, over a third of the total; Fife and Tayside for over 4,000, just over a fifth of the total (see Table 3.3).

Table 3.3 Learners in publicly funded provision by area

Source: SFC, SQA, Provider Questionnaires, Provider Interviews

3.9 Tables 3.4 and 3.5 demonstrate that the type of providers varies significantly between areas. In Central East nearly all learners are at FE colleges as are around two thirds of the learners in North East/ NI, Central and Central West. But it is only around a third or fewer of the learners in the other areas. In most of these areas most of the provision was reported through the CLD/ ALN Partnerships.

3.10 SFC Funding is predominant in Central West and Central East, but there has been a significant increase in SFC funded learners in Central, Fife and Tayside, Highlands/ WI and North East/ NI. Central West is the only region to see a significant decrease in SFC funded learners, from 6378 in 2003-4 to 4082 in 2005-6.

3.11 Private providers are only significant in the Glasgow and Edinburgh areas though most areas have such providers (see Table 3.6). From fieldwork and scoping research it was found that there seem to be 3 areas with no private providers and 2 areas where they have only established this year.

3.12 The pattern of change has been variable. This is largely accounted for by the relatively steady number of learners in FE Colleges and the large increase of learners in CLD/ ALN Partnerships, particularly in areas without many learners in FE colleges.

3.13 Significant features of change are:

• the greatest growth in provision is in areas without large cities with CLD/ ALN Partnerships providing much, though not all of the growth;
• The number of learners in SFC funded FE colleges has increased significantly in North East/ NI, Central and South West and steadily in other areas. Central West was the only region to see a significant drop in SFC funded learners;
• In Central West, Central, Central East and North East/ NI the majority of learners are in FE Colleges, both SFC and non- SFC funded. South East has the smallest percentage of learners in FE colleges, at just over 10%.;
• Private providers report significant increases in Central East in 2005-6, as illustrated in Table 3.6.

3.14 As a consequence, the share of ESOL learners has fallen in Central West from about half the total to approximately a third. Falling shares of learners in the other urban areas have been offset by growing shares in the more rural areas.

Table 3.4 Percentage of Learners in FE colleges (% of total publicly funded in area)

Source: SFC, SQA, Provider Questionnaires, Provider Interviews

Table 3.5 Number of learners in SFC Funded FE Colleges

Source: SFC

Table 3.6 Number of Learners in private providers

Source: SQA, Provider Questionnaires, Provider Interviews

Courses

Course levels

3.15 Over half of courses cannot be assigned a level because providers have not specified this in their return to the SFC. In part this is due to many courses being vocational or mixed levels. Data for 2004-5 and 2005-6 is a little more specific than that for 2003-4, but this also means that it is difficult to measure trends with any accuracy.

3.16 Where information is available (see Table 3.7 below) it suggests that:

• more than a quarter (over 27%) are part of adult literacy courses;
• just under a fifth are at elementary level and intermediate levels;
• a little over a third are at intermediate levels; few are advanced;
• there have been increases since 2003-4 in learners on all types of course;
• the most noticeable growth has been in learners on ESOL literacy courses where the number of learners has more than doubled; and
• numbers on intermediate levels have also risen but their share of the total has fallen slightly.

Table 3.7 Course levels for learners in publicly funded provision

Source: SFC, SQA, Provider Questionnaires, Provider Interviews

3.17 Table 3.8 shows the area pattern in 2005-6. This suggests that:

• ESOL literacy courses are the majority of publicly funded provision in the South West and South East, and under half in Highlands/ WI and the North East/ NI;
• advanced courses are not provided in some areas; they are only a significant proportion in Central and Central East and have a large number of learners in Central West and Central East;
• almost three quarters of learners in Central East are on intermediate levels of course and around a third are in Central West, Fife and Tayside, Highlands/ WI and North East/ NI;
• by contrast, Fife and Tayside has over half of its learners on elementary levels of course; only Central West and North East have significant but much smaller proportions; and
• and Central West and North East/ NI to less extent and Highlands/ WI have a good range of provision across all levels.

3.18 There appear to be some trends in courses provided. Providers in the South East and South West have both extended their courses beyond ESOL literacy, and this could also be said for providers in Central and North East/ NI. In Central East there has only been growth in intermediate levels and in Fife and Tayside only growth in elementary levels. In Central West and to a lesser extent Highlands/ WI the growth has come in ESOL literacy learners with the other levels being stable or falling.

Table 3.8 Course levels by area 2005-6 (% of learners)

Source: SFC, SQA, Provider Questionnaires, Provider Interviews

ESOL and citizenship

3.19 Of the 22 FE Colleges (Table 3.9) which provided returns, 6 have citizenship provision embedded in general ESOL while 3 hold separate classes in ESOL and citizenship. FE colleges in Central West have the highest level of citizenship preparation both embedded in ESOL and with separate citizenship classes.

Table 3.9 Citizenship in FE colleges (number of college)

Source: ESOL Survey 2007 Base: 22 FE Colleges

3.20 Of the 37 non- FE providers that responded to the questionnaire, 6 embed citizenship in general ESOL courses while 7 have separate ESOL for citizenship classes. These numbers indicate that, overall, providers are not offering separate provision for citizenship. Table 3.10 below shows the figures by area.

Table 3.10 Citizenship in Non- FE providers (number)

Source: ESOL Survey 2007
Base: 37 Non- FEESOL providers

ESOL and Delivery Location

3.21 64% of providers deliver some ESOL in a community setting. All 22 FE colleges which provided returns delivered some ESOL on their college campus and a little under half of all providers delivered some ESOL in the workplace.

Table 3.11 ESOL delivery location

*All FE Colleges providing returns
Source: ESOL Survey 2007
Base: 59 ESOL providers

Course hours

3.22 Table 3.12 shows that two thirds of courses are low intensity for 1-5 hours a week, only around 10% are high intensity over 15 hours. Virtually all the high intensity courses are provided by FE colleges. Indeed, under a quarter of ESOL learners in FE colleges are described as full-time or on high intensity courses.

Table 3.12 Number of courses by course hours 2005-6

Source: ESOL survey 2007

3.23 Table 3.13 shows that Central West and Central East have more high intensity courses with around half over five hours. In more rural areas almost all the courses are low intensity.

Table 3.13 Course hours by area

Source: ESOL survey 2007

Funding

3.24 Table 3.14 and 3.15 show the funding sources used for ESOL by FE and non- FE providers.

3.25 The majority of FE colleges run ESOL courses funded by the SFC. Close to a third of FE Colleges receive funding from employers with 27% and 23% also receiving funding from ALNs and CLD Partnerships respectively. Two thirds acknowledge that fees contribute to the costs of ESOL provision; a little more than half mentioned that Individual Learner Accounts do so.

Table 3.14 Funding sources for FE College ESOL provision (number of colleges)

Source: ESOL Survey 2007
Base: 22 FE Colleges

3.26 Table 3.15 shows that over half of non- FE providers receive funding from ALN Partnerships. Local authorities also provide funding to under a third of non- FE providers though this may also come through CLDs and ALN Partnership funding streams - this has proved difficult to differentiate. Employers and learners contribute to under a quarter of providers. Almost one quarter of non- FE providers also receive funding from other unlisted sources. This may include European Social Funding ( ESF) or other sources of regeneration funding as well as charities.

Table 3.15 Funding for non- FEESOL provision (number of providers)

Source: ESOL Survey 2007
Base: 42 Non- FEESOL providers

Key points from this chapter

• Numbers of adult ESOL learners have increased in the last few years. While the majority of learners are still in FE college provision, there has been a growth of learners in other sectors. In the most recent academic year there were a little over 19,000 learners publicly funded compared to 14,500 in 2003-2004;
• SFC funded provision has remained stable, provision in FE colleges has risen by about 8% from 2004-2005;
• Most learners are in urban areas yet the greatest growth has been in areas without large cities, where the need for ESOL has not been as strong in the past;
• Numbers and types of providers vary regionally. In more rural areas local authorities are the major providers, whereas FE colleges are more prominent in urban areas and private providers more prominent in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Voluntary provision is only a significant proportion in Highlands/ WI;
• Some urban areas have had falling shares of learners, most significantly in Central West where the numbers have fallen to a third from around half of Scotland's ESOL learners;
• Many courses are not able to be classified by levels because some providers do not classify their courses and also because the subjects are mixed between ESOL and vocational topics. However, a fifth of learners are part of literacy courses, under a fifth are in elementary and over a third at intermediate;
• There are significant regional differences in the type of provision offered;
• Advanced courses are only a significant proportion in Central and Central East. Only Central West and North East/ NI have a range of provision across all levels;
• There are some cases of providers offering separate preparatory classes for the citizenship test, (3 FE colleges and 7 non- FE), while 12 providers embed the material in their courses;
• Over half of providers deliver some ESOL in a community setting, all FE colleges who had responded to the survey offer ESOL on their college campus while a little under half deliver ESOL in the workplace;
• The majority of funding is from the SFC to FE providers, and over half of non- FE providers receive funding from ALN Partnership money. Local Authorities provide funding to under a third of non- FE providers. Almost a quarter of non- FE providers receive other funding such as from the European Social Fund;
• Learner fees contribute to costs in nearly two thirds of providers.

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