Good evening and thank you for the invitation to be here today.

I bring greetings from the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Helen Clark who unfortunately could not be here this evening.

I am especially delighted to be here wearing three hats – that as Minister of Immigration, Associate Minister of Education, and as one of the local MPs.
I wish to start by acknowledging the work that is done by those who work with the ESOL Home Tutor Service.

Last night I was hosting a function in the Beehive to mark World Refugee Day. One of the many groups I acknowledged last night, were the volunteers who commit so much time and energy in their work with refugee resettlement programmes. Volunteers are the strength of such programmes but they are not a limitless resource, nor can we take for granted the goodwill that has been generated over the years.
Tonight, I again want to acknowledge all those who undertake voluntary work with this scheme, because I recognise that it is not a limitless resource, but the value of the contribution you make is immeasurable.

For some time, I have been concerned about the lack of a comprehensive approach to adult English for Speakers of Other Languages.
Accordingly, I have initiated work that will lead to an adult ESOL strategy, which will be harmonised with New Zealand tertiary education and immigration settlement policies, and will tie in with the home tutors’ aim to provide English language skills as well as social support for the effective resettlement of adult refugees and migrants.
Should we be given the privilege of returning to government after July 27, we intend to move into the next phase by releasing a consultation document for your comment. However the work on the development of an adult ESOL strategy will continue during the run-up to the election.

Today I want to take the opportunity to sketch out some of the broad outlines of the work in progress in this vital area.

The development of an adult ESOL strategy

As you are aware, the demand for adult ESOL just keeps growing. The estimated number of adults with ESOL needs is approaching the quarter of a million mark. According to recently released 2001 census results, more than 50,000 New Zealand adults do not speak English.
The Ministry of Education has recently consulted with the sector to tease out a number of key issues about current adult ESOL provision. This consultation has identified the need for:

- more comprehensive and responsive provision for refugees; (as prioritised by your organisation)

- a greater diversity of ESOL provision to better meet ESOL needs; (home tutors provide for people that would find it difficult to participate in more formal environments, including women with young children)

- participation of migrant and refugee communities in developing what is needed; (home tutors train and employ bilingual tutors, and volunteer tutors come from a broad range of backgrounds)

- better information for prospective students about what is available;

- improved linkages between current ESOL providers;

- greater certainty about the quality of ESOL provision; and

- more consistency in the measurement of learners’ progress. (Under the Adult Literacy Strategy, home tutors have conducted research into literacy gains for low level / pre literacy ESOL learners in collaboration with AUT and Unitec)

We are therefore proposing the following vision for future adult ESOL provision:
‘All New Zealand residents are proficient in the English language so that they can reach their full potential and participate fully in all aspects of life, including work, family and the community.’

To achieve this vision, we are proposing three key objectives:

- to provide ESOL learning opportunities which are accessible to all adult learners whose first language is not English and who wish to improve their writing, reading, speaking and listening skills in the English language;

- to provide ESOL learning opportunities which are effective in improving English language skills through measurement of learners’ English language gains, and through approved quality standards which assure that all programmes receiving Government funding assistance are quality assured; and

- to give adult learners access to ESOL programmes which are affordable according to their ability to pay and their level of need for ESOL.

Six key principles underpin our suggested vision and objectives. We want these to shape how we provide local adult ESOL in the future.
These principles focus on the need for ESOL provision to be learner centred and diverse, to be based on partnerships with migrant/refugee communities, to be an integral part of settlement and resettlement programmes, to be able to support pathways to further learning and/or employment, and to be of a high quality. As an Adult and Community Education organisation, many of these principles are central to your work.

We are therefore proposing the following building blocks for an adult ESOL strategy:

- a more co-ordinated approach to the way we provide adult ESOL;

- more comprehensive and co-ordinated provision for refugees; and

- an increase in quality provision.

I will be seeking your feedback on the consultation document before an adult ESOL strategy is put to Cabinet later this year pending the results of the election.

The National Association of ESOL Home Tutor Schemes

The Home Tutors scheme has played a key role in providing innovative and flexible ESOL services for a growing number of learners.
In 2001 individual and group ESOL provision was provided for 6,882 learners. A valuable contribution both to individuals and the communities they live in.
Importantly, many of these learners do not feel comfortable or are not ready to participate in ESOL classes in more formal environments. Therefore, Home Tutor schemes are addressing some of the barriers to participation in ESOL that have been identified for the consultation document.

The Home Tutors scheme also provides ESOL services beyond language provision. Initiatives that ESOL home tutor schemes have developed include: developing a mentoring scheme for job-seeking migrants, developing training for bilingual tutors, providing literacy tuition for refugee learners and undertaking research under the Adult Literacy Strategy.

Broader context

The development of a more co-ordinated approach to adult ESOL provision will build upon the broader tertiary education reforms. Part of the reform process has been the development of the Tertiary Education Strategy 2002/07. A number of themes that have come out of the Strategy will shape the way that adult ESOL is delivered in the future.
The Strategy identifies the need to lift the skills of all New Zealanders to facilitate wide participation in a knowledge society. It also focuses on the need for a more connected, collaborative tertiary sector, with an emphasis on quality, capability and accountability. A priority area is raising foundation skills, of which ESOL is an important component for many migrants and refugees.

The document sets out five objectives for providing foundation skills in the future, based on:

- improving adult foundation skill levels;

- closer integration of foundation skills within the tertiary system;

- a greater focus on quality and assessment;

- a commonly accepted definition of foundation skills; and

- improved links between secondary and tertiary education.
The tertiary strategy objectives are intended to impact on adult ESOL in a number of ways:

- ESOL will be more integrated within the tertiary sector;

- quality assurance at the level of foundation education will be more consistent;

- funding will be more equitable and transparent;

- refugees will be more clearly a priority group for assistance;

- it will be clearer where ESOL fits within the Government’s strategy to raise the level of foundation skills more generally; and

- better linkages will be forged between the compulsory and tertiary sector for young migrants and refugees who need more ESOL.

The objectives identified in the strategy pertaining to ESOL will be addressed through further work by the Ministry of Education.

I am confident that by collaborating with the ESOL sector, including the Home Tutors Scheme we can have an overarching system for adult ESOL that ensures all New Zealanders have the English Language skills to participate in society.

Conclusion

Finally, I would like to congratulate you on a busy year, which has included the release of research on volunteers, illustrating the impressive contribution volunteer tutors make to our communities, and the development of a programme to train non-English speaking-background migrants and refugees in the processes of New Zealand committees.

I return to my opening comments, by thanking you for the tremendous contribution that you make to the settlement and resettlement of migrants and refugees.

English is the key to living successfully in New Zealand, but your tutors offer much more, often becoming the ‘first friends’ of recent migrants and refugees.

So thank you for what you do to make New Zealand a welcoming new home. I cannot overstate the importance of the contribution you have made and will make in the future.

And on that note, I wish you well for a successful conference, and, for the out-of-towners I hope that you find time to discover why Christchurch is such an excellent place to visit, and even better place to live.