Sir – That statement from Keith Mitchell that he thinks leaflets in different languages from the county council are unnecessary, shows a complete lack of understanding of the problems in Oxfordshire.
Mr Mitchell says there is less of an incentive to learn English for people moving to the UK as leaflets are provided. However, what about the people who come here for a fixed-term? I taught children in a primary school whose parents have come for two or three years to lecture/research/study at both of our universities. Often their children cannot speak any English at all.
How did Mr Mitchell tackle this problem? By making redundant 40 people (mainly very experienced teachers) who were EFL specialists, not reported in the press.
The money given to schools’ budgets now is so small that unless the school is a large one, they cannot afford to employ properly qualified, experienced teachers to work with these children.
This is the problem when the chairman of a county council is also an accountant, people become just pawns on the “balance-sheet” of life.
MJV Hughes, Headington
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