AQW 37984/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 12/01/2026
Answered On Date: 23/01/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any progress made in ensuring the effective delivery of English as a Second Language classes for displaced people.

Answer:

My Department, through the six Further Education colleges, provided ‘English for Speakers of Other Languages’ teaching to over 2,000 students in the 2024/25 academic year. The six Further Education colleges offer free ‘English for Speakers of Other Languages’ provision to a number of displaced groups, including refugees and asylum seekers.

Furthermore, my Department has provided funding to Southern Regional College to deliver online learning tools, which are free to access for the public, and to create a new ‘English for Speakers of Other Languages’ Hub in Belfast Metropolitan College.