Thanks Naeema

I will pass on your message to London Action for ESOL group who organised the event.

Naina Kent
London Action for ESOL



________________________________
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Naeema Hann [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 25 March 2011 22:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Fantastic turnout for ESOL Protest and Message from Ken Loach!

Dear Mel and Everyone with Action for ESOL,

This is awesome! As are all the voices raised for ESOL.

Thank you everyone for not staying silent.

Naeema



On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 8:56 PM, Cooke, Melanie <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:

Forwarded on behalf of colleagues in London:



Dear All



The London Action for ESOL protest of 500 students and teachers supported by migrant groups and the Refugee Council was inspiring, determined, loud, angry and passionate. Students made banners and took part in a theatre workshop from Cardboard Theatre group thanks to Tish, a lovely Reflect tree, ESOL snakes and ladders from Hackney College and some singing hmm.. not sure if the ESOL YMCA song got done but next time-Rebecca!



Refugees and students gathered round the megaphone to talk about why they need to learn English and how ESOL classes change their lives, before marching together to Downing Street to hand in the Save ESOL petition with 20,000 signatures, including Noam Chomsky, Ken Loach and Ken Livingstone.



The protest continued in the afternoon on the UCU demo from LSE and rally at Downing St. 1000 striking students, teachers and lecturers listened to speeches defending ESOL and multiculturalism by Jeremy Corbyn MP, Rose and 6 students from Hackney College and City and Islington College.



The protest gave students the opportunity to express their anger at the gates of government - and this they very clearly did by themselves, this was empowering to all who came along.



David Cameron wanted to blame immigrants for our problems when he said multiculturalism has failed but the protest showed the opposite - it is very much alive!



The TUC March is tomorrow and the UCU and Education Section is meeting at 12.00pm at Section 12 of the march.



London Action for ESOL



•        Check out the BBC London clip on youtube

•        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX2x_DDShRQ



Just received this lovely message of support from Ken Loach



 *   “I wholeheartedly support the Action for ESOL campaign. It is sadly typical of this government that they indulge the wealthy who don't pay their fair share in taxes but reduce the present modest support for the most vulnerable. Language is the key to social integration. To claim to promote a cohesive society and then cut the teaching of English is not only hypocritical but plain stupid. Good luck to the campaign - and please join with all those many groups who are opposing the present attacks”.  Ken Loach



*********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds. To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html A quick guide to using Jiscmail lists can be found at: http://jiscmail.ac.uk/help/using/quickuser.htm To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

*********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds. To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html A quick guide to using Jiscmail lists can be found at: http://jiscmail.ac.uk/help/using/quickuser.htm To contact the list owner, send an email to [log in to unmask]

***********************************
ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html
A quick guide to using Jiscmail lists can be found at:
http://jiscmail.ac.uk/help/using/quickuser.htm
To contact the list owner, send an email to
[log in to unmask]