Record number of MPs attend English UK's Parliamentary Reception

14 MPs and three members of the House of Lords attended the launch of our policy position paper this year, our highest level of parliamentary engagement to date.  

We launched English UK's position paper - Global opportunities: how government can support the UK English language teaching sector - on the House of Commons Terrace with almost 130 members, Parliamentarians, stakeholders and press. 

The paper contains six recommendations: to expand career-enhancing travel opportunities for young people via YMS; extend ID card travel for EU school groups; recognise UK ELT's accreditation scheme for student visas; increase rent-a-room tax relief to preserve UK ELT's unique offer and to create exchange programmes for young professionals. 

Promising start but we need to carry on campaigning

 Five days after our launch, the Government and the EU announced the intention to create a youth experience scheme and explore a return to Erasmus+, which go some way to meeting two of our recommendations, and on which we have campaigned for a couple of years. We will continue to lobby, with the help of members, to ensure our sector's needs are met.  

 Addressing the reception, Gareth Thomas, Minister for Services, Small Businesses and Exports, said: "I'm pleased to see the sector's engagement with us on the recent review of the international education strategy, to be relaunched in due course, which will contain an ambitious plan for growth in the international education sector and aligns closely with the government's strategic priorities targeting economic growth. 

Working with government to lead the world in ELT 

"So, working together, we can ensure the UK leads the world in English Language training, and reaps the economic, social, and cultural rewards this delivers to communities across the length and breadth of our nation." 

Noting the "enormous challenges" faced by the sector, he said English UK's latest economic impact report shows the "continuing resilience and value of the UK (ELT) sector which the government and my department is committed to support." 

 In a wide-ranging speech, Mr Thomas said ELT centres helped "fan the flames of love" for the English language in students from across the world, and fostered "a lifelong affinity to our country, which is an invaluable component of UK soft power." 

UK ELT's contribution to the UK

"ELT contributes to the UK in so many ways: supporting local jobs and economies; providing the language training needed for those wanting to enter our universities or enter the NHS. It is the key that opens so many doors."

Creating opportunities in developing and mature markets

He said the Department for Business and Trade was committed to providing opportunities for the sector in trade negotiations and missions, levering reach and contacts so it could thrive in developing and mature markets.

Our position paper recommendations are supported by an economic impact report into UK ELT, published earlier in the month. The report, commissioned by English UK and researched by policy research consultancy Pragmatix Advisory said: "The ELT sector makes a widely unrecognised contribution to the UK's economy and wider global influence.

Quoting these figures, Shoko Doherty, English UK's chair, said: "We therefore ask the government to use its reach, contacts and resources to support existing ELT markets and reach new ones – particularly those (Vietnam is an example) that currently only send a small proportion of their ELT students to the UK."

Resilience of UK ELT

Mark Pragnell of Pragmatix, who worked on both our 2015 and 2025 economic impact reports, praised the resilience of the ELT sector. He said "I enjoyed doing the research again and also found it a little bit sad to see the dramatic changes over that time. It's making a good contribution to the country and is a powerful industry which has been resilient in an incredibly tough time."

What MPs thought

MPs also praised the work of the sector. For Hammersmith and Chiswick MP Andy Slaughter, "this is a big part of my local economy and I am always very happy to talk up what English UK do. I am just worried the message isn't going out clearly enough that prospective students are welcome and valued here. We get benefit from all students here economically, socially and culturally. We just need this message to come over from the top of the government as well."

Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen, has a background in ELT, as does his wife. "As a language champion in Southampton and a member of the education select committee, I am interested to know how to make opportunities for youth mobility." Wimbledon MP, Paul Kohler, said the sector was important for the economy and the government restricting international student numbers was "ridiculous on every level."

Romford MP Andrew Rosindell had called in because he wanted to understand more and because "globally and domestically English Language is fundamental to everybody, with soft power internationally and cohesion for people living in this country."

English UK members

Over 60 members attended the event, and many praised English UK's campaigning. Mark Appleton of Best in Bath said the speeches were good, adding: "Students come, spend loads of money, have a lovely time, go home and say 'You know what? The UK is great.' Having them here is a no-brainer and hopefully the message will get out if it gets into the ears of some of these MPs." Thomas Buckley of English Path was interested to see the industry come together and said it was good to see how the recommendations in the position paper aligned with government priorities.

> View the Parliamentary Reception photo gallery