Critical Reflection on ESL Education Policies, Programs, and Services

This essay provides a critical reflection on the effectiveness of current ESL education policies, programs, and services in Australia. It examines how these policies impact student outcomes, promote equity and quality in school education, and respond to public and media rhetoric. The essay delves into the importance of recognizing students' mother tongues, providing bilingual or trilingual opportunities, and fostering cultural understanding. It also explores how ESL policies contribute to social justice, aligning with the Christian obligation to support it. The analysis includes discussions on collaborative working, Indigenous and multicultural policies, and anti-racism initiatives. The essay emphasizes the need for inclusive education policies that address the diverse needs of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Furthermore, it highlights how ESL policies can be instrumental in enhancing students' academic progress, providing them with the opportunity to excel in their education, and upholding their rights to benefit from education regardless of their native languages.

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Running Head: ESL EDUCATION POLICIES
ESL EDUCATION POLICIES
NAME
INSTITUTION
COURSE
DATE

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Running Head: ESL EDUCATION POLICIES
Introduction
The ESL education policies have acknowledged the use of many languages of
different nationalities in school. The policy is defined by the use of English as a second
language program in schools. Generally, the education systems have been met with
challenges, which are a breakdown to the implementation of good policy measures.
However, the introduction of ESL education policies in schools, have helped students in
many ways. Academic progress is largely founded on the mastery of the primary
language. In this essay, there is a breakdown on the efficiency of the ESL schooling
policies, services, and programs. Also, this essay will explain how the given policies have
been effective to promote equity in schools and enhance the quality of education. Finally,
the policies explain a critical role of these policies in providing social justice for
everyone, with the help of media influence.
The Body
Firstly, the policy highlights that every child has a right to identify with their
mother tongue. Not understanding a language will make a person to feel that he or she is
not part of the group. Such a policy has been effective to embrace inclusivity of all
nationalities in the education activities. As implied in the article Research into the
numeracy development of Aboriginal students, learning is identified to be effected with
some key sectors. The major sectors identified to have an influence in learning are the
literacy abilities and the numeracies (Australian Education Council, 1991). With the help
of the languages, the students are able to communicate easily with a language that they
can understand better. Through these productive policies, the students have been given

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platforms to share their ideas using their mother tongue. At both levels in the elementary
and secondary school programs, students have been granted the opportunity to develop
their skills in English. On the other hand, they are allowed to learn the school programs in
their languages. Contextually, the use of mother tongue has enabled students to perform
better. Since, they can easily comprehend what is taught in the school programs using
their native languages. As provided in the article Aboriginal Education and Training
Policy, the policies and the procedures have been inculcated to be used in community
education. The article mentions the objectives of the policies in the use of indigenous
language in education. The identification of using a mother tongue should be respected
by everyone, as provided in the ESL schooling policies.
Also, the policy indicates that students can use their mother tongue in official
circumstances. Students have problems in conversing to a language that is not native. As
deduced in the article Seeking a Pedagogy of Difference: What Aboriginal Students and
Their Parents in North Queensland Say About Teaching and Their Learning; shows that
the application of native languages in learning has enhanced the understanding of the
content taught in schools. The effectiveness of such policies, have been constructive to
cover the inadequacies of the students, who are not conversant with English in the
learning programs. In schools students have been provided with the opportunity of using
their language, when handling official matters present in the schools. Here, the students
can handle official matters with the help of the languages. Such students get the
opportunities to seek official help with the use of their mother tongue as the first
language. Moreover, the provided policy has been efficient to help serve the students

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Running Head: ESL EDUCATION POLICIES
easily in the schools. Thus, the students do not need to worry, when they are not
conversant with English.
The ESL schooling policies mentions that all the students, whom their native
language is not official in their countries, they have a right to be trilingual or bilingual.
The policy has been useful in providing the students avenues of exploring the use of other
languages. During interactions in the school, the students are able to converse with
different identities. As given in the article, An Introductory Guide to the EQ Bandscales
for English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) Learners, the schools select
students based on their cultural backgrounds. Information collected has been effective in
commencing the identification and the band scaling processes. In terms of language, the
students are able to learn and excite themselves with the customs and practices of the
people, who speak a different language. The exposure to various cultural practices and
beliefs, have enabled students to embrace dynamic cultures. The diversities found in
theses cultures can be applicable to supplement the richness of culture.
In the light of the prevalent education policies, institutions have created special
occasions. In such occasions, the students, who come from different backgrounds, are
founded to express themselves in the diversity of their cultures. As reflected in the study
article, The Aboriginal Human Resources Development Plan, the value of indigenous
cultural heritage and the distinctiveness of the Aboriginal people, has been emphasized.
The article defines the commitment of organizations in sustaining and supporting the
employees, who are Aboriginal. The students need to experience a lot, when they are
interacting with other students and teachers, who come from different nationalities. When
meeting different people, there are identities and practices, which are relatable. Getting to

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know the challenging experiences in life, especially from people, which expound on the
conjoined thoughts of love and thirst for devolution, can be very enticing.
Besides, the policy shows that students, who want to change their languages, can
do it voluntarily. For instance, the French speakers can decide on whether they can
choose English to be their language. This shows that schools have accepted the abilities
of the students to conform to various linguistic practices. Such opportunities highlighted
in the policy help the students get to grasp the vernacular literature of the non-native
languages. Also, this policy has given students the freedom to develop language literacy.
As founded in the significance of applying this policy, the benefits of incorporating other
language other than native, can prompt someone to adopt that language. Contextually,
one can decide to choose English to benefit the person in educational matters. In the
article, The People of Australia/ Australia’s Multicultural Policy; it has recognized the
government efforts in acknowledging the cultural diversity of the people of Australia.
Thus, the Government of Australia has initiated efforts to implement the policy, which
shows the commitment of the government in recognizing the identities of the people in
Australia.
Generally, the policy shows that children have been granted the right to benefit
from education regardless of their native languages. Institutions have adopted all-
encompassing education policies, which have propagated equity in schools. Regardless of
the indigenous nature of a person, the students are able to benefit from the school
programs. The article, Issues in English Language Assessment of Indigenous Australians,
indicates that the testing of the language in the past has not been done efficiently. That is
why: the education authorities in Australia have constructed a move that will redeem the

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past mistakes. The policies have been engaged to test the literacy and the numeracy of the
student. There are inclusive ESL education policies, which have stressed equality among
the people in institutions. Further, the policies have enabled them to grow and develop in
unison. There is more that can be fetched, when equality is adopted in the society. This
should begin in the early enlightenments of children and spread to a world of epidemic
practices. Equality is not just a social value, but also, it is a spiritual insight. At this point,
when genders work together in productive matters, they will enhance and develop each
other.
Finally, the adoption of the ESL education policies, have provided social systems
that grant education justice to all. As given in the article, Indigenous Education Initiatives
in AASN Schools/Building relationships, the Anglican Church gave an evaluation of how
the native Australians have impacted and enriched the lives of the students, who are in
the Anglican Schools. Here, the Anglican Church identifies the significance of
incorporating indigenous culture in the schooling processes and the procedures. Indeed,
the utilization of teachers, who are Aboriginal, has helped to build relationships. Students
are able to get educated, despite the challenging experiences of trying to grasp the
English language.
Additionally, the adoption of policy has given the students the opportunity to
understand various courses in the mastery of their native languages (Hughes & Hughes,
2009). This has been effective to inculcate positive spirits to the students. Sometimes, the
experiences of trying to grasp a language are stressful and disengaging. Even, some
students may take a lot time before they grasp that language. Hence, the introduction of
ESL education policies, have been effective in addressing the problems of teaching in one

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Running Head: ESL EDUCATION POLICIES
language (Commonwealth of Australia, 1989). The policies’ have acknowledged and
created room for the use other languages in imparting content to the students. Students
can get education services, without discrimination that might be based on language
proficiency. Hence, the primary needs of the students have been addressed in the
adoption of the ESL education policies.
Conclusion
In order to sum up this discussion, schools are fundamental to instill positivity and
constructive practices to the students. This will be done effectively if the students are
engaged to have an understanding of the language that they know best. Enabling such
policies, which promote equality and enhance the value of education in schools, is
challenging. However, through combined efforts of all stakeholders, the goal of
maximizing this policy in schools will be reached. Analysis of the various factors, have
been provided to make the provisions of this report. In this paper, an explanation has
been given to indicate the efficiency of the ESL schooling policies, services and the
programs. This paper has given a further evaluation of how the ESL policies enhance
equity in institutions, and improve the quality of the education in schools, and how the
policies promote social justice in the light of the prevalent media rhetoric.

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References
An Introductory Guide to the EQ Bandscales for English as an Additional Language or
Dialect (EAL/D) Learners
Australian Education Council, (1991), National Statement on Mathematics, Canberra:
AGPS.
Commonwealth of Australia,(1989), National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Education Policy, Joint Policy Statement, Canberra: Department of Employment,
Education and Training.
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, National Report to
Parliament on Indigenous Education and Training, 2006, Commonwealth of
Australia,
Canberra, 2008, viewed 26 August 2009, Retrieved from:
http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/indigenous_education/publications_resources/
other_publications/National_Report_Parliament_Indigenous_2006.htm.
H Hughes & M Hughes, Revisiting Indigenous Education, CIS Policy Monograph 94,The
Centre for Independent Studies, St Leonards, 2009, viewed 26 August 2009,
http://www.cis.org.au/policy_monographs/pm94.pdf.

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Running Head: ESL EDUCATION POLICIES
Indigenous Education Initiatives in AASN Schools/ Building Relationships Issues in
English Language Assessment of Indigenous Australians
Research into the numeracy development of Aboriginal students: Implications for the
NSW K-10 Mathematics Syllabus
Seeking a Pedagogy of Difference: What Aboriginal Students and Their Parents in North
Queensland Say About Teaching and Their Learning
Turning Policy into Action: A Guide for Local Planning Groups (2009).Aboriginal
Education and Training Policy: An Introductory Guide (2009) Aboriginal
Education Policy PD/2005/0209/V03
The Aboriginal Human Resources Development Plan
The People of Australia/ Australia’s Multicultural Policy