Council cuts won't help

Your editorial of April 30 on "the language barrier in our classrooms" states that "no proper provision was made . . . for educating the children of migrants".

I would like to point out that Dudley Council has a long established Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) which specifically supports migrant children and their families, providing EAL (English and as an additional language) and other educational support, and helping settle new arrivals into their schools, and providing on-going mentoring and first language services.

Unfortunately Dudley Council had recently made severe cuts to the service, axing the supplementary schools which provided additional support for migrant groups, and making additional cuts which will damage the provision for EAL and offer support from EMAS.

Since EMAS aims to combat the "mutual incomprehension" of which you write, I am sure you will agree that cuts to the service will do little to help alleviate the difficulties faced by teachers.

Harold Holmes, Timbertree Crescent, Cradley Heath.