It is 25 years since the dawn of the Skills for Life strategy. The Blair government was in charge, ‘Education, education, education’ was the mantra and it was a time of optimism. Focus fell on adult education when research identified the impact of low English and maths skills on employment, income and health. Skills for Life was seen as a great opportunity to solve the literacy and numeracy problem. By contrast, though, the future of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) was much less certain: it was a hard-fought battle to get ESOL included into the Skills for Life wrapper. My ESOL Qualifications and Curriculum Review (2026), commissioned by the Bell Foundation, reviews the impact of decisions made. Two key trade-offs for Skills for Life inclusion were to apply the English literacy standards to ESOL and to use the ESOL core curriculum as the basis for exam setting. Become a member for unlimited access to FE Week Our members enjoy early access to exclusive content and in-depth articles before anyone else. Get expert journalism on FE and skills, experience fewer ads, and unlock a growing range of member benefits. subscribe If you have an account, please login. Sign in