Page 6 - ELG1903 Mar-Apr Issue 464

NEWS .

Brexit bonus for ELT, but on a budget

By Matt Salusbury these proficiency requirements to competitor destination such as A recent study from the Higher
might change, but the Gazette Ireland and Australia. Education Policy Institute found
In the run-up to Brexit, the understands that plans for a new Higher education experts that international students staying
British government has launched system of Secure English Language also expressed concern that the on to work in Britain contribute
a series of initiatives designed Tests is also being planned. increase in the time international £3.5 billion in tax over a decade,
to attract more international On March 15th, another graduates can stay in the country with government restrictions on
students to the UK, and improve strategy, this time for international to look for a job was only increased post-study work rights currently
the English language provision education, was released, outlining from three to six months under costing the country £150 million
for the 770,000 British residents government plans to increase the new initiative. in lost taxes.
without a good command of the the value of educational imports
language. by almost 50 per cent, to £35
February saw the launch billion by 2020, and raise the total
of a £50 million ‘integrated number of international students British Council staff in Italy have taken
communities plan’ to include in higher education to 600,000. strike action in protest against proposals put
language support for non-English The UK EFL industry welcomed forward by the Council in February to make
speaking residents. the strategy, which included plans 19 staff redundant. Among those selected
Even if the entire budget was to promote the UK as a destination STOP PRESS for redundancy are ten staff working at the
spent on language teaching, and to support the export of UK
however, it would only come £65 ELT expertise. “We are excited British Council in Milan, where staff held
per person. One reason, perhaps by the opportunities this bold a demonstration shortly before the Gazette
that the seventy actions listed in strategy outlines,” commented went to press.
the National Strategy for English Sarah Copper, CEO of schools’ Strikes were also held in Rome and Naples,
includes networks of conversation association English UK. and two further stoppages are planned.
clubs. Industry sources, however, According to FLC-CGIL, the trade union
The same month a review of expressed disappointment that representing Council staff, the job losses are
English language requirements there were no plans to reintroduce
for UK visas was announced. work visas for language students, part of a major restructuring plan drawn
There are no details yet on how putting the UK at a disadvantage up by the Council in February. The plan
involved cutting jobs in administration and
in the organisation of language courses to
MATT SALUSBURY make way for additional posts in sales and
marketing. Altogether, the British Council
has 173 permanent staff in Italy and a
further 21 on fixed contract, according to the
newspaper Il Giorno.
“We are trying hard to safeguard jobs where
possible,” a British Council spokesperson
told the GazetteI. “Where redundancies
are unavoidable, we offer a voluntary exit
scheme under enhanced terms.”
Protesters at an anti-Brexit march in London.

newsinbrief

THE INDONESIAN MOROCCO IS TO TEACHERS IN THE THE UNIVERSITY MALTA’S PRESIDENT
port of Pare now has so TRAIN 20,000 teachers INDIAN STATE of of Pretoria, in South Coleiro Preca
many English language in English, assisted by Uttarakhand had to Africa’s capital, is to announced that, “the
schools - 165 according the British Council, as translate the questions switch from Afrikaans teaching of English as
to the Jakarta Post part of its plan to teach in a recent science to English as its offi cial a foreign language” is
- that it is known as sciences in ‘foreign exam because they language. The change one of the stated areas
Kampung Ingriss languages’ in state were written in Hindi. comes at the request of cooperation with
(‘English Quarter’) in schools. Education Uttarakhan switched of black students, who Turkey and Malta. At a
Bahasa Indonesian. minister Said Amzaz, to English-medium complained of diffi culty joint press conference
The British Council however, told January’s education a year ago. following lectures by with Turkey’s President
has capitalised on World Education Forum The State Council white Afrikaans native Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
this phenomenon to there were no plans yet admitted offi cials had speakers. Graduations Preca confi rmed
run annual teacher to shift from French- failed to check the will continue to be held Maltese support for
training workshops in medium schooling to papers before printing. in English, Afrikaans and Turkey’s EU membership
the city. English. Sepedi languages. application.

6 March/April 2019