"Girls just wanna have fun!" - A Brexit look at student exchange

Erasmus? No, the UK is learning to be an independent country again

Globally-outward Turing Scheme will give UK students a truly international experience

As the song says “We believe that children are our future”. Clichés aside, in the coming days Brexit Facts4EU.Org looks at the important area of the education of our young people – particularly in relation to the new opportunities post-Brexit. We will dispel Rejoiner myths and provide real facts for readers, form official and reputable sources.

Today we start with some political perspectives.

Erasmus+ and the First Minister of Scotland

For many, one of the most surprising pieces of news during the Christmas period was the announcement that after Brexit the UK would no longer participate in the EU’s ‘Erasmus+’ scheme for young people.

Ever since that moment there have been howls of outrage from the usual quarters, not the least of which being the SNP and its anti-British, pro-EU leader Nicola Sturgeon.

“There will be lots of focus - rightly - on the economic costs of Brexit. But ending UK participation in Erasmus - an initiative that has expanded opportunities and horizons for so many young people - is cultural vandalism by the UK government.”
- Nicola Sturgeon, 24 Dec 2020

A quiet moment of satisfaction

Over the past few years Brexit Facts4EU.Org led the charge against staying in Erasmus+, publishing dozens of reports and repeatedly calling on the Government to reverse its decision. We did so in the face of a concerted campaign by pro-EU academic bodies, and firm and public Government commitments to retain the EU scheme.

In the end our efforts to present the truth about Erasmus+ succeeded and seemingly out of nowhere the Government did a complete U-turn at Christmas. For once this was a U-turn which was greatly welcomed in the Facts4EU.Org office, if not in Ms Sturgeon’s home in Glasgow.

The replacement for Erasmus+ is called the “Turing Scheme”

Here is what we know about it so far.

Summary of Government announcement about the new student exchange programme

“Thousands of students will be able to study and do work placements across the world through a brand new scheme that replaces the UK’s participation in Erasmus+.

The Turing scheme will be backed by over £100 million, providing funding for around 35,000 students in universities, colleges and schools to go on placements and exchanges overseas, starting in September 2021.

The new scheme will also target students from disadvantaged backgrounds and areas which did not previously have many students benefiting from Erasmus+, making life-changing opportunities accessible to everyone across the country.

The programme will provide similar opportunities for students to study and work abroad as the Erasmus+ programme but it will include countries across the world and aims to deliver greater value for money to taxpayers.

The UK will reap the rewards from the investment, by boosting students’ skills and prospects, benefiting UK employers, and supporting Global Britain’s ties with international partners.”

- Department of Education, 26 Dec 2020

Back to Ms Sturgeon and the SNP

There was a time, before the SNP government, when Scotland was reputed to have one of the best education systems in the world. Sadly this is no longer the case.

University ‘rankings’ are always going to involve subjective measures, naturally. That said, readers might consider that the Times Higher Educational Supplement annual rankings still have some worldwide credibility. They are certainly given credence around the world.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Times Higher Education World University Rankings

We looked for a Scottish university in the world top 10
An English university came top, another English university came sixth, no Scottish university appeared
We then looked for a Scottish university in the world top 20
Two more English universities, but no Scottish university appeared

So, four English universities in the world top 20, including Oxford at no.1, but no Scottish universities.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org then looked at Times’ rankings for universities in Europe.

Times Higher Education World University Rankings
“Best universities in Europe 2021”

Seven English universities in the top 10
No Scottish university appeared
We then looked at the top 20 universities in Europe
Two more English universities, but no Scottish university appeared

Tomorrow we will provide the devastating facts to show why the UK Government was right to withdraw from the EU’s ‘youth indoctrination’ project.

Observations

For far too long Nicola Sturgeon has been allowed to get away with a daily stream of political and ideological propaganda which rivals even that of the EU Commission. She and her team are so prolific in the mainstream media, on social media, and on television, it’s surprising any of them can get any actual work done.

Perhaps this helps to explain why so many measures of the performance of the Scottish economy and of societal metrics such as educational standards are now looking so dire, north of the border.

We believe that when the Scottish people see the facts, they will once again reaffirm their support for the Union. We intend to provide these. If the civil servants and UK Government at Westminster won’t or can’t do it, someone has to.

Yesterday we contacted the Dept of Education for more details on the new Turing Scheme for overseas placement of UK students. They were not able to provide information further to what we have published above, but we will continue our dialogue with them.

For now we are simply happy that our young people will no longer be brainwashed at UK taxpayer expense, into the ideologies of the totalitarian machine-operators who inhabit the corridors of Brussels.

Are subjects like this important?

Finally, we are struggling and we need your help. We have far more to do in researching, publishing, campaigning and lobbying Parliament than we have in terms of the financial resources to fulfil these tasks. We rely 100% on public donations from readers like you. Unlike the Remain/Rejoin camp, we do not have foreign billionaires to subsidise our work.

Covid measures have hit many people's incomes. The whole Covid thing has certainly hit the level of donations we receive, which were already less than we needed to survive. We are most grateful to readers who have donated in recent days, but we badly need more readers to do the same.

If you believe in a fully-free, independent, and sovereign United Kingdom, please make a donation now. It’s quick, secure, and confidential, and you can use one of the links below or you can use our Donations page here. You will receive a personal, friendly ‘thank you’ from a member of our team within 24 hours. Thank you so much if you can help to keep us going in these critical months ahead.

[ Sources: Nicola Sturgeon Twitter account | EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Tues 05 Jan 2021

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Reader Comments 10

1. Nancy , Tuesday, January 05, 2021, 08:35:

Turing Scheme sounds like a better choice for our students. Why should we limit their placement only to the EU with Erasmus anyway?

2. Sydney Ashurst , Tuesday, January 05, 2021, 09:37:

There's a big wide World out there as our Ancestors discovered. Join the woke crowd and stay in Europe.
The facts you produced showed Erasmus was not being used to any extent.

3. Chris Hunt , Tuesday, January 05, 2021, 10:03:

Does the Turing scheme still provide placements in Europe?

4. kb , Tuesday, January 05, 2021, 12:22:

Sturgeon gets more BBC airtime than all other politicians combined. Even though there is a Scottish Freeview channel. Watching the BBC News channel during the day you would think Nicola Sturgeon was the UK PM. There are never any derisory comments either.
Yet the SNP is a divisive party based on hatred of the English and economic lies. That is what is at their core: grievance politics.
Where have we heard this before? Brexit of course, but the SNP is not despised like Brexiters are. They are respected, hardly ever seriously argued with, and given massive airtime. Why the difference in treatment?

5. Derek Lund , Tuesday, January 05, 2021, 13:27:

That's more like it, facts4EU! The ramblings of Pelossi are interesting but there are other more pressing matters. And to answer your question, yes,the damage that the likes of Sturgeon are doing to our precious Union is too close to home and an important subject. I fear that the gullible might fall for it. Use your skills to call out these lies and misinformation and while you're at it see whether the Hon member for Skye and Lochaber could be encouraged to waddle off to the nearest obesity clinic!
-
May I suggest another subject which I know you would relish tackling? This is to document in detail the way the EU and their own government have treated the Irish people. My suggested starting point would be the vote on the Mk1 Lisbon Treaty, the reaction from the elitists, the 2010 visit from the troica, the bailout (was it 80billion?) and what differences, if any, there were between Lisbon Treaties Mk1 and Mk2.

6. Mike S , Tuesday, January 05, 2021, 14:43:

May I respectfully request that not all of Scotlands people get "tarred with the same SNP brush"? I know it can be difficult to not do so given what utter rubbish,(for the want of a stronger term),comes out of the other orifice in their jaws about Scotland as a whole agreeing with them but,that genuinely is not the case! It isn't all of the Scottish people. I am aware that has been heard before but,it is honestly the case up here! The SNP keep claiming that they speak for the whole country but,that actually angers alot of people up here as there was over 1 million Scots who also voted to Leave the EU but we are as much criminalised & ignored as unimportant as with the rest of the UK,if not more so by the SNP & their fanatical zealots who want to break up the UK by using any & every way possible,putting EVERYTHING onto the back burner in preference to independence,regardless of cost & consequence! I,like alot of fellow Scots are utterly sick & tired of the continued bleating,repetitive bull faeces that comes from the fault finding idiots. The education standards in Scotland were once of a high level of credence but,it is under Sturgeons leadership & Boss Nass (thats Ian Blackford as,the 2 of them are remarkably similar in presentation) belly aching that has caused its drop in standard & many of us Scots are just fed up & embarrassed by this missrepresentation of our country! They do get way too much air time & tend to suck most of the oxygen out of any room that they are in but,the support for the SNP is actually falling,not as fast as preferred as still too many are still tunnel visioned & brainwashed blinkered to see beyond their own noses,nor will they admit this but it is true. But PLEASE believe me when I say that not everyone up here is an SNP Marionette,brainwashed puppet. Alot of us have our eyes & minds open in the here & now reality of today although I accept that it may not appear to be that way from other peoples prospective.

7. Diane , Tuesday, January 05, 2021, 15:37:

(6) Mike S: I'm sure that many who passionately support the union & Scotland itself, and are interested in what goes on in the HOC and observe, read & study beyond that which is thrust at us by SNP politicians and their vitriol, their leader and the media, can identify with what you say and certainly do not get taken in by it all but it does come across most of the time as if not one single person voted 'Leave' in your lovely country. It would be nice to think that very soon, the UK Government might be able, somehow, to do away with those unwelcome U S imposed tariffs on many EU members' goods, including Scotland's Scotch Whisky, now we are no longer members & out of their jurisdiction. Or perhaps that nice Mr Biden may be able to help on that one.

8. kb , Tuesday, January 05, 2021, 21:44:

Mike S (#6), my comments are directed entirely at the SNP and more particularly at the craven coverage they enjoy from the BBC. I've always had a great time when I've visited Scotland and the people have been great as well. The food comes in for a lot of stick, but actually it is very tasty.
Anyhow, please be assured I am not passing judgement on Scotland as a whole !

9. Oreilly , Wednesday, January 06, 2021, 10:58:

It makes absolute sense to have students work abroad to understand our biggest trade partner.
Since we turned away from the EU, who is that nowadays? Japan?
We, as a nation, are hopeless at learning languages - face it.
It'll have to be 1st world, English speaking nations.
About Scotland, we left the European Union, I don't see why they can't leave this union.
They clearly do not want to dance anymore.
Hypocrisy, bad-faith arguments & duplicitous dealings abound in the UK.
There is nothing new about this year - same old.

10. Mandy, Sheffield , Monday, January 11, 2021, 08:06:

Very pleased to be out of Erasmus. We can do just fine without an expensive EU brainwash exercise, thanks.
Only a tiny percentage of UK student used it anyway.

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