Scotland needs Erasmus, not Britain’s poor replacement

Richard Lochhead is Further Education, Higher Education and Science Minister in the Scottish government.

Scotland’s early history was defined by exchanges with its European neighbors. Sharing ideas, culture and discoveries throughout the Scottish enlightenment and the 19th century deepened our relationships further, and these important links were then built upon more recently by Scottish education institutions’ participation in the Erasmus program.

It’s a program that fellow Scot and MEP Winnie Ewing was instrumental in setting up in 1987, and its history and meaning is rooted in Scottish culture, education and industry. It feels personal. Not only is Erasmus baked into our way of life, but our participation in and commitment to the program is also evident. In Scotland, proportionally more participants have gone abroad through Erasmus+ than from anywhere else in the U.K., while proportionally more visitors from the rest of Europe have visited Scotland in return.

Following the deal the U.K. government made with the EU, Scotland and its students, teachers, schoolchildren, community groups and adult learners will no longer be able to participate in Erasmus+. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described this decision as tantamount to “cultural vandalism.”

The Scottish government consistently argued throughout the Brexit process that participation in Erasmus+ is in the best interests of the whole of the U.K., and that either the whole of the U.K. should participate, or the U.K. government should negotiate to ensure Scotland (and other devolved countries in the U.K.) could do so themselves.

Their decision to do neither is deeply disappointing — and will see opportunities for all learners reduced. It’s even more disappointing given the European Commission’s decision to increase the Erasmus budget by almost 80 percent for the next seven years, partly to widen access to the program for those from the most deprived communities.

Adult education, youth work and vocational training sectors play a key role in reducing inequality, closing the attainment gap, and enhancing young people’s capacity for social and cultural connectedness. Erasmus participants who accessed the program via adult learning and youth work were often from deprived communities in Scotland or those furthest removed from traditional education routes, and had the most to gain from their experiences.

Erasmus’ ability to improve young people’s self-confidence, cultural awareness, second language skills and employability has also been proven to be most impactful on participants from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

I was fortunate enough to see the benefits last year, when I visited a youth project in the north of Glasgow. The impact of participating in international exchanges with young people from Estonia, Finland and Austria had been life-changing. Some of the young people I met had never had a passport, let alone the opportunity to travel abroad before. Their Erasmus experience has resulted in lasting friendships that endure to this day.

The U.K. government’s proposed replacement Turing scheme is a shadow of the real thing, and does not fund the adult or youth work sectors. It also significantly limits funding in other areas, and offers no support for students wishing to visit Scotland.

Without Erasmus, it is highly likely we will see a decline in the numbers of European students visiting Scotland, while those students who do visit are more likely to be from wealthier backgrounds. Education is one of the powers devolved to the Scottish government — so it’s unacceptable that the U.K. government is trying to impose this inadequate scheme upon Scotland and Wales.

We have been clear that what they are proposing is simply not good enough, and as our joint statement with Wales said earlier this week, any replacement funding for Erasmus+ should be given directly to the devolved administrations, to enable us to deliver educational services in our respective nations.