Page 16 - ELG1906 May-Jun Issue 465
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        EU special  news
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         SPECIAL FEATURE
        British lettori battle on                                                                                              EU agrees emergency funds ees emergency funds                                    project double in size, and EU plans
                                                                                                                               EU agr
                                                                                                                                                                                                                anticipate increasing the number
                                                                                                                                                                                                                of non-EU partner countries.
                                                                                                                               for Erasmus in
        as Brexit looms                                                                                                        for Erasmus in the UKthe UK                                                      However the plans published by the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                EU mentions the UK only once, to
                                                                                                                                                          when the current round of
                                                                                                                                                                                     abroad participating in Erasmus+
                                                                                                                                                                                                                note the absence of the country’s
                                                                                                                               By Matt Salusbury
                                                                                                                                                          Erasmus funding ends. The   at the time of the UK’s withdrawal   contribution to the EU budget.
                                                                                                                               On 25 March, just four days before   emergency measure makes clear   can complete their studies and    In 2018, the UK confirmed that
        By Matt Salusbury          to end discrimination against   Lidington, together with the                                the UK was originally scheduled   that, with regards to Erasmus, “the   continue to receive the relevant   participation in the Erasmus+
        The saga of the  lettori  – foreign   lettori.        UK’s ambassador to Italy,                                        to leave the EU, the European   United Kingdom shall be treated   funding or grants.”  successor scheme would form part
        language lecturers, unlawfully   The lettori’s case dates all the   announced that progress had           DAVID PETRIE  Parliament rushed through a   as a Member State, subject to this    If the regulation had not passed,   of its negotiations with the EU
        paid less and engaged on worse   way back to 1980. EU-national   been made with Italy’s then-                          regulation protecting the rights of   Regulation,” until that date.  the 14,000 Europeans on Erasmus   during the transition period
        contracts than their Italian   foreign language lecturers on   foreign  minister  towards                              the 21,000 participants currently   Somewhat surprisingly, the UK   programmes in the UK would not   expected after the withdrawal
        counterparts – shows no sign a   contracts to Italy’s universities   resolving the  lettori  issue, as a               taking part in an Erasmus+ mobility   Government made no mention of   have been able to complete their   agreement had been ratified. With
        resolution as the UK prepares   were downgraded to the lower   token of goodwill as part of post-                      programme involving the UK.   the new regulation when it issued   programmes and might no longer   the British parliament having voted
        to exit the European Union.   status of technician. Such   Brexit Anglo-Italian relations.                               The UK’s leaving date has now   its own update on Erasmus+, on 8   have been eligible for grants. The   down the agreement twice this year,
        Some 30-40 per cent of a total   discrimination is illegal under   Italy’s  current  Five  Star                        been extended until 31 October of   April, almost two weeks after the   7,000 British citizens on programmes   government plans for Erasmus in a
        of around 250  lettori  are UK   EU legislation, as reaffirmed in   Movement/Liga Nord coalition                       this year. The new EU regulation,   European Parliament passed the   abroad were guaranteed funding by   no-deal scenario remain unclear.
        nationals.                 six European Court of Justice   government, though, has shown                               which is now in force, guarantees   measure.          the UK government in 2018 but,   British Universities were given
          The implementation of a new   (ECJ) rulings against Italy. The   no apparent interest in the case.                   funding until 31 January 2020,   Regulation (EU) 2019/499,   despite assurances from ministers   the impression that, in the event
        law designed to compel Italy’s   European Commission has so   Those lettori  who are UK                                                           to give it its full name, began   to the contrary, the guarantee did   of Britain leaving without a deal,
        universities to factor in the costs   far been ineffective, however, in   nationals will no longer be   David Petrie, President of                life as a European Commission   not cover participants from other   the government would create
        of properly paying lettori has been   enforcing “proceedings” against   able to petition the European   the Association of Foreign   PXHERE       ‘contingency proposal’, which the   countries currently in the UK.  an alternative scheme. This is
        delayed. A British Member of the   Italy over the lettori case.  Parliament or the European   Lecturers in Italy, representing                    EU Parliament asked to be put   As well as students on   looking  increasingly  unlikely,
        European Parliament (MEP) has   Shortly after the 2016 UK   Commission after the UK leaves   the lettori at the European                          before it to vote.         exchange programmes at foreign   according to Vivienne Stern of
        recently called for a European   vote to leave the EU, then-  the EU. Currently the ‘transition   Parliament in 2018                                The original proposal had the   universities, Erasmus+ covers   Universities UK, which represent
        Commissioner to “act urgently”   UK Minister for Europe David   period’ – during which ECJ   At the repeated insistence of                        stated aim of protecting “the   those in vocational education   the country’s vice chancellors.
                                                              judgements still apply to UK   the European Commission, Italy                               rights of Erasmus+ participants”   and training, youth learners,   “As we understand it, there is no
                                                              citizens – ends 31 December   passed a law in November 2017                                 in the event the UK left the Union   and educational staff on teacher   money on the table for an alternative
                                                              2020, although this period might   which requires universities to                           without a negotiated deal, the so-  training programmes.   scheme,” she told the Guardian
        LETTORI                                               well be extended.   MEP    ensure adequate funding to pay        EU parliament (pictured here)   called ‘no deal’ scenario. The bill   Erasmus+, due to launch 2020,   newspaper in March, “and no work
                                                                                                                                                                                      The successor programme to
                                                                     Kirton-Darling
                                                                Jude
                                                                                                                                                          is designed to ensure that “in such
                                                                                         lettori  in the future on the same
                                                                                                                                                                                                                is under way in the Department for
                                                                                                                               extended Erasmus+ funds
                                                              recently called for European   contracts as Italian colleagues,   until January 2020        a scenario, students and trainees   is scheduled to see this flagship   Education to prepare one.”
                                                              Justice  Commissioner  Vera  with some state-aided co-funding.
                                                              Jourová to intervene. The    This law will not affect the
                                                                                                                               Irish
                                                              European Parliament Petitions   lettori still fighting their cases,   Irish eye a Brexit  eye a Brexit
                                                              Committee has also referred the   who were employed on contracts
                                                                                                                               bounce for ELTT
                                                              lettori case to the Parliament’s   dating back beyond 1995, and   bounce for EL
                                                              Brexit  Steering  Committee.  in some cases to 1980. The vast
                                                              David T C Davies MP (not to be   majority of these have retired
                                                              confused with former UK Brexit   and some have since died, with   By Matt Salusbury         Economic Area, with 75 per cent
                                                              secretary David Davis MP), has   their cases still being fought by   Figures recently released by   of European students coming
                                                              pledged to ask UK foreign affairs   surviving spouses or children. An   language schools’ association   from Italy and Spain. Among
                                                              minister Sir Alan Duncan to raise   Italian Senate document makes   Marketing English in Ireland   those on courses for juniors, some
                                                              the issue of the British lettori with   clear that the 2017 law has been   (MEI), show that the sector’s   90 per cent are from within the
        UK lettori petition European commissioner Neil Kinnock   incoming Italian Prime Minister   put on hold until October this   total student enrolments for   EEA.
        (fi rst from right) on 5 April 2013                   Giuseppe Conte.            year at the earliest.                 2018 was just over 121,000 –   Just under 25,000 students
                                                                                                                               slightly down on the previous   came from non-EU countries that
                                                                                                                               year’s  record-breaking  total.  don’t need visas for short stays
        French put fees up to attract more students                                                                            However, students seem to be   – Brazil being by far the biggest
                                                                                                                                                          sending country, accounting for
                                                                                                                               staying slightly longer on average
                                                                                                                               – the total number of weeks   three-fifths of non-EU nationals.
        By Matt Salusbury          of the “reception” of international   for non-EU nationals, including   tuition” fee of €2,770 a year   stayed by students last year was   After Brazil, the biggest “non-
        France is investing in improving   students in higher education, as   students, have recently been   for a bachelors’ course, or   an unprecedented 806,000 – five   visa” sending countries were Japan
        facilities for its international   part of an ambitious plan to grow   simplified.  €3,770 for a masters. Part of      per cent up on 2018.       and Mexico. Saudi Arabia, Russia
        students, just as a big increase in   international student numbers   One attraction of France for   the rationale for the rise is that   Three-quarters of students   and China were prominent among
        fees its public-sector universities   to a target of half a million by   international students has been   fees have been so low that they   were  from  the  European  the relatively small proportion of
        can charge non-EU students   2027. Around half the money   the low tuition fees for subsidised   have somehow created a false                           students (8,783) from
        kicks in.                  will go on equipping France’s   higher education. EU nationals   perception that the courses                                 countries whose nationals
          With 300,000 international   higher education providers with a   pay from just €170 per year   were of low quality.                                   require visas.
        students in academic year 2018,   “welcome desk” for international   for a bachelor of arts degree –   Campus  France  has  a  WWW.PIXAEL.COM             Marketing English in
        twelve per cent of the country’s   students.          rising to €600 for subjects such   symposium  in  Strasbourg                                      Ireland’s CEO David
        total student body, France is the   The remainder of the funding   as engineering and €243 for a   planned for May on the theme                         O’Grady noted that as
        world’s fourth-most popular study   is to strengthen English-medium   master degree.   of ‘the quality of reception                                     Brexit nears, it presents
        destination.               course provision, for peer support   Current non-EU students pay   facilities’  for  international                           “the  opportunity  for
          Campus France, the state   for  international  students  just €380, far less than in most   students in France. Topics                                Ireland to become the
        agency  promoting  France’s  and for courses in French as a   competitor countries. Non-EU   include the place of French and                            number one destination
        universities abroad, is putting €10   foreign language. Carte de Sejour   students starting new courses   English in France’s international             in Europe to study
        million into improving the quality   (residency permit) formalities   will now pay a “differentiated   education.      St. Patrick’s Day, Dublin, Ireland  English.”

        EU4                                                                                         May/June 2019              editorial@elgazette.com                                                                               EU5
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