Page 6 - ELG2104 Apr Issue 475

TEACHER TRAINING NEWS .

Exit Erasmus

How will studying abroad work in a post-Erasmus UK?

By Melanie Butler British universities are likely to be take the
On 26 December 2020, just one day after worst hit. Although there is funding for UK
Christmas, the UK government withdrew students to study abroad, Turing does not
from Erasmus, the European Union scheme provide any funding for students coming to PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK
for student and staff mobility, citing the cost. Britain to study on exchange.
In its place, it has introduced its own £100 With UK university fees the fifth highest
million per annum Turing scheme, which aims in the world, this could present problems,
to send 35,000 students a year abroad for work as a blog from Higher Education think tank
or study. Wonkhe explains: “It’s uncontroversial
No staff are to be included in the scheme, to say that the success of any exchange
a particular blow to UK EFL teacher-training programme is based on the mutual
providers which have long benefited from willingness of exchange. The Government
Erasmus funding. This leaves two remaining has conspicuously committed to fund
English-speaking EU members, the Republic only ‘outward’ mobilities, a somewhat
of Ireland and Malta, which are likely to see puzzling decision given that reciprocity is
their market share soar (see below). a fundamental principle for any successful
Anger at the UK government’s decision has international exchange programme.”
been particularly fierce in the Celtic nations Before the new scheme was up and running, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin
of Great Britain. Attempts by the governments UK universities were reported to already
of Scotland and Wales to use their power be organising exchanges for the 2021-2022 However, most training specialists are either
over their own education systems to remain academic year using unspent Erasmus funds, running full-cost courses aimed mostly at
in Erasmus were vetoed by the European held over during the pandemic. The University teachers from outside the EU or are moving
Commission in February on the grounds that of Alicante in Spain has already signed their operations abroad. NILE in Norwich
only nation states can join. exchange agreements with 40 UK universities, has twinned the Galway Language Centre in
Students in Northern Ireland though, will according to University World News. Ireland and ESE on Malta to deliver teacher-
be able to access Erasmus exchanges, with the Unspent Erasmus funds are also helping a training courses, while Pilgrims, part of the
government of the neighbouring Irish Republic handful of UK language schools to train EU OISE group, is running its courses from the
promising to fund their Erasmus grants. teachers this summer. University of Limerick.

Case study: Malta

Will Malta benefit from the UK leaving Erasmus by becoming a major training provider for
European teachers? The short answer: it already is one.
An astonishing 15 out of the 35 accredited language schools on this multilingual
archipelago offer at least one Erasmus teacher-training course, with one school – ETI in
Valetta – welcoming 500 EU teachers a year.
Other schools offer Erasmus-funded courses, including the islands’ oldest language
centre, NSTS, which offers refresher courses combining methodology with English
improvement. Similar courses are offered from centres including AM, Maltalingua, ICQT
and Irish-owned Alpha.
Erasmus funding is focused on a number of educational areas, such as English at
primary and secondary education. Both are on offer from Gateway School of English,
along with the use of technology in the classroom, which you can find at the University ESE’s school in Malta
Language School and, together with CLIL courses, at EasySL, Link and Alpha.
CLIL, another Erasmus priority, is an obvious fit in a country with a bilingual school system. The main language of instruction is
English in the private system and Maltese in state schools, but learning in a second language is a given. English Domain specialises in
CLIL, as does ACE English, which also offers a course on teaching children with dyslexia.
European School of English (ESE) has teamed up with CLIL pioneers and UK training giant NILE Norwich to offer eight Erasmus
courses, while International House Malta offers seven, plus an additional eight other IH World courses.
“The news that the UK will no longer participate directly in the Erasmus+ programme is hugely disappointing for all,” says Sean
LeGault, CEO of ESE. “This exclusion will not just affect mobility training in the UK, but will impact all student mobilities in British
universities and educational institutions. Thanks to the partnership with NILE, ESE can now offer our partner’s excellent teacher
development programmes here in Malta, thus offering the opportunity for all trainees within the next Erasmus+ programme to
participate in English-medium programmes in a warm and welcoming English-medium environment, bringing the best of the UK
and Malta together.”
The sheer range of Erasmus-funded training courses, and the number of providers, is extraordinary for a country of just 442,000
inhabitants. The multilingual nature of the culture and the education system gives it an advantage as a major teacher training centre
– but is there room to grow?

6 April 2021