Page 6 - ELG2109 Sep Issue 477

NEWS .

British Council struggles to survive as

UK cuts cultural relations to 20 countries

By Melanie Butler
The British Government has
slashed its funding to the British PHOTO BY DAVID LAKE
Council by reducing the so-called
Grant-in-Aid, which covers
much of the Council’s work on
educational development and
cultural relations. The money
represents just 15% of the
Council’s income in its annual
report, compared to 56% of the
Council’s £1.3 billion turnover
generated by English language
teaching and exams.
Reports in the UK press that
the Council would not have
a presence in 20 countries is
exaggerated. The Council has
confirmed that, while financial
difficulties will lead inevitably
to cuts in staff and operations,
many of the teaching centres
and exam services, which are Boris Johnson, then Foreign Secretary, at the British Council Teaching Centre in Chile in 2018
self-funding, will remain open in
countries no longer funded by the British Council told the Gazette, with its existing migration policy. accreditation schemes, the fourth,
Government. “In the future we may also deliver Currently all migrants to the ABLS, having folded during the
“As a result of a ministerial additional cultural relations work, UK and some international pandemic.
decision, we will no longer be provided these can be funded by students must take a Secure In recent months, many
able to spend Grant-in-Aid in other sources.” English Language Test, of which UK schools have called for an
as many countries as we do IELTS, with some three million alternative to the Council, whose
today,” a British Council The strategy of candidates a year, is by far the online teaching is seen as “direct
spokesperson confirmed. “We are largest. Exams must be taken in competition”.
still working through what this operating online, a secure English language test Industry observers argue that in
means for each country.” centre, which in the case of IELTS its fight for survival, the Council
However, the spokesperson adopted for must be run either by the Council cannot surrender its income
emphasised that, “Where it is still Grant-in-Aid work or by IDP, one of the world’s from 250,000 online learners in
viable to do so, we aim to continue biggest language travel agencies, order to continue to help run an
existing teaching or exam in some countries, which is – or was until recently – accreditation scheme delivered
operations in these countries. majority owned by a consortium at cost. Under current UK
Grant-in-Aid programming will is another of Australian universities. immigration rules, English UK
cease entirely in 11 countries, cornerstone in Does the UK want all the profits members are free to apply for
including English-speaking Australia, from its immigration testing system accreditation by BAC or ASIC.
Canada, New Zealand and the the Council’s fight to end up in Australia? This would leave the Council free
USA. Operations in Afghanistan, for survival The strategy of operating to run language schools in the UK
where many teachers were left in online, adopted for Grant-in- or, a much more profitable option,
fear of their lives when the UK Aid work in some countries, bring in children and teachers
Government refused to evacuate In an additional nine countries is another cornerstone in the from its existing overseas summer
them, have already closed. the Council are proposing that Council’s fight for survival, as schools, observers believe.
Exam services and online Grant-in-Aid programming will their spokesperson makes clear. Meanwhile, the British Council
teaching are currently on-going be run remotely from a “We will also be expanding our is planning major cutbacks:
in Namibia, Sierra Leone, South neighbouring country. These online opportunities that will be “Despite everyone’s efforts, we
Sudan and Belgium. In Uruguay, include Bosnia & Herzegovina, open to everyone with an internet are clear that we will be unable
the Council continues to work Croatia, Kosovo, Malta, connection. For example, learning to sustain ourselves financially in
through its partner the Instituto Montenegro, North Macedonia, English online, taking part in the years ahead unless we take
Cultural Anglo-Uruguayano. Slovakia and Slovenia, where teacher training or visiting a film further action,” a spokesperson
Meanwhile in Chile, the British the Council currently runs exam or arts festival remotely,” they told made clear.
Council Teaching Centre (visited services. In Switzerland, the the Gazette. “Our estimate is that, sadly,
by Boris Johnson in 2018 – see exam centres are being run by Council plans to continue we will need to reduce the
picture above) is continuing to Australia’s IDP. to expand its online language overall number of roles across
offer face-to-face teaching. Unless the British Council teaching will infuriate many in our organisation by around 15-
All Government money to continues running exam centres the UK ELT industry, who see its 20% over two years. We will do
these countries for cultural at a profit, the Government primary role as a partner with the whatever we can to reduce the
relations has been cut, but the faces a dilemma in continuing biggest of the UK’s three extant number of colleagues impacted.”
6 September 2021