UK Government urged to continue Erasmus+ programme after Brexit

Scottish Ministers are urging the UK Government to continue a popular European exchange programme after Brexit.

MPs voted against an amendment in the withdrawl agreement last week requiring the government to seek continued participation in Erasmus+, and officials in the Treasury and the Department for Education have suggested that Britain’s participation in the scheme could end this year.

Proportionally more Scots take part in Erasmus+ than from any other country in the UK.

Between 2014 and 2018, 14,000 participants from Scotland reaped benefits of the EU-led scheme, securing over 90 million euros in funding.

Further and Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead said:

''Every year, thousands of Scottish students, teachers and young people benefit from the popular Erasmus+ scheme which gives people experience of other countries and cultures and helps build confidence and language skills.

The UK Government gave assurances that all options were open, but this worrying development raises the prospect that the door to this fantastic cultural, educational and sporting exchange will slam shut.

There is broad support for Scotland continuing to benefit from the many social and cultural opportunities abroad, while welcoming EU nationals to our country, and I’ll be seeking urgent assurances from the Department for Education that people in Scotland won’t miss out.''

Glasgow universities say leaving the scheme would be ''hugely detrimental” to students, who “really value the opportunities''.

A Universities Scotland spokesperson said: ''We are pleased the universities minister has confirmed the government is still open to participation.

Universities and our students really value the opportunities that Erasmus offers.''

They said the country’s economy benefits ''as graduates bring back wider cultural awareness, global skills and networks to local businesses''.

''The Erasmus scheme is set to expand further this decade which presents a whole host of opportunities for member countries,” the spokesperson added. “We do not want Scots to miss out on this.

The UK Government must commit to continued study abroad funding, either through full association to the Erasmus programme or through a national replacement scheme.''

Over 2500 people at Scottish universities worked or studied abroad through Erasmus in 2016/17.

The Department for Education spokesperson said: ''As we enter negotiations with the EU, we want to ensure that UK and European students can continue to benefit from each other’s world-leading education systems.''