Three cheers for good old Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus - Vladimir McTavish
It’s good to see the UK government finally taking some steps to redress the economic and cultural vandalism caused by leaving the EU.
Finally it was announced this week that Britain will be re- joining the Erasmus+ scheme, which allows students to take part in an extended exchange with a European university.
Founded in the late 1980s, Erasmus covers sport and the arts as well as education. Its aim was and remains to foster cultural links across the continent and to help young people develop skills beyond conventional teaching.
Yet, an entire generation of British students have been denied this opportunity for the best part of a decade, due to Brexit.
The Tories have accused the government of “betraying Brexit” and “caving into the EU.” Of the 52 per cent of the population who voted to leave the European Union in 2016, how many did so to deny our young people a life-enhancing opportunity such as studying abroad? Very few, I would guess, outside of the usual small-minded suspects.
Final-year students in this country had no vote in the referendum of ten years ago, being 11 years old at the time. It is a shame that their older peers were denied this chance due to the knee-jerk voting of their elders.
The daughter of an Irish friend of mine is now half-way through an honours degree at the University of Utrecht. Not only will she leave with an honours degree, but she will do so having learned a new language and experienced three years of living in a foreign country.
These are life skills not covered by traditional higher education. Had her parents been tax-payers in the UK, this opportunity would not have been open to her.
But from 2027, up to 100,00 young people from this country will again to be able to travel and learn. Small consolation to their elder siblings, but worth celebrating.
It’s been a tough decade for Gen Z, with Brexit and the pandemic. It’s great there’s something for school-leavers to look forward to as we enter New Year.