The British Council's director of education and society, Jo Beall, has added her clout to the argument against current UK visa rules, suggesting that "this legislation could be damaging to the UK" and highlighting work rights as influential for international students. The British Council's director of education and society, Jo Beall, has added her clout to the argument against current UK visa rules, suggesting that "unintended consequences of this legislation could be damaging to the UK". In an interview on the
BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Dr Beall pointed out that nearly half of non-EU students at university come in to the country on a pathway or English language programme first.
Such programmes, offered in the private sector of international education, can no longer offer such students part-time work rights. The Today programme heard from John Sanders, Director of Cavendish College, whose school is closing - he said he had witnessed up to 70% drop in demand since work rights were abolished in the private sector.
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Dr Jo Beall spoke on BBC Radio 4's Today programme[/caption]
Beall said she wouldn't be drawn on commenting on individual cases. But she said, "We know, from evidence in our report, that the right to work for a short period after study is something that influences students' choices and decision-making. We're concerned that the UK, in a very competitive higher education landscape, doesn't lose out."
In further comments cited by
Times Higher Education, she went further and said that the visa crackdown could result in a few more jobs for young Britons "flipping hamburgers and pulling pints", but at a great cost. She made the remarks as the British Council sent a report to the government on the US and Australian experience with student-visa restrictions - later relaxed in both countries after drops in international student numbers.
"The worst-case scenario is that these short-term gains - of a few more young people flipping hamburgers and pulling pints who are British - [come] at the cost of the strength of our industrial innovation, our research and development base, our reputation as a higher education provider, which is second in the world at the moment," she said.
The British Council report cites Department for Business, Innovation and Skills research estimating that UK education exports were worth £14.1 billion in 2008-09. Universities Australia estimated that student visa tightening cost Australia A$428 million (£292 million) in 2010, it notes.
"The government has genuinely not understood how interconnected and interlinked the tertiary education sector is"
While stating the British Council's support for the government's efforts "not to have bogus students in the country" she added, "The government has genuinely not understood how interconnected and interlinked the tertiary education sector is."
Meanwhile, Damian Green, the immigration minister, used combative language last week when speaking about immigration and
announcing a new "student entrepreneur" visa. He questioned the value of international students to the UK: “There is scope for further examination of whether and to what extent foreign student tuition fees boost the UK economy and crucially how UK residents ultimately benefit from that,” he claimed.
The British Council’s director of education and society, Jo Beall, has added her clout to the argument against current UK visa rules, suggesting that “unintended consequences of this legislation could be damaging to the UK”. In an interview on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Dr Beall pointed out that nearly half of non-EU students at university come in to the country on a pathway or English language programme first.
Such programmes, offered in the private sector of international education, can no longer offer such students part-time work rights. The Today programme heard from John Sanders, Director of Cavendish College, whose school is closing – he said he had witnessed up to 70% drop in demand since work rights were abolished in the private sector.
Dr Jo Beall spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme
Beall said she wouldn’t be drawn on commenting on individual cases. But she said, “We know, from evidence in our report, that the right to work for a short period after study is something that influences students’ choices and decision-making. We’re concerned that the UK, in a very competitive higher education landscape, doesn’t lose out.”
In further comments cited by Times Higher Education, she went further and said that the visa crackdown could result in a few more jobs for young Britons “flipping hamburgers and pulling pints”, but at a great cost. She made the remarks as the British Council sent a report to the government on the US and Australian experience with student-visa restrictions – later relaxed in both countries after drops in international student numbers.
“The worst-case scenario is that these short-term gains – of a few more young people flipping hamburgers and pulling pints who are British – [come] at the cost of the strength of our industrial innovation, our research and development base, our reputation as a higher education provider, which is second in the world at the moment,” she said.
The British Council report cites Department for Business, Innovation and Skills research estimating that UK education exports were worth £14.1 billion in 2008-09. Universities Australia estimated that student visa tightening cost Australia A$428 million (£292 million) in 2010, it notes.
“The government has genuinely not understood how interconnected and interlinked the tertiary education sector is”
While stating the British Council’s support for the government’s efforts “not to have bogus students in the country” she added, “The government has genuinely not understood how interconnected and interlinked the tertiary education sector is.”
Meanwhile, Damian Green, the immigration minister, used combative language last week when speaking about immigration and announcing a new “student entrepreneur” visa. He questioned the value of international students to the UK: “There is scope for further examination of whether and to what extent foreign student tuition fees boost the UK economy and crucially how UK residents ultimately benefit from that,” he claimed.
