Educators can help repair and grow the global economy - British Council Chief
19 November 2010
As England and Wales celebrate International Education Week, the British Council is calling on educators to help repair and grow the global economy, and urging them not to downgrade their international education work as budget cuts start to bite.
Martin Davidson, British Council Chief Executive said: “Although we face economic issues, we must not lose sight of the value an international dimension brings to our education. We have a responsibility to help repair and grow the global economy. Accepting our place in the global community by embracing an international approach is not only important, it is imperative.”
Global economic growth is not a ‘zero sum game’, he said. “It is important to be competitive within the international market and to ensure that our citizens and students have the necessary skills to compete. But when it comes to education, an expanding economy benefits everyone. It is not about fighting for a bigger slice of the pie but about working together to bake a bigger pie.”
More institutions and employers are requesting that students and new employees have some form of international education.
“Studies show that students and trainees who have been able to spend time overseas tend to be more tolerant, more respective of other cultures, have improved critical thinking, greater maturity and become more entrepreneurial. All of which adds up to a more employable person who is better equipped to operate in an international environment.”
Developing an international dimension also broadens the perspective of teachers and can improve the quality of training. It prepares children for living in a global society and working in a global economy.
Schools working together on joint international projects improves students’ communication and ICT skills, encourages language learning and deepens their understanding of other societies and cultures, and their own. “It can also have a positive impact on motivation and achievement and help create a more connected world to the future,” Mr Davidson said.
“We find ourselves in a ‘Have Skills Will Travel’ world and future generations are likely to be even more globally mobile. We cannot afford to get left behind.”
Schools throughout England and Wales are celebrating their international connections during International Education Week which runs from 15-19 November, and is being championed by the British Council this year. The British Council supports this international work through a broad range of programmes that helps educators prepare children and young people for living in a global society and working in a global economy.
For more information contact Mark Moulding in the British Council Press Office on 020 7389 4889 or mark.moulding@britishcouncil.org
Notes to Editors
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We work in over 100 countries worldwide to build opportunity and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people. We work in the Arts, English, Education and Society, including science and sport - and in the process contribute to the security and prosperity of the UK and the countries where we work. Last year we engaged face to face with 18.4 million people and reached 652 million. We are a non-political organisation which operates at arm’s length from government. Our total turnover in 2009/10 was £705 million, of which our grant-in-aid from the British government was £211 million. For every £1 of government grant we receive, we earn £2.50 from other sources. For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org
International Education Week began in 2000 in the USA and was established in England and Wales in 2004. It is now celebrated annually in November in more than 100 countries throughout the world. This year, the British Council is taking the lead role in championing International Education Week in England and Wales by encouraging schools to celebrate their international links and to showcase the ways in which embedding an international dimension in their curriculum has benefited students, teachers and the wider school community.
