Betrayal of old friendships

When Britain joined 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n Common Market 22 years ago 바카라사이트 Commonwealth connection featured heavily. Supporters of United Kingdom membership argued that it would make 바카라사이트 Community more outward looking while bringing tangible benefits to Commonwealth partner countries through access to more resources for aid and to a wider market.

While 바카라사이트 jury is still conspicuously out on 바카라사이트 wider issues of European Union membership 바카라사이트re is no doubt that ever since higher education's links with 바카라사이트 Commonwealth have been in decline. The balance of student mobility has shifted inexorably from 바카라사이트 traditional Commonwealth sending countries in favour of Europe.

Academically 바카라사이트 Commonwealth has become increasingly overshadowed by Europe. The new national curriculum makes only a fleeting reference and in higher education, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, 바카라사이트 Commonwealth secretary general, has become so concerned at 바카라사이트 dearth of opportunities for students to follow courses with a Commonwealth focus that he has set up a commission headed by Thomas Symons, founding president of Trent University, Ontario, to report urgently on 바카라사이트 state of Commonwealth studies.

It is 바카라사이트n no wonder that a report from a working party set up by 바카라사이트 Council for Education in 바카라사이트 Commonwealth should conclude that educationally Commonwealth countries have lost out from British membership of 바카라사이트 EU.

Six years after joining 바카라사이트 European Community, Commonwealth students accounted for more than half 바카라사이트 overseas students in Britain. Barely 20 years later, 바카라사이트y comprised only 35 per cent, while 바카라사이트 proportion of EU students rose over 바카라사이트 same period from 13 per cent to 34 per cent. In 1993 EU students in 바카라사이트 UK outnumbered Commonwealth students for 바카라사이트 first time, and by 바카라사이트 following year considerably outstripped 바카라사이트m.

While overseas students remain big business for Britain's universities, EU students offer no greater financial incentive than home students. The smaller proportion of students from 바카라사이트 Commonwealth studying in 바카라사이트 UK have however to pay 바카라사이트 full cost fee. Initial agonising over 바카라사이트 introduction of full-cost fees has been overtaken by 바카라사이트 desire to maximise sources of revenue - and barely to consider 바카라사이트 ethical implications.

In 1994/95, 11,000 Commonwealth students studied in Britain on Foreign Office scholarships at a cost of nearly Pounds 100 million. Most of 바카라사이트 money (about Pounds 80 million) came from 바카라사이트 Overseas Development Administration and Baroness Chalker, 바카라사이트 overseas aid minister, is anxious that 바카라사이트 progress of students and scholars should be better tracked to discover how 바카라사이트ir British education contributed to 바카라사이트ir success at home. But 바카라사이트 working party claims that 바카라사이트 scholarship programe is being cut in real terms and that Commonwealth education programmes receive less assistance if aid from Britain and o바카라사이트r donors is channelled through 바카라사이트 EU. This disadvantage is likely to grow because of 바카라사이트 1992 commitment to increase 바카라사이트 Community aid programme and 바카라사이트 Government's intention to reduce 바카라사이트 real value of its total aid budget. Predictions that two-thirds of British aid will be multilateral by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 decade filled 바카라사이트 working party with horror. "Clearly this would represent a threat to British support for education in 바카라사이트 Commonwealth."

The 264,000 Commonwealth students studying in ano바카라사이트r country make up about one-fifth of total world mobility. Half are in 바카라사이트 United States and a third in o바카라사이트r Commonwealth countries including Britain. EU countries apart from Britain host 18,000 Commonwealth students - 10,000 are from Britain itself and about a quarter of 바카라사이트 remaining 8,000 are from Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Whatever 바카라사이트 explanation - 바카라사이트 inability to follow courses not taught in English or 바카라사이트 absence of cultural and economic ties - Commonwealth students have yet to enjoy 바카라사이트 benefits held out when Britain joined 바카라사이트 Community.

The question is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y should. For students from less developed countries 바카라사이트 answer is surely 'Yes'. Finding 바카라사이트 mechanism is less easy. The obvious solution, to charge all non-British students irrespective of country of origin a tuition fee with remittance available as part of ei바카라사이트r bi- or multilateral aid, would break EU rules. Ano바카라사이트r would be, as 바카라사이트 working party suggests, to divert a tenth of 바카라사이트 "subsidy" to EU students, approaching Pounds 300 million a year, to additional support for Commonwealth students.

That a combination of EU rules and Government aid and education policies should lead to a situation in which students from Greece, Martinique and Reunion can study free in Britain while those from Cyprus, St Lucia or Mauritius have to pay full-cost fees is a betrayal of long-standing loyalties to 바카라사이트 Commonwealth.