Deputy First Minister John Swinney announces that funding will remain in place for those EU students who start their courses in 2017
THE Scottish Government has given further reassurance to EU students studying in Scotland that funding will remain in place for those students starting in 2017.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney made the announcement at the SNP conference in Glasgow on Friday that EU students will benefit from free tuition and associated support for the duration of their courses from 2017/2018.
The education secretary said: “We will guarantee their funding. But what I demand is that the Tory-Brexit government guarantee their right to stay here during the studies and work here after their studies.
“They are not ‘cards’ to be played.
“They are human beings.
“But what I demand is that the Tory-Brexit government guarantee their right to stay here during the studies and work here after their studies.” John Swinney
“To use them as negotiating chips is obscene and we will have no part of it.”
The news is an extension of a guarantee given in a joint statement from the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland in the summer that students beginning courses in September 2016 would have funding guaranteed.
The joint statement also called for the reintroduction of a post-work visa to allow international students to remain in Scotland and contribute to the Scottish economy once they finish their studies.
Furthermore, the SNP is calling for powers to introduce post-study work visas to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
A topical resolution was also passed on Friday featuring a speech from Greg Brain – whose family face deportation to Australia earlier this year, despite arriving in Scotland on a visa scheme – calling for an immigration policy that suits Scotland’s needs.
“The decision by the UK Government to scrap the post-study work visa was a huge mistake in the first place.” Kate Forbes MSP
Kate Forbes MSP said: “People who choose to come to live and work in our country are not the sort of people we want to kick out.
“The decision by the UK Government to scrap the post-study work visa was a huge mistake in the first place.
“It’s time that Scotland took control of the powers we need to fix this.”
Meanwhile, John Swinney announced plans to “re-invigorate” local government by trusting people to make “the big decisions about their future”.
“We aim to achieve nothing less than to transform our democratic landscape, protect and renew public services and refresh the relationship between citizens, communities and councils.” John Swinney
With the Scottish Government already having launched a review of how school education is governed, Swinney told the SNP conference that he wants to look at the role and responsibility of the local authorities.
Swinney said: “We aim to achieve nothing less than to transform our democratic landscape, protect and renew public services and refresh the relationship between citizens, communities and councils.
“We do this not because it is radical – and it is – but because we believe it is right.
“We aim to achieve nothing less than to transform our democratic landscape, protect and renew public services and refresh the relationship between citizens, communities and councils.” John Swinney
“We do it not because it is easy –it’s not – but because it is in the national interest.”
Swinney added: “We believe that national interest lies in placing power in the people of this country’s hands. It is why I believe in independence.
“Just as we believe the best people to decide the future of our country, are those who live here, so we believe the best people to decide the future of our communities are the people who live in those communities.
“We will trust the people to make the big decisions about their future.”
Picture courtesy of Scottish Government
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