The Educational Institute of Scotland union (EIS) moved a motion at the STUC Youth Conference amid concern about the impact on higher education as a result of a “hard” Brexit
THE STUC Youth Conference has raised serious concerns for the future of young people’s opportunities in higher education if a “hard” Brexit is delivered.
Following negotiations to leave the EU after last year’s referendum, the conference agreed that there will be an adverse impact on all sectors of Scottish education, and in particular, higher education will feel the effects of a hard Brexit by losing EU and overseas staff and students.
In addition, the conference highlighted that there will be a cut in EU research funding and less collaboration with EU universities.
Dan Thompson from Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), who moved the motion, said: “Universities across Scotland have staff from the EU and overseas as well as students, and research funding and collaboration drives the work in these establishments.
“That is why this motion is asking for the STUC Youth Committee to work with the Scottish Government and other relevant bodies to mitigate any potential effect for students.” Dan Thompson, EIS
“A hard Brexit will affect all of this. That is why this motion is asking for the STUC Youth Committee to work with the Scottish Government and other relevant bodies to mitigate any potential effect for students.”
Sean McLaughlin from the Unite Union, who seconded the motion, told conference this was an “incredibility dangerous time” for young people and that it would have a “detrimental impact” on their lives if the Tory government pandered to “the rightwing masses”.
McLaughlin said: “For the 2014-2020 programming period, Scotland secured a total investment of €941m split across the European Regional Development (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF).
“For the 2014-2020 programming period, Scotland secured a total investment of €941m split across the European Regional Development (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF).” Sean McLaughlan, Unite
“That money equals jobs, equals infrastructure, equals opportunities for our young people, and now it’s all gone.
“Similarly, Scottish universities also benefit from access to the EU Programme Horizon 2020 funding for research and development. Since January 2014, Scottish organisations were awarded over €111m funding, which is 1.5 per cent of the total awarded Horizon 2020 budget to date.
“This figure also equates to 10.5 per cent of the funding allocated to the UK (over €1bn).”
Colleges Scotland has indicated that the capital programme for colleges in the last 10 years invested only half of the £1bn bill towards the college secor.
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The European Regional Development Fund contribution to the college capital project would be around 20 to 25 per cent, which is estimated at around £250m for the college sector in Scotland, but it is considerably higher in the most deprived areas such as Lanarkshire and Glasgow.
McLaughlin added: “That’s £250m of EU funding for some of the most deprived areas now gone.
“That’s a £250m black hole that will increase and widen the attainment gap.”
According to the STUC Youth Conference, a hard Brexit will lead to higher education becoming “less diverse, less international, less active and more insular”.
The STUC Youth Conference will work with the Scottish Government and other relevant bodies to try and mitigate against the potential detrimental effects on Scottish education from the UK leaving the EU.
STUC Youth will work with the Scottish Government and other relevant bodies to try and mitigate against the potential detrimental effects on Scottish education from the UK leaving the EU.
Additionally, conference called on the STUC General Council to campaign on the right of EU nationals to remain in Scotland following UK withdrawal from the EU, especially those who work in Scottish universities, and to fight to retain freedom of movement for young people post-Brexit to enable them to enjoy education and employment opportunities within the EU.
Picture courtesy of University of Edinburgh
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