‘A no-deal Brexit would hurt post-16 education’
ANO-DEAL Brexit would be significantly disruptive to both the higher and further education sectors in Wales, a National Assembly committee has concluded.
As part of its Impact of Brexit on Higher and Further Education inquiry, the Children, Young People and Education Committee has looked at both the challenges and opportunities Brexit poses for the education sectors.
The committee concluded that even with a broadly favourable withdrawal agreement, it is probable that many key areas of university and college activity would need to make changes.
It said that despite Treasury funding guarantees, a no-deal Brexit would be significantly disruptive to both sectors – particularly higher education, where a wide range of international collaborations and participation in research networks is linked to the free movement of UK and EU staff and students.
Evidence received identified few opportunities for either sector arising from Brexit in the short term, and those that were raised were done so in the context of making the best of Brexit.
Labour AM Lynne Neagle, who chairs the Children, Young People and Education Committee, said: “Brexit will undoubtedly have a disruptive impact on both higher and further education, and while we recognise that there are shared themes across the sectors, the impact on both will be different.
“The committee is very concerned that the almost inevitable change from the current immigration system will have a detrimental impact on universities.
“To reduce uncertainty, there must be as little change as possible to the rules governing the movement of EU students and staff – that is why we are calling on the Welsh Government to be proactive in trying to secure the executive powers it needs to allow them to make spatially different immigration rules specifically for students and academic staff in Wales.
“To help ensure disruption to international movement is kept to a minimum, we must also understand what motivates EU and other international students to come to Wales to study.
“We believe the Welsh Government should commission research to answer this question.
“The Welsh Government must also recognise the fundamental importance of research and innovation to the prosperity of Wales.
“There is a danger that Wales could fall behind England and Scotland in funding these activities in what is an extremely competitive setting.”
NUS Wales president Gwyneth Sweatman said: “We share the committee’s conclusion that Brexit – and particularly, a no-deal Brexit – would be disastrous for education and for students.
“The committee’s recommendations echo the demands we set out in our Brexit position paper in October, which was sent directly to the Prime Minister.
“Brexit threatens the very fabric of post-16 education in Wales – from student mobility and sustainable student finance to funding arrangements and research partnerships.
“As MPs prepare for the Meaningful Vote next week, we urge them to think very carefully about how Brexit will damage the current and future prospects of Welsh students.
“Since June 2016, more and more people have awoken to the reality that any version of Brexit would be calamitous.
“That’s why we must now be given another opportunity to have our say, in full possession of the facts, in a People’s Vote.”