Volunteers to teach asylum seekers English

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–A campaign aimed at embarrassing the government into revoking its ban on free English lessons for asylum seekers by mobilising volunteers to teach them is being launched today. The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (Niace) full story

Academics petition over ‘spying’

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–Academics and students have presented a petition to Downing Street, urging the government to withdraw new immigration rules for overseas students in the UK. From next March, universities will be expected to monitor whether full story

Asylum seekers need free English classes, urges campaign

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–Asylum seekers should be entitled to free English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and not have to wait until their claims for asylum have been approved. This is the principle aim of A Right to a Voice – a campaign being launched in London today, full story

Downturn ‘could hit universities’

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–Universities could be in serious financial trouble if foreign students decide they can no longer afford to study in Britain. Many British universities rely on funds brought in by overseas students. But the British Council, which promotes education overseas, fears the economic downturn may deter international students from coming to the UK. full story

Overseas student ID cards begin

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–The fingerprinting of overseas students for biometric identity cards has begun for those extending their visas. It is the first phase of tighter visa restrictions which will eventually affect more than 300,000 people applying to study in the UK each year. The tougher rules are intended to prevent the abuse of student visas as a way of gaining entry to the UK. full story

Leap in students choosing to study in US

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–The number of overseas students at US universities has shot to a decade high, sparking fears that UK universities will miss out on their share of the market. Almost 624,000 international students enrolled at US universities in 2007-08 – a 7% rise on full story

Obama win could hit recruitment of foreign students

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–Barack Obama’s historic election could hit the ability of British universities to recruit lucrative overseas students. Universities in the UK have benefited from the negative perception of America around the world since the September 11 terrorist attacks and the tightening of visa requirements that followed. full story

UK rolls out new rules for foreign students

LONDON–Pakistani students who want to study in the UK from March onwards will have to be ‘sponsored’ by colleges and universities that have acquired a licence from the UK Border Agency.
These new rules were announced by the Home Office on October 30 as part of a delivery plan for the student tier of the Australian-style points system. The system will clamp down full story

From Egypt to Brunei, British schools are growing in popularity

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–The Empire may be long gone, but there is one remnant of Britain’s colonial past on which the sun never sets. British schools abroad are booming. Last year, more than 1,200 opened across the world. Older, more established British international schools are vastly over-subscribed, with many embarking on building projects to meet the growing demand full story