The UK’s decision to leave the European Union has been a continuing topic of interest in both national and international news since the result of the referendum and there are still many questions left to be answered as to how the country might be affected. The first big change to the country will be our Prime Minister, following David Cameron’s surprise resignation, and until then we can only guess what changes to policy might take place. With no known plan as to how to proceed with the separation from the EU, the United Kingdom now finds itself in a state of uncertainty with no clear answers in sight.
One thing that is definite is that the changes to come will be wide-reaching and not just limited to international travel or trade. The educational institutions of the UK must also face this uncertain future, most obviously in terms of the future status of international students and teachers. With numerous possible outcomes, it is hard to know what to expect: the weakening of the pound might mean that independent schools become more affordable to international families looking to send their children to the UK, however this will most likely come with more red-tape and possible complications to the migration processes once new borders-based legislation comes into effect.
But if the weakened pound does make for more affordable private education then the number of international applications might increase, attracting a wider number of talent to the UK’s private institutions. However, another possible outcome is that due to the currency drop, universities and independent schools will use the opportunity to increase fees in order to maintain a higher profit; in turn meaning a higher fee-level for domestic families as well.
According to Universities UK there are currently 125,000 EU students at British universities, generating more than £2.2 billion for the economy along with creating 19,000 jobs within the sector. This is likely to be effected once the UK formally leaves the European Union. Along with this, the fact that the UK will certainly lose out on funding it currently receives from the EU for its higher education institutions means there is much apprehension about whether or not Britain will be able to generate the same amount of money once Article 50 has been enacted.
But it’s not just international families who will have to consider the changes brought forth by the referendum results: the General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, Russell Hobby, summed up his main concerns about the status of the school system when he said “In terms of education policy, the short term impact is likely to be distraction and delay. There are vital policies already in the pipeline that need a clear focus. ”
One such vital policy is the new ‘national funding formula’, which plans to create a new funding system in order to lower the discrepancies in per-pupil funding between different areas of the country. Having finally been pushed forward after years of campaigning from politicians and school leaders, the national funding formula must make an unexpected return to a status of uncertainty following the present government situation.
And until we know who is to replace David Cameron as the UK’s Prime Minister, it is particularly hard to estimate what developments are to take place. Without knowing what our next PM’s stance and history on education is, it is impossible to say how the nation’s school systems might develop and adapt to post-EU Britain.
With the former Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, as a possible successor to Cameron, we are also given a reminder of just how much government policy can affect the education system; the Tory leader candidate had a controversial and divisive run in his previous role and attracted the ire of many within the school professions.
Gove’s reforms to educational policy brought changes to school curriculum and grading systems and he also oversaw a leap in the number of academies created- which rose from 203 to 4095. His four years as Secretary of State for Education split opinions within the profession, with many feeling his approach to be out of touch and misguided, although a less vocal minority viewed him as providing a more robust and academic environment for both students and teachers.
Whether you approved of Gove’s educational reforms or not, there is no doubt that his brief stint in charge of the sector brought about very notable changes to the learning experience of students, as well as the working environment for teachers and school leaders. This serves as a reminder of the power that policy can hold over education, and how pronounced the resulting changes can be.