Britain: An official handbook > 1977

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EDUCATIONAL
RESEARCH
INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS
Britain and the
European
Community
Overseas
Students
in Britain
BRITAIN 1977: AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
Research into the theory and practice of education and the organisation of
educational services is supported financially by the education departments,
local education authorities, philanthropic organisations, universities and
teachers’ associations. The Schools Council and the Social Science Research
Council are additional channels for government support.
The major institute undertaking research in education, outside the universi¬
ties, is the National Foundation for Educational Research in England and
Wales, an autonomous body which derives its income mainly from corporate
members, including local education authorities, teachers’ organisations and
universities and from an annual grant from the Department of Education and
Science. There are also the Scottish Council for Research in Education and the
Northern Ireland Council for Educational Research.
Some research is undertaken at the former colleges of education, at poly¬
technics and by a few independent research organisations.
There are many opportunities for overseas students to study in Britain and
for British students to study abroad and some British teachers serve overseas
for a period.
British membership of the European Community is creating closer educational
ties with other member countries. Both at school level and in the colleges and
universities there has been an expansion of interest in European studies and
languages. Post-to-post exchanges of teachers have been encouraged by
government-sponsored schemes which are administered by the Central
Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges. The bureau also makes appoint¬
ments available to European teachers wishing to teach in Britain and negotiates
posts on an in-service training basis for British teachers wishing to further
their experience in another European country. Britain has adhered to the
Statute of the European Schools (six of which have been established through¬
out the Community) to provide school education for children of people em¬
ployed in the European Community institutions. Negotiations are in progress
to promote recognition of professional qualifications which will enable qualified
people to practise anywhere in the Community.
Students come to Britain from countries throughout the world to study at
universities or other educational institutions or for professional training. In
the academic year 1974-75 there were about 100,000 overseas students in
Britain, of whom about 28,000 were at universities, another 34,000 at technical
colleges and the remainder learning English or training as teachers, nurses, for
the law, banking and accountancy, or in industry. About 46 per cent of all over¬
seas students were from the Commonwealth and about three-quarters were
from developing countries.
As part of British technical assistance to developing countries, the Ministry
of Overseas Development supports some 10,000 students with subsistence and
fees, encourages the development of special courses of particular value to
students from developing countries and of advisory and welfare services to
meet their needs.
A wide range of public and private fellowships and scholarships for advanced
study in Britain are awarded annually to students and research workers from
other countries. Under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan,
the governments of certain Commonwealth countries have made awards avail¬
able at their own institutions of higher education to men and women from other
Commonwealth countries. At the beginning of the academic year 1975-76,