Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be so sad and angry about the loss of the Erasmus scheme

225 replies

Biber · 09/01/2020 08:21

Yesterday the government voted against an amendment to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill that would have aimed to keep the Erasmus scheme open for our youngsters.

I knew brexit woud bring losses to our children but it feels like a punch in the gut that parliament have voted so clearly against my grandchildren having the opportunity for funded study in another EU country. Just as it is being extended to people in apprentiships too.

To be so sad and angry about the loss of the Erasmus scheme
OP posts:
Roussette · 10/01/2020 10:48

Frankly I couldn't give two shits that a load of rich kids may have some extra cost and inconvenience for their jolly abroad

You really have this so wrong. I know someone who - without the Erasmus scheme and ensuing Grant - would not in a million years have been able to study abroad. Her DPs were unbelievably strapped for cash. She has since become a translator at the UN.

So please do not make sweeping statements like that.

Miljea · 10/01/2020 10:56

Amylox has clearly, and impressively demonstrated her ability to absorb and assimilate 'information', and has been expertly guided to draw 'her' conclusions from it.

Unfortunately, her guide appears to have been R Murdoch, he of the 19 cookies.

She has, however, been a good little student and has been instructed well.

MaryMcCarthy · 10/01/2020 11:10

It's utterly depressing what's happening in this country. People are actually gloating about dwindling opportunities for young people, celebrating a reduction in the innovative capacity of the country, rejoicing in the idea that things are going to be harder, just when we need it least, just when the economy's on a downward turn. I don't know what motivates people to think like this. I really don't understand.

What do these people think about their own children and grandchilden? Do they even respect them?

Trewser · 10/01/2020 11:41

I don't think most people know anything about Erasmus tbh. I doubt it's on many people's radar.

Lifecraft · 10/01/2020 11:45

A result of morons trying to block brexit at every turn. By default the government will vote against any amendments now

And there we have it. Every shit thing that happens as a result of fucking stupid Brexit will never be the fault of Brexiteers. It'll all be remainers' fault.

I predicted as much the day after the referendum.

Kazzyhoward · 10/01/2020 12:09

Has anyone actually read what has been done or is it the usual piling in with irrelevant comments based on not actually reading/understanding the issue?

Where does that say we won't continue to be part of Erasmus? All it says is that we "don't have to" continue with full membership. It provides us with the freedom to negotiate to stay in it as full or some kind of peripheral member. What's wrong with that? It gives us freedom instead of a straight jacket.

Kazzyhoward · 10/01/2020 12:10

And there we have it. Every shit thing that happens as a result of fucking stupid Brexit will never be the fault of Brexiteers. It'll all be remainers' fault.

Well it's stupid remainers who are at fault for the last 3 years of delay and stagnation.

BertrandRussell · 10/01/2020 12:16

“ I don't think most people know anything about Erasmus tbh. I doubt it's on many people's radar.”

I agree. Lots of stuff like that’s going to emerge as we “decouple” from the EU. But still, blue passports, eh?

jasjas1973 · 10/01/2020 12:16

Well it's stupid remainers who are at fault for the last 3 years of delay and stagnation

I think you'll find that it is down to May and her decision to call the 2017 GE that led to her losing a 31 seat majority, which would have been enough to get through her version of Brexit.

However, i for one regret that May didn't get through her WA, it was a far softer brexit than what we'll now end up with now.

titchy · 10/01/2020 12:17

It provides us with the freedom to negotiate to stay in it as full or some kind of peripheral membe

Given that BJ has stated he wants us out at the end of this year no matter what, do people really think negotiating membership of Erasmus is going to take priority over all the other negotiations that have to happen? Hmm

Roussette · 10/01/2020 12:27

And does anyone trust this Government to carry through on any of these things they put on the back burner? I certainly don't, given their record.

I am laughing at the fact this is all Remainers fault though. That's a good one

Peregrina · 10/01/2020 12:29

A result of morons trying to block brexit at every turn.

I recall one of these said morons was Boris Johnson, who repeatedly voted against May's deal.

Lifecraft · 10/01/2020 12:32

*A result of morons trying to block brexit at every turn.

@Peregrina I recall one of these said morons was Boris Johnson, who repeatedly voted against May's deal.

Peregrina, stop clouding the issue with facts.

BlaueLagune · 10/01/2020 12:36

I was annoyed at this when I saw it yesterday too, but as Biarritz said on page one of this thread, the government has not said the UK will be part of Erasmus, it has voted against being compelled to agree it in all circumstances.

Personally I think it will be a very easy thing to append to a trade agreement and can be agreed in about 5 minutes.

I benefited from the Erasmus scheme but when I studied in Germany there were a lot of non-EC students and they were still able to study and live there. The Erasmus grant wasn't enough to make the difference between going or not going - it may be different now, but in my day it was about 800 ecu.

The German academic exchange service has a lot of schemes to encourage academic exchange outside Erasmus, and maybe it will extend some of them, and maybe other countries will follow their lead and offer them too. It's in their interests to encourage (and older) EU-supporting Brits to study and work in their countries.

So even if we don't stay part of the scheme (and the universities minister says we will) I don't think all is lost.

BlaueLagune · 10/01/2020 12:37

It's in their interests to encourage younger (and older) EU-supporting Brits to study and work in their countries.

AvaSnowdrop · 10/01/2020 12:37

Exchange is mostly one way so I can see why they dropped it. Europeans come here to study in English. We don’t go there to study because we don’t speak the language well enough.

jasjas1973 · 10/01/2020 12:52

Exchange is mostly one way so I can see why they dropped it. Europeans come here to study in English. We don’t go there to study because we don’t speak the language well enough

Not sure that is accurate?
My DD uni's has lots of courses with a 1 year european placement option.
Several of her friends have taken advantage of this and they don't speak the language either.
One adv for the UK is that my DD HCP course attracts EU students, who stay here after graduating and work in the NHS, this is now changing, they want to leave the UK.

Lifecraft · 10/01/2020 13:09

Look, we're getting blue passports (once they arrive from the factory in France) so stop moaning.

theoriginalmadambee · 10/01/2020 13:10

We don’t go there to study because we don’t speak the language well enough.

This isn't altogether true, a lot of universities in Europe offer courses, masters etc. In English. My ds's master thesis defence in physics was in English at a Danish university (and that is the norm). When he studied in Switzerland he was mostly taught in English as well.

I think, English being a worldwide language has made you 'lazy', some even gets offended when not understood abroad, and think the 'natives' are a bit thick Grin.

Take a look at all the TV shows about brits abroad, only a small percentage seems to try to learn the language.

Rosehip10 · 10/01/2020 13:23

Erasmus mainly benefited middle class kids, especially those from grammar and private schools.

bettybattenburg · 10/01/2020 13:24

The votes for brexit and the tories came predominantly from the less educated.

How can you possibly know this?

titchy · 10/01/2020 14:07

The votes for brexit and the tories came predominantly from the less educated.

How can you possibly know this?

It's quite simple to look at demographic differences between leave/remain/tory/other voters Hmm not sure why you'd think it wasn't?

PhoneLock · 10/01/2020 14:13

Exchange is mostly one way so I can see why they dropped it
Not sure that is accurate?

Some fact s and figures...

ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/education/library/statistics/erasmus-plus-facts-figures_en.pdf

GCAcademic · 10/01/2020 14:22

Exchange is mostly one way so I can see why they dropped it. Europeans come here to study in English. We don’t go there to study because we don’t speak the language well enough.

This is certainly my experience. Most years my department doesn't have any outgoing Erasmus students. I would say that for every one of our students who go to study in a European university, we have at least thirty incoming students.

If we lose Erasmus, I will mourn it for selfish reasons, as the European students I've taught have almost invariably been bright and engaged, and a pleasure to teach. But even if we do, universities will set up their own exchanges - my own university is currently signing agreements with various European universities to enhance the opportunities that we offer students. They will have to offer funding because you can't discriminate between students on the basis of cost. If anything, Brexit is motivating universities to pursue these relationships more vigorously than ever.

whyamidoingthis · 10/01/2020 14:31

@AvaSnowdrop - Exchange is mostly one way so I can see why they dropped it.

I hope they know a bit more about Erasamus than you do! Erasamus is not just about students studying abroad. There are also programmes that allow academics and researchers to travel, and funding for cross-institutional research projects.

Even without this vote, the UK is losing out on Erasamus funding. I am currently working on an application for research funding. There is a group in the UK who would fit perfectly into the project. We have not approached them as we don't know what the status of UK within erasamus will be. We're working with a partner in Luxembourg instead.