News

15 January 2008 - DEA letter in Times Educational Supplement

The following letter from DEA Director Hetan Shah, was published in the TES on Friday 11 January 2008:

Global fellowships make for a small world

Last week Gordon Brown announced a Global Fellowship scheme enabling 100 young people to go on a six-week visit to China, India or Brazil ("Fund for foreign study", TES, January 4). The scheme will cost the Government £1.4 million a year - £14,000 for each person sent abroad.

This seems more like a January gimmick from the Prime Minister rather than a serious attempt to equip young people with a more global perspective. This is a shame from a government that has embedded a global dimension in the new secondary curriculum and funded some excellent global citizenship projects across the regions through its Development Awareness Fund.

The £1.4m could have been used to fund the ongoing work of subject associations and local non-governmental organisations in this area.

Building on existing local networks and good practice would be a better way to embed a global perspective in the education of young people and this approach would touch many thousands rather than just the lucky 100.