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Save Commonwealth Scholarships
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is proposing to withdraw its contribution to the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan in the UK. Join our campaign against this cut.Documents
The statement by the Secretary of State can be downloaded from here. (15 kb)
A full briefing paper from CEC can be downloaded from here (84 kb). We are very happy for this to be used in its entirety or to be quoted as appropriate.
The text of a petition against this proposal on the Downing Street website can be downloaded here (32 kb).
A number of Parliamentary Questions have been asked both by CEC Parliamentary Chairs and by other MPs. They can be downloaded March and April here (69 kb) and for 1st. May here (16 kb) and for 4th. June here (13 kb). Further questions were asked after the summer recess in October and November 2008 which can be downloaded here. (11 kb)
An Early Day Motion has been put down by one of CEC's parliamentary Chairpersons and can be downloaded here (14 kb). This motion has now fallen because of the new session of parliament.
A debate in the House of Lords on 12th. May was introduced by Baroness Warwick and had an intervention by one of CEC's patrons, Lord Judd. The Hansard report can be downloaded here (26 kb).
A further debate in the House of Lords was introduced by Lord Luce and a copy of the Hansard report can be downloaded here. (122 kb)
The Department of Innovations, Universities and Skills joined with a total of 68 British Universities to partially re-instate the scholarship in the autumn of 2008. A description of the scheme is given in this CEC statement which can be downloaded here. (19 kb)
The Campaign
One of the significant and important programmes of the Commonwealth has been the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan. Britain has been a major contributor to this - and the Prime Minister pledged continued and increased support for it at the most recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala last year.
One of the significant and important programmes of the Commonwealth has been the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan. Britain has been a major contributor to this - and the Prime Minister pledged continued and increased support for it at the most recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala last year.
The scholarships and fellowship programme is one of the most important and longest lasting expressions of the mutuality in Commonwealth relationships - next year will be its 50th. anniversary - with 25,000 students who have participated since its inception. CEC is part of a movement to increase this number to 2009 per year, if only to recognise the growth in the Commonwealth's population - almost two billion now- and the need for even more 'education, education, education'. But this fundamental principal of mutuality has recently come under real threat by the UK government.
About two thirds of the CSFP awards at the present time are funded by our government for study in Britain, a very generous contribution. The funding is divided between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID). The FCO has funded students coming from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Malta, Cyprus, Bahamas, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. DFID has funded students from all of the other (i.e. developing-country) members of the Commonwealth. The programme has been run, in a very professional and competent way, by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission based at the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
The FCO, despite the "C" in its name, is now proposing to stop funding its part of the programme. It is doing so in order to save money - though it excuses its action mainly on other grounds. In doing so it is seriously undermining and damaging the mutual nature of the whole scheme, not just in the UK, but in all parts of the Commonwealth and is putting at serious risk the Commonwealth Scholarships offered to British nationals by these same eight countries.
A petition was placed on the Downing Street website. The petition can be downloaded from the documents above or seen by clicking here. This initiative has been taken by a Commonwealth scholar. It received a total of 1,984 signatures in the three months it was open for support. The petition with the signatories remains available for view - and the (quite unsatisfactory) response can also be accessed from this website.
An Early Day Motion has been proposed by Tim Boswell, MP and has been signed by MPs from a wide range of parties in Parliament. The text of the motion and the names of those MPs who have signed it can be downloaded from the documents above.
Media Coverage
The Education Guardian Tuesday 20th. May. An article by Prof. John Tarrant, secretary general of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, which provides the secretariat for the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, was published in the Guardian and can be down loaded by clicking here.
A report in the Canadian Globe and Mail on 7th. May described the many Canadians in senior positions in Canada who had benefited from the Commonwealth Scholarship scheme. The report can be downloaded here (12 kb).
A story in University World News on 27th. May covered part of a debate in the House of Lords which dealt with the Commonwealt Scholarships. This can be downloaded by clicking here. Another story in the University News on July reported a joint meeting of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth and the Royal Commonwealth Society at which Germain Greer, Sir George Bain and Dr. Alastair Niven spoke. The report can be downloaded here (7 kb).
The Independent gave a report by Harriet Swain on 12th. June demonstrating the important of both the Commonwealth and Chevening Scholarships - but emphasising the rigorous nature of the Commonwealth selection process. It can be downloaded here (18 kb).
A letter to the Times newspaper was published on 15th. July signed by 60 distinguished people including former Prime Ministers of both Australia and Canada and others who wished to demonstrate their concern about the decision. The letter can be seen on the Times website with all of the signatories by clicking here.
The New Zealand Herald reported some of these protests under the heading of "Anger greeting axing of UK scholarships" on Wednesday 16th. July. The report can be downloaded here (8 kb).
Media Coverage
The Education Guardian Tuesday 20th. May. An article by Prof. John Tarrant, secretary general of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, which provides the secretariat for the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, was published in the Guardian and can be down loaded by clicking here.
A report in the Canadian Globe and Mail on 7th. May described the many Canadians in senior positions in Canada who had benefited from the Commonwealth Scholarship scheme. The report can be downloaded here (12 kb).
A story in University World News on 27th. May covered part of a debate in the House of Lords which dealt with the Commonwealt Scholarships. This can be downloaded by clicking here. Another story in the University News on July reported a joint meeting of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth and the Royal Commonwealth Society at which Germain Greer, Sir George Bain and Dr. Alastair Niven spoke. The report can be downloaded here (7 kb).
The Independent gave a report by Harriet Swain on 12th. June demonstrating the important of both the Commonwealth and Chevening Scholarships - but emphasising the rigorous nature of the Commonwealth selection process. It can be downloaded here (18 kb).
A letter to the Times newspaper was published on 15th. July signed by 60 distinguished people including former Prime Ministers of both Australia and Canada and others who wished to demonstrate their concern about the decision. The letter can be seen on the Times website with all of the signatories by clicking here.
The New Zealand Herald reported some of these protests under the heading of "Anger greeting axing of UK scholarships" on Wednesday 16th. July. The report can be downloaded here (8 kb).