BC03: Written Evidence from the British Council

 

The past year has seen the British Council achieve real success and impact for the UK while responding to the global economic downturn. Highlights in 2008-09 include:

 

- working with 460,000 young people across the UK-widening horizons and making global connections

 

- 2,700 international school-to-school partnerships

 

- teaching English to more than 300,000 people, generating £262 million income (a 30% increase on last year)

 

- delivering 2 million UK examinations and qualifications-earning £42 million in exports for UK exam boards

 

-working with the state school system in West Bengal to improve English-language teaching for over 3 million young learners

 

- showcasing the best of the UK's creative and cultural talent at the Venice Biennale, supporting the focus on India at the London Book Fair and nurturing new talent in the UK's creative economy through our Young Creative Entrepreneurs programme

 

- improving educational and health outcomes for over 500,000 young people through International Inspiration, our 2012 sporting legacy programme

 

- leveraging £2.21 of customers' and partner income for every £1 of Government grant (a 25% increase on last year).

 

Like many international organisations, we suffered from significant movements in exchange rates over the course of the last year; these resulted in a 16% reduction in the overseas purchasing power of our Government grant. However, through efforts across the organisation we managed to limit the impact to a 4% reduction in our direct engagement figures.

 

Measuring engagement and our Cultural Relations impact

 

We continue to track and report headline figures for our direct audience engagement and reach. Last year, we engaged directly with over 13 million people and reached a further 221 million people online or through print or broadcast media.

 

We are developing more sophisticated ways to measure impact and are increasingly able to plan, develop and track those we engage, who hears about it and what difference this makes to them. The combination of engagement, reach and the difference made-to people, institutions and policies-forms our cultural relations impact.

 

Large-scale, global products

 

Over the last year we continued to focus our global programme activity on the following areas:

 

1. Prosperity, creativity and opportunity by supporting the UK's creative and knowledge economy;

 

2. Openness and understanding through intercultural dialogue

 

3. Sustainability and climate change.

 

1. Supporting the UK's creative and knowledge economy

 

These programmes raise the international profile of the UK's creative and cultural sector as well as provide access to new and existing markets. Our global arts work showcases the best UK talent and engages over 2 million people around the world. Plus, we continue to contribute to the international legacies of the London Olympics through International Inspiration, our 2012 sports programme, and the Cultural Olympiad.

 

UK and International Young Creative Entrepreneurs programme (YCE)

 

Our YCE programme identifies the best emerging entrepreneurs across the creative industries. Over 150 finalists from 47 countries have taken part building connections which support growth and the long-term viability of the UK's creative economy.

 

Showcasing the UK in the world and the world in the UK

 

We selected Steve McQueen as the UK artist at this year's Venice Biennale. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were represented by Martin Boyce, John Cale, and Susan MacWilliam respectively. The Biennale is an important opportunity to showcase UK talent to an estimated audience of 900,000 people.

 

We brought 50 Indian writers, translators, critics and academics to this year's London Book Fair for its market focus on India. The market focus was an important opportunity for UK and international publishers to meet Indian counterparts and develop new business partnerships. Our associated cultural programme supported this activity and helped bring Indian authors to new audiences in the UK. In doing this we help the UK publishing industry maintain its position within the global creative economy.

 

We continued to work with UK Trade & Investment on the UK programme for Shanghai World Expo 2010 and the estimated 7 million people who will visit the UK Pavilion.

 

2012 Olympics

 

With UNICEF, UK Sport and LOCOG we are delivering the international sporting legacy of the 2012 Games through our joint programme International Inspiration (II). II will create high-quality and inclusive physical education, sport and play for 12 million young people from 20 countries (including Brazil, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey). Over 1.25 million young people have already taken part.

In India II has already led to the development of a new physical education programme for 1.3 million schools improving health and educational outcomes for 20 million children. The introduction of II in Zambia led to a new national curriculum for physical education reaching 3 million young people. In Brazil II has led to the integration of sports leadership into a national after-school programme involving 1 million disadvantaged young people.

 

English: a tool for communication and development

 

By teaching English to over 300,000 learners a year and delivering 2 million UK examinations and qualifications we provide important pathways for personal development. This activity provides us with a platform to share our expertise with the estimated 2 billion learners and 10 million teachers of English around the world. Last year, for example, 10.5 million unique visitors accessed our free global learner websites (including dedicated sites in Arabic and Chinese) and 3.5 million unique visitors accessed our global teacher websites.

 

In India and Sri Lanka we are using our expertise to improve English-language teaching in the state school system. Over the past 18 months, Project English has delivered training to over 430,000 teachers and 1,300 master trainers, improving the teaching of more than 4 million young people. By 2011, 220,000 primary teachers will have been trained, and 15 million pupils will have benefited from the project.

 

In collaboration with Nigerian National Radio we piloted Teacher Development by Radio, a groundbreaking response to the urgent need to provide Nigeria's English language teachers with cost-effective professional development opportunities. Nigerian producers and editors developed local, high quality educational materials, including examples of best practice from Nigeria. The programme attracted an audience of 6 million teachers and learners.

 

2. Openness and understanding - intercultural dialogue

 

Through our ICD programme we are strengthening levels of understanding and trust between people in the UK and other societies. We focus activities on young people, encouraging them to become more engaged with their communities and more positive about the benefits of international and intercultural relationships. The programme is delivered in countries of strategic importance to the UK including Pakistan and Afghanistan, across the Middle East and in North Africa.

 

Through our Reconnect programme we are creating a network of 10,000 young leaders with the skills and confidence to engage in dialogue on critical intercultural issues. We are on track to train over 5000 young people by April 2010. Last year, for example, we trained 280 young leaders from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia, in community development, enabling them to work with disadvantaged communities in their own countries.

 

Through our Skills for Employability programme in Pakistan we have directly engaged almost 4,000 influencers and aspirants (typically, young people in the early stages of their careers) in policy dialogue, institutional partnerships with UK colleges and enterprise awards. In Afghanistan, Skills for Employability has delivered entrepreneurship training to teachers in over 40 vocational, educational and technical colleges and institutions.

 

This year, through our Global Changemakers programme, we brought young people from across the G20 to the London summit. The group met senior politicians from their countries as well as the British Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary. The Global Changemakers programme creates and supports an international network of young activists and social entrepreneurs. It provides unique opportunities for direct contact with politicians and decision makers on the issues that are of concern to young people.

 

3. Climate change

 

Climate change and sustainability are likely to become the most challenging global issues of the next 30 years, needing co-ordinated international solutions alongside community and individual action. Our climate change programme supports young people to develop a local and international response through engagement with global leaders, influencers and local communities.

 

International Climate Champions (ICC) supports young people to take action on climate change in over 60 countries, including those most at risk, such as Bangladesh. Last year we worked with over 1,000 International Climate Champions. We took 40 champions to the G8 Youth Summit in Kobe, Japan and supported them to make cases to their respective Environment Ministers.

 

China: Climate cool

 

China's continued engagement on climate change is critical to the success of the global response. Our Climate Cool programme generated new resources and opportunities to support young people's engagement in climate change issues. We trained 770 Chinese school teachers and worked with 156,000 school children in education-based activities. As a direct result of our Climate Cool Teaching Resources Development Project, the China National Institute for Educational Research has proposed the establishment of a 'National Climate Change Teacher Training Centre'.

 

British Council around the world

 

We work in over 100 countries where we can really make a difference for the UK. In doing so we prioritise four broad categories:

 

1. building trust in Central and South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa;

2. 'new' economies like China and India;

3. connecting people cut off from international engagement for example Burma and Zimbabwe;

4. building on well established ties in Europe and America.

 

Examples of some of our activity in each are set out below.

 

1. Building trust

In countries where the UK needs to build trust our work encourages dialogue. We provide access to English, education and skills and share culture.

 

Iraq UK Education Initiative

 

The Iraq Education initiative is a $1 billion project launched by PM al-Maliki in May 2008 to help rebuild Iraq's educational infrastructure. PM al-Maliki asked us to organise an education mission and Education UK fair. Our participation sent a powerful signal that the UK's focus in Iraq is shifting and presented the UK as a destination of choice for prospective scholars.

 

English language teaching in Libya and Egypt

 

The Libyan English Teaching in Universities Project (LETUP) is run in 9 universities where levels of English are low and where there is a shortage of teachers with internationally recognised qualifications. In Egypt we continue to work with Al-Azhar University in Cairo to provide English language teaching to students of theology and preaching.

 

Springboard - supporting women across the Middle East

 

Springboard offers training to women across the Middle East, enabling them to play a greater role in their societies. By 2012 we will have supported 20,000 women in this way-a building block to increasing equality across the region.

 

2. 'New' economies

 

Through our presence and activities in major emerging economies we develop links to new marketplaces, support skills development agendas and respond to the ever increasing demand for high-quality English language teaching.

 

Through our UK India Education and Research Initiative we have developed over 150 Higher Education and Further Education institutional partnerships-delivering joint programmes, undertaking research and providing scholarships as well as exchange programmes for students and staff. These activities significantly contribute to the profile of UK Higher and Further education in India. (In 2008/09 there were 31,000 Indian students studying in the UK, an increase of over 10% on the previous year.)

 

Prime Minister's Global Fellowship in Brazil, India and China

 

This annual programme offers 100 young people in the UK the chance to spend six weeks in Brazil, India and China to gain a better understanding of the opportunities of the global economy. Fellows are hosted by major global businesses including Cadbury's, Shell, Virgin Atlantic, KPMG, Pearson, G4S, and HSBC.

 

In China, our English Online website continues to provide support and networking opportunities for English language teachers and learners. Over 12 million unique users accessed the site last year. We continued to deliver the Connections through Culture Programme engaging with 2000 arts professionals and 500 organisations in China and the UK. Working with Devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales we took Scottish films to China and delivered Celebrating the Red Dragon in Chongqing.

 

In Russia, we responded to a strong interest in UK arts and culture and partnered with Tate Britain and the Pushkin Museum to take a JMW Turner exhibition to Moscow. The show attracted over 200,000 visitors and has led to three further exhibitions being planned over the next three years.

 

3. Connecting people cut off from international engagement

 

British Council offices and information centres provide an important lifeline for people who are unable freely to connect to the world.

 

Burma

 

Our libraries in Mandalay and Rangoon attracted 250,000 visits in 2008-09. As well as providing support to vocational and academic learning, libraries provide users with access to the internet and UK newspapers and journals.

 

Pyoe Pin (new growth)

 

Through Pyoe Pin we work directly with around 39 Burmese NGOs and community-based organisations building links with community activists and change makers. Following the Cyclone Nargis disaster in 2008, the project broadened its focus to include groups involved in the relief effort. Pyoe Pin is funded by DfID and its Swedish counterpart SIDA.

 

Zimbabwe

 

Last year 60,000 people visited our Information Centres in Bulawayo and Harare; 2204 students sat examinations (an annual increase of 13%); 15 Zimbabwean postgraduates entered UK universities (fully or partially funded by the Chevening programme); and 62 schools, many in poor rural areas, participated in our school linking programme.

 

4. Building on well established ties

 

With open and developed societies we focus on educational and cultural exchange programmes that build on the UK's pre-existing ties.

 

TN2020 - Transatlantic Network 2020

 

TN2020 is building new networks between emerging leaders in North America and Europe to address challenges that will define their generation. The network currently comprises 100 members from 21 different countries across the two regions.

 

Lifelong Learning and Youth in Action Programmes of the Education and Cultural Directorate of the European Commission

 

The British Council is the UK National Agency for these programmes.

Erasmus encourages student and academic staff mobility for work and study. Through the programme, 10,000 UK students study or work in over 30 European countries and almost 2,000 academic staff undertake study visits for teaching and training purposes.

 

Comenius develops Europe-wide school and college partnerships and exchanges. More than 1,000 UK schools 12,000 teachers and 180,000 pupils participate each year.

 

Youth in Action focuses on non-formal learning through volunteering, exchanges and study seminars across 35 countries. Over 10,000 UK participants engaged in Youth in Action last year.

 

Delivering a sustainable British Council

 

Over the last two years we have increased spend on grant-funded programmes by £5 million to £95 million and, in line with our commitments in the 2007 spending review, are on track to meet over £20 million of efficiency savings. Larger scale programmes have enabled us to do quality work with 10% more 'influencers' and to reach double the number of people remotely. However we recognise the continued need to develop a more sustainable operating platform.

 

In 2009 we announced a transformation and investment programme to ensure that we remain efficient, deliver value for money and can rapidly respond to the post recession world. The transformation programme will lead to the loss of 400 to 500 posts in the UK over the next two years; approximately a third of the UK workforce. Around half of these posts are currently filled by temporary workers or consultants (some are vacant). We also expect to reduce the number overseas posts by several hundred (currently 6100). The transformation programme will be a difficult process, involving significant restructuring, but we are convinced that our ambitions- and the priorities of the UK-will only be met by making these changes.

 

Looking forward - openness and prosperity, security and sustainability

 

The global economic downturn creates conditions with the potential for governments-and people-to adopt a more protectionist outlook and be less open to other countries and cultures. Uneven access to education and employment coupled with tension and instability in many parts of the world create risks for the foreseeable future. Increasingly resource scarcity-for example shortages of water and oil-and our interconnectedness mean learning to live sustainably will become the defining challenge of this generation.

 

The basic case for our work is clear- the prosperity of the UK depends on a world which is open to our commerce, culture, creativity, and global participation: In short, a world which continues to look to the UK as an attractive partner. Improving access to educational opportunities and increasing intercultural understanding are vital building blocks to a more secure and sustainable world.

 

Given these challenges and the opportunities for an attractive UK to inspire and be inspired, our work-building trust and engagement for the UK by supporting a worldwide exchange of ideas- is more important than ever.