The Scottish Government

The term "International Education" is used in Scotland in preference to "the European and International Dimension in Education'.

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In past centuries Scotland has had very close links with mainland Europe, notably with France, but also with the Low Countries, Scandinavia, Poland and the Baltic States. Scotland has also had, for about a century, an Italian community which maintains close links with Italy. More recently, there have been fruitful contacts with many countries at central government policy level, and twinning arrangements involving Scottish cities and towns have led to cultural links worldwide. Exchanges through schools have been particularly supported by the EU's SOCRATES Programme. These are all in addition to a range of contacts between individuals which have occurred over many years.

Over the last two decades the administrative oversight of the European dimension in education has developed both centrally and locally. The EURYDICE Unit was established within the Scottish Council for Research in Education in 1982 and is currently located in the International Relations Unit (IRU) of the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED). The IRU, set up in 1990, is responsible for coordinating the flow of information on international education matters to and from SEED and the Scottish Executive Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department (SEETLLD) policy divisions and HM Inspectorate of Education.

Through the Head of Unit, it has direct and continuous contact with the EU's Education Committee and maintains and develops links with the education ministries of other EU member states and those of the European Economic Area and central and eastern European countries, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), UNESCO and other international organisations working in the field of education and training. Its remit also extends to maintaining a system for ensuring that there is knowledge about international developments at all levels of the Scottish education system and it is the main executive arm of SEED and SEETLLD in promoting implementation of their European and international dimension objectives.

The Scottish Executive Education Department is currently in the early stages of reviewing the impact of school level International Education policy and practice, based on an analysis of current provision in terms of key intended outcomes for young people in Scotland. This work will be taken forward in conjunction with the Scottish International Education Advisory Group (SIEAG).

In February 1991, the UK Government published an interim statement of its policy on the European dimension in education and added to it a brief note on some of the main activities which had been undertaken up to that point in the United Kingdom in order to implement the 1988 Resolution of the EU Council of Ministers. The Government's aims were expressed in the following terms:

• to help young people to acquire a view of Europe as a multi-cultural, multi-lingual community which includes the United Kingdom;
• to encourage awareness of the variety of European histories, geographies and cultures;
• to prepare young people to take part in the economic and social development of Europe and make them aware of the opportunities and challenges that arise;
• to encourage interest in and improve competence in other European languages;
• to impart knowledge of political, economic and social developments - past, present and future - including knowledge about the origins, workings and role of the European Union;
• to promote a sense of European identity, through first-hand experience of other countries, where appropriate; and
• to promote an understanding of the EU's interdependence with the rest of Europe and with the rest of the world.

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Strategy and Recent Action

Official strategy of SEED, for which the International Relations Unit is the principal centre of activity, may be summarised as follows:

• to establish and maintain an organisational structure that will support and foster the develop-ment of the European/international dimension in Scottish education and training generally
• to communicate information, both internally and to the education community, about education and training developments across the European Union and more widely
• to raise the profile of Scottish education and training abroad and provide information on the system
• to advise on policy and development strategy in Scotland in relation to the European/international dimension

IRU does this by:

• representing SEED and SE Lifelong Learning Group in Europe and the wider world
• working with local Education Authority International Co-ordinators' network and through the Scottish International Education Advisory Group (SIEAG) to raise the profile of international education
• Contributing to EURYDICE and other publications and databases e.g. the National Dossier to inform colleagues about education and training in Scotland and vice-versa
• funding, managing and promoting effective programmes for international exchanges of teachers, administrators, trainers and pupils/students in Scotland e.g. via British Council Scotland, DEIEP, LECT & Council of Europe
• arranging programmes for visiting delegations of officials and elected representatives to SEED

In 2003/2004, SEED were engaged in the following activity (amongst others) in relation to these higher objectives:

Documents published since April 2003:-

• National Dossier on Education & Training in Scotland 2003, Paper, CD-ROM and Web, June
• National Dossier on Education & Training in Scotland 2003 Summary, Paper and Web, June
• International Opportunities within Scottish Education & Training 2003-2004, Paper and Web, August

Eurydice publications contributed to:-

• The Teaching Profession in Europe (Key Topics in Education in Europe series), Volume 3, Report 3, Working Conditions & Pay, September
• Publications & Database Catalogue, October
• Focus on the Structures of Higher Education in Europe. National Trends in the Bologna Process, 2003/2004, December 2003
• Evaluation of Schools survey, January 2004

Eurydice publications contributed to (forthcoming at 1 April 2004):-

• The Teaching Profession in Europe (Key Topics in Education in Europe series), Volume 3, Report 4, Contextual Overview
• Key Data on ICT in Schools in Europe
• School Based Measures for Migrant Children survey

Events:-

• Supported 'Active Global Citizenship - Education Conference' (organised by Learning and Teaching Scotland and The British Red Cross, also supported by IDEAS), June
• International Education Conference, 12 September - 'Scotland & the Commonwealth: Citizens of the World'. Key note speaker: Professor Pamela Munn, Dean of Faculty of Education, University of Edinburgh
• Scotland in Catalunya Week, 14 - 20 September, Teacher Exchange Seminar event, opened by Depute First Minister Jim Wallace, MSP
• 15CCEM and related events - Youth Summit, Parallel Symposium, Showcase of Best Practice & Commonwealth Film Festival, 26 - 31 October
• Hosted UK Leonardo Surgery as part of UK International Education Week, 10 - 14 November on behalf of the British Council
• Lewis Macdonald, Depute Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, attended the European Association of Regional Local Authorities for Lifelong Learning (EARLALL) General Assembly in Wales in September 2003. Scotland became the 17 ^th 'region' to join in order to share best practice and knowledge in lifelong learning policies.

Official Visits:-

• IRU have hosted official delegations from Romania, Catalunya, Bavaria, Australia (x2), Norway (x2), Czech Republic (x2), NorthRhine Westphalia, Sweden, Japan (x2), Hungary (x2), Canada and the Netherlands, tailoring programmes to each group's particular areas of policy interest.

Miscellaneous:-

• Education Minister attended the Education, Youth & Culture Council of the EU meeting in Brussels on 25 November and spoke for the UK Ministerial delegation on Youth and some Education agenda items.
• Scotland - South Africa Education Interchange Pilot Project launched, September 2003. In September a group of six teachers from the Limpopo province in South Africa arrived in Scotland to work in schools in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Falkirk. The Scottish teachers group went to Limpopo in February 2004.
• Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) Enlargement Wallcharts distributed to all schools via local authorities, June.
• Book tokens awarded to various schools to celebrate Commonwealth links as part of International Education Week, 10 - 14 November.
• Fifteen overseas teachers participated in Council of Europe In-service Training Programme seminars in Scotland. Two Scottish teachers took part in a seminar in Finland via the same Programme.

Main Active Bodies

The main bodies involved in promoting international education in Scottish education are the following:

• The International Relations Unit (IRU) of the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) in liaison with the Scottish Executive Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department (SEETLLD)
• The UK Government Department for International Development (DfID)
• The EURYDICE Unit of the IRU
• EURODESK UK (based in Edinburgh with 40 local partner organisations located across Scotland)
• The Scottish European Resource Centre
• British Council Scotland
• The Office of the European Commission in Scotland
• The 32 Scottish Education Authority International Co-Ordinators
• The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
• Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS)
• Communities Scotland
• The Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU)
• The Scottish Centre for Information on Language Teaching & Research (Scottish CILT)
• YouthLink Scotland
• Connect Youth
• The League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers
• The Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council
• Developing Effective International Education Practice Project (a consortium of 15 Scottish education authorities)
• The International Development Education Association of Scotland (IDEAS)
• The Scottish Development Education Centre
• Achievers International
• The European Movement Education Committee (The Scottish European Educational Trust)
• The European Documentation Centre Network

Scotland has engaged in a wide range of initiatives involving links with the EU and further afield, including the creation of databases, the issue of case studies of good practice, materials for use in schools to develop pupils' understanding of Europe, and the introduction of certificated courses of European Studies. All levels of education have been involved: schools, vocational education and training, higher education and community education.

A major initiative in 2003 was Scotland's hosting of the 15th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (15CCEM), held in October, and which involved over 1000 participants from all over the Commonwealth, including Government Ministers, policy makers, academics, practitioners and young people. Its theme was "Closing the Gap: Access, Inclusion, Achievement." The Conference resulted in the Edinburgh Communiqué which contained a message to the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Nigeria in December 2003 and an Action Plan covering recommendations on the six Action Areas debated during the conference -

1. Achieving universal primary education
2. Eliminating gender disparities in education
3. Improving quality in education
4. Using distance learning to overcome barriers
5. Supporting education in difficult circumstances
6. Mitigating the effects of HIV/AIDS on education systems

More information on the conference can be found at www.15CCEM.com.

Creation of Databases

SEED was instrumental in establishing the EURODESK information service in 1990 for schools, further education colleges and youth and community groups. EURODESK was first set up as a unit within the Scottish Community Education Council (SCEC) (now Communities Scotland (CS)), but it has since expanded enormously. With the support of the European Commission it now offers its information service on opportunities for the education, training and youth sectors in every country of the European Union, the European Economic Area, and the countries of central and eastern Europe which are about to join the EU. Because of this expansion, the European network coordinating office has now moved to Brussels and become an integral part of the information services offered by the Commission's Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC).

The Eurodesk UK coordinating office in Edinburgh is co-located with the Scottish European Resources Centre (SERC). Together they provide an information service to young people, pupils/students in schools and further education colleges and those who work with them. Supported by YouthLink Scotland, the European Commission, and SEED, they provide information and documentation on the European Union, European funding and mobility. They maintain their own database of over 130 European funding programmes and, in addition to providing free resources, offer a variety of subscription services for specialist publications and research.

Eurodesk also produce their own monthly newsletter, 'Update', focusing on European news, deadlines for applications/proposals and events; and they also provide an email alert service covering similar areas. Eurodesk delivers training on the European Union, European funding and technical database and communications training to 100 partner organizations in the youth information and youth work fields UK-wide, 40 of which are located in Scotland.

The introduction of the European dimension into the school curriculum has proved most successful where direct experience of some kind has been involved. This might be through a class-to-class link, sharing of teaching materials, personal contacts, or use of information and communication technologies. Awareness of Europe and European issues amongst schools and colleges is supported, as stated above, by the Scottish European Resource Centre (SERC), co-located with Eurodesk and offering help with European projects and class work. A similar support service for Higher Education is provided through the European Documentation Centre Network. This network is supported by the European Commission and the four universities - Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh & Glasgow - involved in the network, with EDCs located in their respective libraries. They hold a wide range of official EU documentation, and their main focus is providing a service for staff and students, although they are also open to the general public.

The Scottish education community has profited from the experience of the British Council Scotland Education and Training Group which has, over the last 30 years in Scotland, arranged visits and exchanges for teachers and other educationists as well as for education visitors coming from other countries. The Council has an extensive partner-finding service for educational establishments covering all parts of the world, which is seen as an essential adjunct to the development of the SOCRATES Programme and, in particular, of the COMENIUS projects within it. The storage of information from equivalent European institutions is part of the development, and the resulting interactive facility greatly enhances the speed, accuracy and effectiveness of identifying potential partners.

All activity previously undertaken by the Central Bureau for International Education and Training (CBIET) is now promoted within the British Council (Education and Training Group). The British Council (Education and Training Group) of British Council is the UK national office for information and professional advice on education exchange, the administration of exchange programmes and support for the development of an international dimension in education and training. The British Council's Education and Training Group's principal aim is to improve education and training provision in the United Kingdom through international opportunities for mobility, linking and exchange, partnerships and vocational and in-service training.

The British Council Scotland's education services enhance the quality of learning provision, especially in the areas of foreign languages, communications and other key skills. They add value to primary and secondary education and curriculum development, thereby raising standards of achievement and extending the professional development of educators.

British Council (Education and Training Group) is the principal national agency for the administration of many parts of European Union programmes such as SOCRATES, LEONARDO and YOUTH. The British Council Scotland's education services The Education and Training Group activity in British Council Scotland is are funded by the Scottish Executive Education Department. The former CBIET in Scotland, now part of British Council Scotland (Education and Training Group) has over thirty years' experience of international work in the field of education. It provides general advice or information to schools and colleges on building international contacts, and information on international work and exchange opportunities as well as guidance to teachers on introducing the international dimension into the classroom through videos, newsletters and increasingly on their website - www.britishcouncil.org.

Education UK Scotland is a British Council initiative in partnership with the Scottish Executive and the education sector in Scotland. It seeks to raise awareness of Scotland's educational expertise in overseas markets. Key priority markets for the period 2003-2006 are the USA, China, Vietnam, Russia, Mexico, India, the Gulf States and Kenya. The education sector has regular input into the activities of Education UK Scotland through its steering committee and country working groups. One of the key benefits of Education UK Scotland is that it works across all sectors from schools to universities. Education UK Scotland also works closely with key education and public agencies.

Case studies of good practice in schools have been gathered and published in Thinking European: Ideas for Integrating a European Dimension into the Curriculum (1993), a publication funded by SEED and produced by the former Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum (SCCC), now Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS). A subsequent partner volume, Sharing Responsibility, was also paid for by SEED and published in 1995 by the SCCC. These collections of case studies are intended to provide practical help for classroom teachers. A supplement to these two studies was produced in 1997 by the International Relations Unit (IRU) of SEED and entitled Thinking European: Further Ideas for the European Dimension in School. Although somewhat dated now there is anecdotal evidence that these three publications are still occasionally used by schools.

"International education is a process by which young people are made aware of international/global issues, come to appreciate cultural diversity, learn from others in an anti-racist society, develop their ability to articulate their beliefs in a reflective manner, learn to make judgements related to objective standards, and are enabled to play an active part - vocationally, socially, culturally and politically - in an increasingly multicultural and international society."

International education in schools is therefore first of all about raising pupils' awareness of their own situation in relation to that of others in the fast-changing world around us. The fourth of our National Priorities for Education, Values and Citizenship, seeks to promote exactly this: respect for self and others in an interdependent society, learning the duties and responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy. Young people are encouraged to become knowledgeable and active citizens, in a real sense, not only of a devolved Scotland and of the United Kingdom but also of the European Union; and moreover of the international community where the global economy will profoundly influence their lives, and the number of issues facing them with an international or global dimension will inevitably increase.

Vital to an international education is, secondly, the acquisition of certain skills such as those of critical thinking to enable them to detect bias, make informed judgements on the basis of relevant information, respect the views of others, and question stereotypical and oversimplified positions on complex issues.

Equally crucial is the acquisition of skills that will make them more employable in an international world - not only specific skills relating to a particular job or jobs but also the National Qualifications core skills of literacy, numeracy, problem-solving, how to use information and communication technologies, and how to work both independently and with others in a team.

Thirdly, international education is about developing informed attitudes and a willingness to participate in society; it is about being committed to seeking sensible answers to difficult issues which have an international or global dimension to them; it is about 'thinking globally while acting locally'; it is, in short, about broadening the minds of our young people and developing and sustaining in them an international outlook. It will support our fifth National Priority, 'to prosper in a changing society and to encourage creativity and ambition'.

Schools which have successful programmes of international education regard it as an integral feature that is cross-curricular and multi-disciplinary. Their additional support senior management seek to ensure that the many opportunities across the primary and secondary curriculum, and outside the formal curriculum, for international issues to be raised and explored are taken up in a coherent and stimulating way by staff across the school. This is certainly not a trivial task for senior managers, but there are many schools which can demonstrate the great benefits it can bring to pupils.

In the area of lifelong learning, the European Association of Regional Local Authorities in Lifelong Learning (EARLALL) is a co-operative federation of self-selecting European regions with a particular interest in lifelong learning. It was founded in October 2001 and its main purpose is to encourage active participation in the development of new policies, strategies and methods for lifelong learning among its members. Scotland joined in September 2003 and is keen to participate in projects which fit with Scotland's priorities.

Key Objectives for International Education

An International Outlook goes on to suggest that to be 'internationally educated' could and should be one of the key outcomes of schooling today. International education should prepare young people to:

• understand and appreciate other cultures and ways of life, secure in their knowledge, understanding and appreciation of their own culture;
• explore issues of international consequence and global interdependence on the basis of a sound knowledge of what they mean for Scotland;
• recognise our interdependence with other countries;
• deploy skills that will enable them to enter the employment market successfully and survive within a fast-changing and increasingly global economy;
• develop positive attitudes to life: respecting the views of others, questioning stereotypes and oversimplification of situations, and making sound judgements based on good information;
• be active citizens within Scotland, the UK and the EU;
• develop a commitment to common human values; and
• raise their aspirations and achievements.

Given recent world events, the role of education in preparing our young people to be outward looking citizens of the world is becoming ever more important. The Scottish Executive Education Department is concerned to ensure that Scottish education takes full advantage of the many opportunities available to education institutions, students and staff in education and training on the international stage, so produces an International Opportunities within Scottish Education and Training guidance booklet every year in order to encourage maximum participation in this various programmes.

The booklet provides a first stop, basic information resource on a range of international opportunities that are available to the education, training, youth and community learning and development sectors in Scotland. Details where further information can be obtained are included at relevant points. There are several Agencies which can offer full advice and information to all those interested in exploring the exciting possibilities open to people in Scotland to work and/or study abroad - details of what they can offer, their addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and, where appropriate, websites are also given. After identifying an area of work or a possible funding source, readers of the booklet are encouraged to contact the agency direct for full details of how to go about accessing the assistance they need.

The booklet is updated annually and distributed to every school, college and university in Scotland. It can also be viewed on the Scottish Executive website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/io0304-00.asp.

Policy Documents

There are a number of policy documents and curricular resources which help to promote the international and intercultural dimension in Scottish schools. The Ministerial Action Group on Languages 2001 report, 'Citizens of a Multilingual World', established an entitlement to language education starting in Primary 6 (approx. 10 years old), which reflects the non statutory curriculum in Scotland, with the emphasis placed on flexibility and meeting the needs of the individual child. The report suggests ways to offer an additional modern language although in reality this competes with the wide range of subject choice already available to pupils and students. However, for those pupils who wish to pursue more than one modern language the policy on flexibility and entitlement makes this possible.

The Modern Languages in Primary Schools (MLPS) project and the ongoing financial support for implementation of the recommendations contained in the 2001 report are evidence of the commitment to Modern Languages in Scotland. The report also supports the learning and use of 'community languages' e.g. Urdu, by students who may not belong to the ethnic, cultural or social groups that speak the particular language. It also recommends that community languages should be taught as a first modern language in order to increase the diversification of languages learned and taught.

'Education for Citizenship in Scotland - A Paper for Discussion & Development' (2002), published by Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS), includes ideas on how the international and intercultural dimensions in education can contribute to the wider objectives of education for citizenship. There are also a number of other citizenship resources available on the LTS website - www.ltscotland.org.uk/citizenship.

An increasing number of secondary schools now have pupils taking modular courses in European Studies, successful completion of which is recorded on the certificates of the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The guidelines and materials prepared for these courses offer further support to secondary schools seeking to introduce a European dimension into their curriculum.

Some education authorities issue their own International Education Excellence award or certificate of achievement in international education in some form to schools which are doing particularly good work in this area.

Vocational Training

International Opportunities for FE Colleges

All of the British Council exchange programmes and study visits described earlier are also open to staff in FE colleges: Fulbright UK/US Teacher Exchanges, Teacher Exchange Europe and International Study Visits. FE colleges may also host a Foreign Language Assistant, or prospective HND graduates/young staff may wish to work as an English Language Assistant.

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP)

The CEDEFOP study visit programme provides opportunities to find out more about vocational training in another European country. An important objective is to encourage the exchange of ideas and share best practice. Through this European Union programme, themed study visits are organised for groups of 10-12 people from different countries. Participants are vocational training specialists from a wide range of organisations including colleges of further education.

General visits provide an overview of training for young people or training for adults in the host country. More focussed visits look at specific issues such as quality assurance, ICT and small businesses and skills acquisition. Participants have the opportunity to visit training providers and companies and can apply twice a year, normally in April and September. Grants are awarded to help cover travel and accommodation. Further information can be found at www.leonardo.org.uk.

In recognition of the distinctive nature of VET in Scotland, SQA was invited to act as a co-ordinator in the European Network for Reference and Expertise in Vocational Education and Training in VET (ReferNet). The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is the National Co-ordinator for the UK. The purpose of the network is to ensure the availability of high-quality, up-to-date and accurate information on developments in vocational education and training (VET) in each of the EU's member states. The network is sponsored by CEDEFOP, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. The network was created to meet the growing demand for information that makes possible comparisons between the policies and practices of member states. The website can be accessed at: www.trainingvillage.gr/etv/Information_Resources/NationalVet/ThematicOverviews/.

League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT)

While priority is given to classroom teachers, all programmes are open to all teachers in school and FE colleges, teacher trainers and qualified teachers working as teachers in other institutions - for instance, in adult education, prisons, hospitals, theatres etc. The short-term programmes are open to professions other than, but allied to teaching, i.e. educational administration. Again, priority will be given to classroom teachers.

National Guidance

The Eurodesk network, funded by the European Commission and SEED, provides information and advice on all European policy areas and funding programmes of interest to the education, training and youth sectors. An extensive on-line support service is provided to schools and the further education, community learning and youth work sectors through http://www.eurodesk.org.uk

The further education sector is also served by the Scottish Further Education Unit (SFEU), which mounts seminars on key themes, and FE colleges may also be the providers of courses arranged by the Local Enterprise Companies (LEC) and local authorities. The LEONARDO Action Programme of the EU offers further opportunities for training and work placements.

Most FE colleges have recruited European or International Officers to guide them in accessing European and other funds and to promote awareness of international developments.

Higher Education

With regard to higher education, the UK Government agrees with the aspirations expressed in that section of the European Commission's Memorandum on Higher Education which deals with the European dimension. It recognises not only the need to create a European education to match the European expectation of graduates, but also the fact that the higher education institutions (HEI) in the EU constitute a major influential force in the development of the European Union and its people. All HEIs in Scotland are committed to European and international activities offering opportunities to students and staff alike to participate in exchanges and study visits e.g. via Erasmus, English Language Assistants, the centralised Actions of Socrates under Grundtvig, Lingua, Minerva and Comenius, and activity under separately published calls for submissions.

League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT)

All of the International Opportunities available to teachers under the LECT described earlier in the chapter are also open to teacher educators in the Higher Education sector. However these are examined closely for relevance to teachers/students areas of importance.

Erasmus

Erasmus is the Higher Education Chapter of the SOCRATES programme. It is based on co-operation between Higher Education Institutions in the EU, EEA/EFTA and 13 EU applicant countries. Each participating institution must submit an application to the European Commission for an Erasmus University Charter, an entry ticket to the Socrates- Erasmus programme, which entitles them to apply for funding for student and teacher mobility and its organisation, and for Erasmus centralised projects (Curriculum Development, Intensive Programmes and Thematic Networks).

Student mobility represents the major part of the programme and involves students spending a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 12 months in a partner institution taking a programme of study for which they receive full academic recognition. Students may receive an Erasmus student grant to help with the additional costs of their study period abroad. More and more institutions participating in the programme are using the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). This is designed to help students and academic staff have a common understanding of the different course structures and weightings in all European Higher Education Institutions by allocating credits to course units on the basis that a normal academic year of study is equal to 60 ECTS credits.

Universities that adopt ECTS agree to implement a code of practice providing clear and detailed information to students on course content, level and methods of assessment. A Learning Agreement is concluded involving the student, the home and the host institution and the host institution provides a transcript at the end of the period of study. Erasmus also provides support for Teacher Mobility, Curriculum Development projects and Intensive Programmes. In addition there are large Thematic Networks covering the major subject areas and issues that cut across subject boundaries.

Further information is available at http://www.erasmus.ac.uk

SEED has taken steps to meet the need for information and advice related to careers within the context of the 'new Europe'. It recognises this need at several levels in the system and is prepared to take action, as necessary, in conjunction with Careers Scotland to ensure availability of information to guidance staff in educational institutions and to Careers Advisers concerning:

• the rights, entitlements and responsibilities of school leavers, students and adult returners to education and training, if they choose to study or train in another EU member state;
• education, training and employment systems and structures in other EU countries;
• EU Directives on the mutual recognition of qualifications, both at degree level and below;
• the comparability of qualifications and courses of education and training across the EU; and
• the careers guidance systems which operate in other member states of the EU.

In Scotland the two main sectors of informal education activity are youth work and community learning and development (including adult education). The Scottish Executive provides support to two national bodies, YouthLink Scotland and Communities Scotland.

YouthLink Scotland has a strong international policy. The YouthLink Scotland international unit includes the Eurodesk UK coordinating office and the Scottish European Resource Centre. The unit is also responsible for the delivery of the European content of the Young Scot national youth information portal for Scotland ( http://www.youngscot.org/channels/europe).

This European information is well-suited to use by young people, teachers, and schools, colleges and universities. Young Scot is Scotland's national youth information charity. The national youth information portal targets 12-25 year olds. Young Scot is the Euro<26 youth card member for Scotland, a founder member of the network. Euro<26 is the Europe-wide network of discount cards for young people. In Scotland, the Young Scot card is accompanied by a youth information package.

An important publication, Think Global; Act Local was published by the Scottish Executive in April 2003 and distributed widely across the Community Learning & Development (CLD) sector. This publication, whose core aim is to promote the international dimension in Community Learning & Development (CLD) and link in with the current CLD agenda of partnership working, Personal & Social Development (PSD) and capacity building, is the companion document to the 2001 publication An International Outlook: Educating Young Scots about the World, which outlined an international education strategy for the school education sector. It addresses the needs of those in the informal sector for advice and support in promoting international education through Community Learning and Development.

As the then Education Minister stated in her Foreword, "Globalisation is impacting daily upon us, especially at this difficult time of conflict. It is ever more pressing that we understand the complexities of the modern global world, and that we help those in our communities to do so."

The strategy document dovetails well with the 2002 publication Community Learning and Development: The Way Forward and the guidance subsequently issued in January 2003. International education has much to offer towards implementing the four priorities identified in that document, perhaps especially to "increasing the capacity of communities to tackle issues of concern". As UK Prime Minister Tony Blair says in the Introduction: "In our rapidly shrinking world, the fates of people across the world are more and more bound together. The new global challenges, whether it is climate change, or crime, or terrorism, or mass migration, these are problems that we solve together as one global community or not at all."

Awareness of the developing EU legal framework is quite high among Scottish education authorities, all of which have appointed named International Co-ordinators to promote developments at local level. A small number of these International Co-ordinators spend all of their time on this work but most have other responsibilities in their remits. The International Co-ordinators meet on a regular basis with the International Relations Unit (IRU) of SEED and readily participate in the major national initiatives designed to promote international education, e.g., Comenius and International Education Weeks in November. Some education authorities see their international policy as part of a wider multi-cultural, anti-racism education policy or as contributing to developing a general international perspective which encourages avoidance of stereotyping, absence of prejudice and respect for other ways of life.

• the development of policy positions on the European/international dimension in the curriculum;
• promotion of international awareness and outlook among teachers through in-service training and exchanges, especially short-term study visits to other countries;
• the incorporation of the European/international dimension within School Development Plans and Local Authority Improvement Plans; and
• the monitoring and further development of a European/international dimension in school curricula, including promotion of school-school links and partnerships.

Developing Effective International Education Practice (DEIEP) Project

The Developing Effective International Education Practice (DEIEP) Project began as a pilot initiative in September 1998 with the aim of examining ways of promoting staff development opportunities overseas, which reflected national educational priorities and key targets/issues of the thirteen local authorities involved in the partnership. Following a highly successful external evaluation report by SEED in July 2001 it was agreed to continue the pilot initiative until March 2002. It was further agreed that from April 2002 till at least March 2004 a DEIEP II initiative would be developed. A further two local authorities requested to join, Aberdeenshire and Perth and Kinross. Dundee confirmed that they would join in 2004. The funding for the project comes from SEED, Glasgow City Council Education Services and the other 15 local authorities in the consortia. Further Scottish Executive funding for the project has been approved for 2004/2005.

The national agencies - the League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers and the British Council Scotland - which are funded directly from the Scottish Executive Education Department work in partnership with the DEIEP consortium, awarding annually a global sum to be used for all international continuous professional development opportunities.

The immediate purpose of the DEIEP pilot project was to identify how certain aspects of teacher exchanges and international study visits could be improved and how such learning experiences for teachers might be brought clearly into the field of continuing professional development (CPD). The wider purpose was to help move the education system towards establishing clear, up-to-date standards and performance measures for international continuing professional development (ICPD).

The experiences of the initiative (and the work of the Continuing Professional Development Sub-Group of SIEAG) suggest that it is possible to stimulate ICPD opportunities which will have a national benefit to raising standards in education and career development for educators. Evidence and research undertaken enabled a holistic and co-ordinated approach to be adopted that has produced a sound infrastructure and support system. This has enabled local authorities to focus on accessing ICPD opportunities available to them that reflect their key educational targets/issues to raising achievement within education. It also gave them the flexibility to manage more effectively their co-ordination of international education. The Quality in Education Centre at the University of Strathclyde has been working as a 'critical friend' in developing monitoring tools and examining the impact of the project on raising the quality of the learning and teaching.

In the course of the 3 years of the DEIEP I project, no fewer than 61 tasks were tackled, ranging from the elaboration of joint working practices to the selection of suitable candidates and study themes, the identification of good practice, guidelines on exploiting the expertise of incoming teachers, the drive to inform head teachers, especially of the advantages of international experience, the attention to international study visits linked to education authority priorities, the production of user-friendly guidelines and newsletters, the development of the use of ICT, including the setting up of the web site, the pursuit of reports from teachers and the use of returnees to address colleagues. The main 'drivers' of the approach were the search for purpose, the focus on staff with a potential for influencing the system and the determination to market international education as a normal way of pursuing continuing professional development. This was done in full partnership and co-operation with the British Council Scotland and LECT.

Revised strategic aims and operational objectives were developed for DEIEP II and will be continued for DEIEP III. There are 3 strategic aims:

• To raise the quality of learning and teaching process in local authorities through effective international continuous professional development programmes;
• To explore ways at a national level re support for ICPD opportunities with the concept of international education based on DEIEP policy and practice; and
• To examine the feasibility of gaining accreditation and identification of standards for work undertaken as part of ICPD opportunities.

In 2004 - 2006 more research will be undertaken to further examine the effect of ICPD on raising standards and the learning and teaching process.

Information on the project can be found on the DEIEP website www.deiep-int-off.org.uk, which also contains a section on reports written by Scottish teachers, catalogued under the key educational goals agreed by the consortium.

Scotland/Catalunya Exchange

The Scotland/Catalunya teacher exchange programme was initiated when the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) was invited by the then SOEID to follow up an expression of interest from Catalunya in setting up educational links. ADES had already organised similar exchanges with Michigan and the Balearics and North Ayrshire Council agreed to coordinate the link on behalf of the other Scottish local authorities.

With support from the British Council, the Director of Education for North Ayrshire, John Travers, visited Catalunya and met with colleagues in Barcelona and Tarragona.

It was agreed that a programme of one week, home to home reciprocal exchanges should be set up. This arrangement offered teachers the opportunity to:

• find out about the other country's overall education system.
• study aspects of the system which were of particular professional interest.
• visit a range of schools and colleges.
• work with pupils in their partners' schools.
• learn something of the culture and history of the other country.
• live as guests in their partners' homes for a week, thus finding out about life in a real family.

The first exchange visit took place in May 2000 to Tarragona, led by Jan Ward, Head of Service in North Ayrshire. Since then, Jan has led visits to Lleida (2001), Girona (2002) and Barcelona (2003).

In 2002, the Developing Effective International Education Programme (DEIEP), which coordinates international exchanges for a number of Scottish local authorities, agreed to take over the administration of the exchange.

Overall, more than 40 teachers from all parts of Scotland have taken part in the exchanges and in many cases have developed both personal friendships and further educational projects with the partners' schools.

Among the spin-off benefits from the exchange for Scottish teachers and schools have been a large number of Comenius projects, student immersion visits and participation in educational and heritage projects. North Ayrshire has also arranged placements of Catalan teachers in schools and has offered Catalan classes to pupils and staff.

A joint workshop for Catalan and Scottish Teachers and local authority education personnel took place in Barcelona on 19 September 2003 as part of 'Scotland in Catalunya Week'. Workshop participants discussed the benefits of the exchange programme and made a series of recommendations for its future operation.

Regular feedback by all education authorities to SEED's International Relations Unit (IRU) through the International Co-ordinators ensures that a watching brief is maintained on progress in developing the European dimension in schools. A pro-forma for self-evaluation by individual institutions forms part of SEED's strategy paper, and this has been augmented by a new publication, 'How Good is our School at International Education? ( HGIOS@IE?)' (March 2003), which offers a framework of quality indicators to schools engaged in self-evaluation of this aspect.

SEED undertook to follow up the An International Outlook (2001) strategy paper with assistance to schools in devising sound approaches to evaluating international education. The collation and dissemination of good practice in international education was also identified as a key objective. The HGIOS@IE? toolkit (paper and CD-ROM versions have been made available to schools) seek to address both these aims in a concise and user-friendly format. An associated website is also being developed.

In order to help schools to evaluate their school's provision for international education, eight quality indicators (QIs) have been chosen from the revised edition of How Good Is Our School? (2002). They have been selected as those QIs most relevant to international education. They help schools to evaluate:

• the extent to which international education is included in the curriculum overall, and in particular courses and programmes;
• the impact of international education on the quality of pupils'/students' learning and their personal and social development;
• how international education promotes and develops an ethos of equality and fairness;
• the extent to which the school has developed partnerships with other schools;
• how schools involve parents and the wider community in international education activities; and
• opportunities for continuing professional development for teaching and other staff.

Audit of overall provision in each education authority's schools is the responsibility of the International Co-ordinator, who is also expected to analyse needs and develop appropriate strategies for the future development of the European/International dimension in her / his area. Exemplars of local authority policies and strategies are made more widely known through meetings of the International Co-ordinators with the IRU.

The experiences of the DEIEP project and the work of the Continuing Professional Development Sub-Group of SIEAG suggest that it is possible to stimulate ICPD opportunities which will have a national benefit to raising standards in education and career development for educators. Evidence and research undertaken enabled a holistic and co-ordinated approach to be adopted that has produced a sound infrastructure and support system, enabling participating local authorities to focus on accessing ICPD opportunities available to them that reflect their key educational goals to raise achievement in education. It also gave them the flexibility to manage more effectively their co-ordination of international education. Teachers can be involved in many different forms of international activity; the ways in which these contribute to their Professional Development and how this can be recognised in the provisions of new conditions of service is the subject of continuing discussion.

In Scotland the international dimension in education is closely related to the intercultural agenda, with appreciation of young people's place in the wider world often combined with an understanding of the range of cultures and backgrounds within the school community and the wider country.

An important guidance document which promotes the global and intercultural dimension in education is The Global Dimension in the Curriculum (2001), published by Learning and Teaching Scotland in conjunction with the Scottish Executive, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the International Development Education Association of Scotland (IDEAS). This publication is intended for teachers, head teachers and others with a responsibility for planning the curriculum in primary and secondary schools. It aims to set out in a straightforward way what the global and intercultural dimension of education comprises, its importance in the education of young people and how it can readily become a part of schools' curriculum provision. It takes as its starting point the appreciation that teachers have an increased responsibility to ensure that learners see themselves as participating citizens in local, national and global communities.

The document suggests, in line with general approaches taken in Scotland in this area, that the global (and intercultural) dimensions in education are not additional subjects, but are best developed across the curriculum (the same approach is taken with values and citizenship education). The document goes on to say that fostering this dimension " … is also furthered through a school ethos that is founded on inclusion, care and justice and in practices that foster democratic processes and principles. The global dimension that therefore enrich the whole life of the school in a number of ways, including opportunities for school linking and partnership." The Scottish Executive supports such links through bodies such as British Council Scotland and others, and these links can contribute to greater intercultural understanding at local level.

The document also suggests the aspects of whole school life through which the global and intercultural dimensions are best developed. These aspects are openness; inclusiveness; investment in relationships; a commitment to learning; and the promotion of social and environmental responsibility. Openness includes " … helping pupils to make connections and comparisons between their own experience and that of others". Inclusiveness means

" … that a school reflects and values the diversity of its community, thereby providing a good foundation for the development of feelings of belonging, self-worth, responsibility and caring for others … ."

The Global Dimension in the Curriculum was reprinted in 2002 because of its high uptake in universities involved in teacher education. To take account of most recent education policy initiatives and other developments, a revised and updated version is currently being prepared for publication later in 2004.

Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) has produced its own specific guidance on the European dimension as part of its advice to schools on the Environmental Studies area of the 5-14 curriculum. It includes ideas relating, for example, to: Europe around us; past and present Europe; direct experience of Europe; enterprise and independence; and European citizenship.

Materials have also been issued by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI), with the title Over to Europe, aimed at pupils of the upper primary and lower secondary years. These have been developed to enable teachers to add to their European dimension activities an economic and industrial perspective. The materials are based on the task of designing, marketing and selling a product or service to mainland Europe. This offers pupils an opportunity to increase their understanding of the importance of trade between Scotland and the rest of Europe, to examine export procedures, to develop enterprise skills (such as teamwork and problem-solving) and to work with adults other than teachers. Pupils form 'companies' and design products specifically for a European market in either France, Germany, Spain or Italy, which are the top destinations for Scotland's exports to the European mainland.

In addition, in-service courses for teachers based on the Over to Europe materials are now being provided by the Centre for Enterprise Education, University of Strathclyde, in a joint venture with the SCDI.

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Scotland has participated in all the major EU Programmes associated with education and training: SOCRATES (including the ERASMUS and COMENIUS elements), LEONARDO, YOUTH), and the Framework Programmes for Research and Development. It has had particular success with the SOCRATES and YOUTH Programmes. British Council Scotland is responsible for the implementation and administration of all elements of the SOCRATES programme including Comenius 1, 2 and 3, Arion and Grundtvig. The Comenius Assistants programme is administered for the whole of the UK in Edinburgh; the Comenius Actions of the EU's SOCRATES programme provides Scottish schools with a range of opportunities for joint curriculum projects with schools in other countries and initial and in-service training projects and courses for school education staff.

Additionally there are a number of different programmes which promote mobility and exchanges with other parts of the world.

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International School Linking

Comenius

Comenius 1 School Projects involve at least three schools across at least three countries who work together on a cross-curricular project for up to three years. Comenius Language Projects involve students aged 14-25 in two schools who take part in a curriculum project which includes a reciprocal two-week exchange of students in order to help improve foreign language skills.

Comenius School Development Projects support partnerships of schools that co-operate on a variety of school management or development issues. All applicants for Comenius 1 projects (as well as for Comenius Language Assistants-see below) must be contained within a Comenius Plan, which is submitted at the same time as the project application. The Comenius Plan allows schools to place all their European activities within one overall framework. Funding is also available for a preparatory visit in order to lay the foundation for a Comenius 1 project.

MontageWorld

MontageWorld is a British Council global web-based programme of collaborative curriculum projects, which encourages the development of international communities. Made by teachers for teachers, it encourages global communication, creates virtual communities, provides practical and educationally valid activities and develops research, problem-solving and communication skills. MontageWorld is now being localised out to a number of country sites to allow greater relevance to local needs and enable more focused linking with UK schools.

Windows on the World

Windows on the World is a website set up by the British Council to link schools and colleges worldwide and promote international curriculum projects. It offers advice and guidance on developing partnerships and projects; highlights a range of exciting activities undertaken by school/college partnerships across the world; provides hotlinks to other related websites; and includes an interactive partner-finding database. For further information visit the Windows on the World website at www.wotw.org.uk.

UK Government Department for International Development (DFID) Global School Partnerships Programme (formerly known as North-South School Linking)

This programme, funded by the UK Government's Department for International Development (DFID), supports partnerships between schools in the U.K. and in the developing world which bring a global dimension to pupils' learning. Global dimension goals involve extending pupils' views of the world and developing their capacity to contribute to the choices they can make in democratic societies and in an interdependent world. These goals draw on Scottish international dimension policy documents such as How Good Is Our School at International Education? (HMIE, 2003); Education and Citizenship in Scotland (LTS, 2002); An International Outlook: Educating Young Scots About the World (SEED, 2001); and The Global Dimension in the Curriculum (LTS, 2001).

British Council Scotland manages the programme for the whole of the UK and provides advice to schools about partnership relationships and about global dimension opportunities relevant to their curricula. They distribute grants to school partnerships which demonstrate commitment to global dimension learning goals and support the personal and professional development of staff through training, including opportunities for accreditation.

Further information is available at www.britishcouncil.org/globalschools

East West Schools Programme - Linking Schools in Great Britain and Ireland

Following the Good Friday Agreement, the East-West Schools Programme initiative was set up to strengthen school partnerships between young people in Ireland and Great Britain. The initiative, also the responsibility of British Council Scotland, has the following aims:

• To promote school partnerships and opportunities for transnational cooperation and mobility
• To focus on young people and their teachers
• To contribute to the professional development of teachers
• To bring added value to the learning experience
• To target the school in its widest sense

There are 4 strands of activity:

• Seminars for partner finding
• Grants for preparatory visits enabling teachers to meet to plan and develop projects within the partnership
• Funding for joint projects to include project-related field trips for pupils
• Two-week exchanges for teachers

Achievers International

Achievers International is an entrepreneurial import/export programme. The project is open to all schools and colleges, though most members are in secondary schools. There are currently 5,000 students participating in over 15 countries. Achievers International is very flexible and can run as part of various higher and standard grade courses, or as a stand-alone extra-curricular activity. Students form companies and link with an overseas partner school(s). The students communicate on a weekly basis using e-mail, fax and video conferencing. Companies source products, exchange samples, conduct market research, import and export. Each company is responsible for selling its imports to the local community.

As Achievers International concerns real business in real time, there are challenges to meet. Creativity and entrepreneurship are continually developed. Students gain and enhance skills essential to the world of work - teamwork, communication, problem solving, confidence and self-esteem to name a few. As mentors and facilitators, teachers see the benefits for students, and their working relationships. For further information and details visit http://www.achieversinternational.org.

British Council International School Award

The British Council International School Award is an accreditation scheme for international curriculum work open to all schools (nursery to Sixth Form) in the UK. The scheme recognises successful practice in curriculum based international work in schools. Successful schools are accredited for three years. They receive a certificate at a national presentation and the use of a logo. The benefits are a framework for developing international work, a dossier of evidence, PR and media coverage and a sense of recognition throughout the school. The accreditation process takes approximately 18 months to complete. The scheme has accredited 264 schools since 1998 and 120 schools are working on International School Award Action Plans in 2003/2004. 75 new schools gained the award in 2002. The Award was introduced to Scottish schools for the first time in 2003.

Further information on the British Council International School Award is available at www.britishcouncil.org/education/schools/award.htm

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Some aspects of Comenius 1 Projects are also relevant to teacher exchanges and mobility - see section 11.6.1.

Comenius 2 Projects

Comenius 2 supports initial and in-service training through providing training bursaries for teachers, trainee teachers and other staff. Courses normally centre around one of the following themes: supporting the European dimension in schools; raising achievement whilst ensuring pupils with special needs are integrated into the class; the teaching of foreign languages; supporting the children of Gypsies, Travellers, occupational travellers and migrant workers and those at risk of exclusion or discontinuity in education.

Comenius Language Assistants are prospective teachers of foreign languages from other countries who support the European dimension across the curriculum and may also help teach their native language. They can spend 3-8 months in any EU or EEA country.

Comenius 3 Projects

Institutions who are or have been involved in Comenius 1 and 2 may also apply to become part of a Comenius Network under Comenius 3. The Networks themselves share innovation, best practice, experience and research in the field of school education. Outcomes from Networks could include conferences, publications and teaching materials.

English Language Assistants

Young teachers working in Scotland can work as an English Language Assistant abroad through the long-established English Language Assistant programme, which is administered by British Council Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Executive Education Department.

English language assistants are usually either undergraduates who wish to spend the third year of their language degree course abroad or recent graduates of languages or other disciplines aged from 20-35. Young practicing teachers may also apply. Assistants spend the academic year assisting with the teaching of English in schools and colleges in Europe, Latin America, Russia, China, Canada (Quebec) and French-speaking Africa. Posts in some countries require the assistant to take full responsibility for classes, but normally the assistant works with small groups or together with the teacher and the whole class, encouraging the students in the development of their spoken English. They are asked to talk about their own interests and aspects of their culture, and to provide background information about the UK from a young person's perspective.

Assistants must normally have a minimum of Higher Grade in the language of the target country (except for Russia and China).For Russia they must normally be a graduate with a degree where Russian is a major subject. There is no language requirement for China. They work 12 hours a week and are paid a salary which varies according to the country. Benefits include the development of an in-depth knowledge of another language and culture and valuable career skills in communication, presentation and time management. The closing date for applications is normally 31st January for assistantships in the following academic year. Languages undergraduates will receive further information and application forms from their university department. For more information see www.languageassistant.co.uk or email British Council Scotland at internationaleducationscotland@britishcouncil.org.

Foreign Language Assistants

Foreign Language Assistants (FLAs) are undergraduates or recent graduates from abroad who elect to spend a year in the UK as part of their university studies/professional development. The majority are prospective teachers who have specialised in English, but a few come from commercial or technical backgrounds. They spend 12 hours per week assisting class teachers with oral work in their native language, usually French, German, Spanish, or Italian or Russian. They are paid a salary by the local authority or employing institution.

A Foreign Language Assistant is a good investment if a school is:

• looking for fresh, fun input at primary level
• training older students for oral exams
• anxious to promote a positive image of language learning
• wanting to get involved (or more involved) in European projects or the European dimension across the curriculum
• keen for students to have the personal and social development benefits of interacting with young people abroad
• committed to helping staff keep their language skills and cultural knowledge up to date

FLAs:

• assist the teacher in oral work in the classroom (group work, role play etc) or work separately with small groups
• stimulate genuine classroom communication in the foreign language
• bring the foreign country and its culture into the classroom
• can produce resources or make authentic recordings for use in the classroom

2004 is the 100 ^th anniversary of the Language Assistant scheme. There will be special events taking place in Scotland. For further information on the anniversary events and the scheme in general check the website. Further information is available at www.languageassistant.org.

Council of Europe In-Service Training Programme for Educational Staff

This programme is a Council of Europe activity and falls within the framework of the Council for Cultural Co-operation (CDCC). The Scottish programme is managed directly by SEED. It enables teachers, head teachers, school inspectors, curriculum advisors and teacher trainers from the 48 CDCC member States to take part in:

• Short national in-service training courses (three to five days) held in one of those countries
• A week-long European seminar held four times a year in Donaueschingen (Germany), organised by the Council of Europe with the German authorities and the Land of Baden-Württemberg

The programme's objectives are:

• To help educational staff to widen their cultural horizons, enrich their professional experience and disseminate knowledge
• To help them exchange ideas, information and teaching material and establish links with colleagues in their countries
• To associate educational staff more closely with the Council of Europe's work on education

Further information is available from the Council of Europe website at http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_co-operation/education/Teacher_training or contact the Scottish Executive Education Department.

The League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT)

LECT offers educators a range of opportunities for international professional development within the 54 countries of the Commonwealth. These include one year and short term exchanges, study visits, job shadowing and custom designed programmes. The member countries of the Commonwealth are a diverse group of nations, sharing common values, which represent almost one third of the world's population, and are able to offer a unique range of professional experiences.

LECT's mission is to promote excellence in education throughout the Commonwealth by developing, promoting and supporting:

• international educator exchanges and study visits
• international collaboration and linking
• information sharing and support
• shared experience and good practice
• enhancement of the professional status of teachers

LECT's programme priorities focus on:

• involvement of resource poor countries of the Commonwealth
• innovative educational research proposals
• involvement of schools and EAs previously under represented in
• international professional development programmes

For further information please consult The League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers website at www.lect.org.uk.

Scotland/South Africa Education Interchange Pilot Project, 2003-2004

This pilot professional teachers' interchange project between Scotland and South Africa commenced in September 2003. This pilot project provides for a mutual, reciprocal international professional development initiative for educators. It departs from the traditional model of one year exchanges into a more user-friendly one-term interchange. The proposal is also intended to provide a model for developing future professional interchange with other resource-poor countries.

This project aims to provide opportunities for educators in Scotland and South Africa to experience each other's educational systems and to develop their professional skills in a new environment. The value of developing professional contacts and interchanges has long been recognised both by the UK education departments, (who have provided funding to allow UK educators to undertake international professional development initiatives,) and by the Commonwealth, who in the communiqué issued following the 14th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers, held in November 2000 in Halifax Nova Scotia, confirmed the importance of professional exchanges in capacity building projects.

This project proposal emerged from concerns amongst a number of agencies with an interest in international education in Scotland that the opportunities available for international professional development for Scottish teachers were effectively limited by the inability of resource-poor countries to participate in reciprocal initiatives such as exchanges.

The traditional exchange pattern of simultaneous one year exchanges in which educators trade jobs and homes while retaining their own salaries, are out of reach of those in developing countries. Short term exchange and study visits are also hampered by the huge disparity in incomes between North and South. If resource-poor countries are to be able to participate in these valuable professional development initiatives, it is vital that a new approach is taken.

This programme has been determined following detailed discussion with the Scottish Executive, participating Scottish local authorities and South African provincial education ministries. In essence, it is based on 10 week non-simultaneous exchanges, with one third of the time being spent at a faculty of education and the other two thirds being spent as a resource to a cluster of schools.

The non-simultaneous nature of the programme means that the partners will be able to develop a deeper relationship with each other and each other's schools than is possible during a more traditional simultaneous one year exchange. The interchange will last for 10 weeks and the partners will be able to welcome and guide each other on arrival and to provide support and advice to each other during the period of exchange. The SA teachers came to Scotland in the autumn of 2003 and stayed over for the 15CCEM from 27 to 30 October 2003. The Scottish teachers went to South Africa in February 2004.

The proposal is designed to provide a three year pilot so that the implications of the interchange can be more clearly identified and the interchange itself be fully evaluated.

Fulbright Teacher and Administrator Exchange with the USA

The Fulbright Exchange programme between the UK and the USA is managed on behalf of the UK by the British Council in Northern Ireland. These exchanges offer benefits in terms of both personal and professional development. Increased confidence, motivation and a refreshed approach are some of the advantages that have been reported. Schools have the opportunity for exposure to another system and culture and long term links often result. Participants work in all levels and sectors of the education system from pre-school to further education and in all subject areas. Many undertake their partners' duties exactly. In other cases more flexible arrangements are made. There is now greater flexibility with shorter-term exchanges and head teacher work-shadowing. 2004 marks the 80 ^th anniversary of the Fulbright Exchange scheme.

Teacher Exchange Europe

This programme, managed for the UK by the British Council in London, is open to teachers of modern languages who wish to exchange posts with a teacher in France, Germany or Spain. Candidates are required to identify their own partner, and may exchange for 6 weeks, one term or an academic year. Benefits include an opportunity to refresh language skills and cultural knowledge of the host country, develop school links and exchanges, gather resources and exchange materials. Scottish teachers retain their own salaries while abroad. The British Council offers advice via its website, and handles the official paperwork and travel grant relating to the exchange. The closing date is normally in spring each year for the following academic year.

Further information on this programme is available at http://www.britishcouncil.org/education/teachers/txeurope.htm.

The British Council Scotland and DEIEP also provide opportunities for facilitating the study of particular aspects of a foreign educational system through International Study Visit / International CPD grants.

Exchanges and Study visits with Commonwealth Countries

The League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT) facilitates a number of visits and exchange opportunities among and within Commonwealth countries, including calendar and academic year exchanges, short term exchanges, study visits and job-shadowing programmes. Full details of LECT's programmes are sent out to local authorities and are available on the LECT website at www.lect.org.uk. DEIEP and British Council Scotland also work with LECT on exchanges with Commonwealth countries.

Calendar and Academic Year Exchanges

These exchanges are organised on a post to post basis with successful applicants exchanging accommodation as well as jobs. In most cases LECT will find exchange partners for applicants although they also assist teachers who have identified their own exchange partner - perhaps through a long-standing link with their school or community.

This programme is currently under review and is likely to be re-launched in 2004 for calendar and academic year exchanges from January 2005. Please check www.lect.org.uk for updated information.

Study Visits within Commonwealth Countries

LECT organises a programme of international study visits to Commonwealth countries around particular themes in education. Visits normally last for one to two weeks and take place during school holidays. Applicant must be supported by their school/local authority and must demonstrate how they intend to disseminate the results of the visit both within and outside their school. The visits are supported by pre-departure and follow-up meetings as well as support for the development of links with overseas colleagues and schools.

Commonwealth Travel Grants for UK Teachers

LECT offer travel grants of up to 500, which can be used towards the cost of a professional development visit to any Commonwealth country. Travel grants of up to 500 are available to teachers from developing Commonwealth countries towards the cost of a professional development visit to any other Commonwealth country. While priority is given to classroom teachers, all programmes are open to all teachers in school and FE colleges, teacher trainers and qualified teachers working as teachers in other institutions - for instance, in adult education, prisons, hospitals, theatre etc.

The short-term programmes are open to professions other than but allied to teaching, i.e. educational administration. Again, priority is given to classroom teachers. Job shadowing programmes for head teachers are arranged between UK heads and principals of schools overseas, the participant agrees the duration of the visit with their overseas partner (usually between two and four weeks). Job shadows can be either one way or reciprocal and participants will usually stay in the home of their exchange partner.

International Student Numbers

British Council Scotland estimates that in year 2002-03 there were around 21,000 non-EU international students in Scotland, generating an estimated 130 million for the Scottish economy and supporting around 7,000 full time jobs.

EU Youth Programme

British Council Scotland had funded 43 youth exchange projects up to November 2003 for year 2003/2004.

Foreign Language Assistants Programme

Foreign Language Assistants 2003-2004 (279 in total): 172 French-speaking; 69 German-speaking; 33 Spanish-speaking; and 5 Italian-speaking.

English Language Assistants Programme

English Language Assistants 2003-2004 (266 in total): France 139; Canada 3; Germany 37; Austria 21; China 8; Russia 6; Spain 42; Latin America 7; and Italy 3.

EU Comenius 1 Socrates Education Action Programme

87 school partnerships were accepted from the 2003 deadline.

Teacher Exchanges

British Council Scotland reported (2003-2004) one year-long exchange taking place between France and Scotland, and nine one-year and two one-term exchanges with the USA. Two head teachers took part in work shadow exchanges with the USA.

Developing Effective International Education Practice (DEIEP) Project

The DEIEP website contains a total of 267 international study visit and teacher exchange reports, classified under 18 key educational targets/issues, completed by participating teachers. Reports can be viewed at www.deiep-int-off.org.uk.

The Scottish Council for Independent Schools (SCIS)

SCIS compiled numbers of international pupils attending independent schools in Scotland for 2003/2004. There were 475 international pupils (i.e. non-British passport holders) from 41 different countries world-wide attending SCIS schools during this period.