BUSINESS DAY
It is a universal truism that education is a driving force in the socio-economic development of any country, and many advanced countries such as the United Kingdom (UK) maximises the benefits of good education to boost its economy.
The UK government in the fore of this, has concluded plans to increase the number of international students coming to study in their schools to 600,000 per year by 2030 with focus on Nigeria, India and Vietnam, among others.
Read also: 10 red flags to note for students looking to study abroad
A recent report by Hazel Shearing of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) states “The government has a target of 600,000 international students per year studying in the UK by 2030 – with a particular focus on: India, Nigeria, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia.”
According to research, education exports play a vital role in supporting the UK economy, hence the government is doing everything and anything possible to attract international students as a means of boosting the UK’s “soft power”, through its reputation and global networking.
A 2023 government’s report estimated one year group of international students would bring £41.9bn in economic benefits through the course of their time in the UK.
“It surpassed its 600,000 target in 2020-21 and 2021-22,” according to the most recent data.
For now, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) data suggests the number of applicants for nursing has fallen, which the Royal College of Nursing warned could leave the national health service (NHS) dangerously understaffed.”
Meanwhile, the number of international students applying to undergraduate courses at UK universities has risen for a second year running.
New data shows 115,730 students from outside the UK applied to start in September, up from 114,910 last year.
This is coming despite tougher government rules to help slash migration. And it follows accusations universities have lowered standards to recruit overseas students, who can be charged far more than UK students.
The number of international applicants remains below the high of 116,110 before the Covid-19 pandemic.
