Public school headmaster criticises student visa restrictions
July 02 2010 by Liam Clifford
The headmaster of a public school in Somerset has spoken out against restrictions on UK visas for students, claiming they will have a detrimental effect on independent schools.
Taunton School’s Dr John Newton, says that the tougher rules
will have a “damaging impact” on schools like his, where more than half the
boarders are living in the UK on student visas.
He explained that the
impact of the restrictions will go much further than just the schools
themselves: “It’ll have a damaging impact on us as one of the biggest employers
in town and on local business.
“It cannot be beyond those who frame these
measures to ensure that schoolchildren can still happily make the most of their
education here without the obstacles that are put before them.”
Another
influential Somerset headmaster, Martin Reader from Wellington School, which
runs a summer language school, added, “The British independent sector is so
highly thought of throughout the world that students want to come here to study
- that should be a cause for celebration, not hindrance.”
Under the new
rules, student uk visa applicants must have a certain level of English already
before coming to study in the UK. As a result, language schools are expected to
come off particularly badly.
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