Distinction in travel journalism
Is independent travel journalism important to you?
Click here to keep it independent

18 Nov, 2014

UK Budget cuts forcing cuts in school student exchange trips – The Independent

Whether a joyful summer away from the prying eyes of parents, or a tedious fortnight in a dreary provincial town, foreign exchanges have been a rite of passage for generations of British teenagers.

But many children today are missing out on the mind-expanding opportunities offered by language and cultural exchanges, as budget cuts and safety concerns see schools ditch their programmes.

A survey of 450 headteachers, carried out by YouGov for the British Council, revealed that only 39 per cent of the country’s secondary schools take part in foreign exchange trips involving a stay with a host family. State schools are half as likely as private schools to offer such schemes.

Read the rest: Foreign exchange trips are becoming passé for UK schoolchildren – Schools – Education – The Independent.