To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the ability of the British Council to provide English teaching programmes through digital platforms; and what additional resources his Department has made available to the British Council to continue English teaching abroad programmes digitally.
This answer is the replacement for a previous holding answer.
Answered on
30 June 2020
Covid-19 has had a huge impact on the British Council's ability to operate, with the majority of their English language centres closed. The British Council has adapted quickly to the crisis by moving to digital in many areas. For example, they are now delivering online English teaching to 85,000 students in 44 countries, and have created new digital products including the IELTS indicator test as an interim measure for international customers.
The FCO is finalising the terms of a £60m loan to support the British Council through to mid-August while we conduct a strategic review of their business. Conversations are ongoing about the recommendations of the review and how that will impact future services and funding.