Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what role the British Council plays in delivering the UK’s International Education Strategy in Commonwealth countries.

The ambitions in the UK’s International Education Strategy will be delivered in close collaboration between government, the sector, the UK’s International Education Champion and key partners including the British Council.

The reformed Education Sector Action Group (ESAG), chaired by Ministers, brings together industry, government, and representative bodies from across the education sector to tackle key concerns and identify opportunities for partnerships. Each core member representative will lead on a sector action plan outlining how their members will support delivery of the strategy. As an adviser member of ESAG, British Council will have a key role in supporting the sector action plans across each of the education sectors, reflecting their broad and deep education expertise.

As the International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith will continue to remove barriers to education partnerships by engaging with Commonwealth countries and others.