 INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
By Roger Bartholomew
Roger Bartholomew spends his life talking with students - both as a teacher and as a counselor. His position as president of International Education Specialists, Chairman of Southville Foreign University and Director/Teacher at Southville International School all involve listening to students and parents and advising them on their studies and careers. He is a frequent speaker in schools, colleges, universities, public forums and focus groups.
ONCE MORE, FOR BRITISH EDUCATION
You may have to forgive me this month for once again having a slight leaning towards the UK in the search for something above and beyond the ordinary – in the search for opportunity both in education and in careers.
Having said that, don’t think that this is one-way traffic! From 1762 – 1764, the British came to the Philippines in search of something more interesting than roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, and took over the Philippines from the Spaniards for two years, having just beaten them in yet another war.
Many interesting things happened during these two years that assisted in the multi-culturalism of the Philippines. Firstly, the Chinese traders were allowed to come ashore in the Binondo area and have houses and warehouses there. The Spanish previously had only allowed them to trade from their ships. Secondly, the British brought many “sepoys” with them from India who did not want to return home when the British left, and they stayed and lived in the Cainta/Antipolo area with the obvious result.
Thirdly the British themselves succumbed to a way of life which sounds all too familiar today:
“With a little more time, it would have been difficult for the British to have maintained their position much longer, so greatly had the number of troops at their command been reduced at the end of the fifteen months’ possession of Manila. Drunkenness killed a lot of their men. The intense heat, strong drink, too much fruit – particularly bananas – and a surfeit of beautiful women, more easily obtained in Manila than in any other place in the world, all contributed to wear them down little by little and would have finally destroyed them….”
Thus wrote LeGentile de la Galaisiere in 1779. So, when going to the UK beware of warm beer, bananas, etc.
However, the UK does have much to offer both in education and careers terms. The old and venerable universities like Oxford and Cambridge date back to 1186 and have been accepting overseas students for 822 years! Aberdeen University was founded in 1495 by Papal Bull, and the plumbing at the place I went to, dated back to about the same time and probably didn’t work even then…
But let’s move forward to today. What has the UK really got to offer? The answer is “a lot”. Places like Bournemouth University specialize in areas such as TV & Film Production and are also the UK’s hottest center for some very cool animation stuff. A group of second year students has posted something which I think you will enjoy at www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBHbHdHdirc.
You may even recognize the name. Cardiff University has become one of the favored universities among Philippine students for Architecture, Business and Finance and Nottingham is also a firm favorite. Today I was talking to a brother and sister, Wallen and Trisha Tan, who studied at Imperial College and London School of Economics respectively. Both are working (good jobs), enjoying life and looking around for the right opportunity. Cherri Villanueva took up Law at LSE and is now pitting her wits against the finest legal minds in London. Knowing her, I don’t give them much hope!
Why has the UK become so popular? Clearly the huge range of courses available at Bachelors, Masters & Ph.D. level is a factor and also the fact that Masters degrees only take 12 months to complete.
But the key factor is the work opportunity. Firstly the British government allows students to work up to 20 hours a week during term time and full-time during holidays. Secondly, after graduation, overseas students can obtain a one year work permit to go and work with a company to gain experience and get paid while doing it; and thirdly, after this one year, a UK company can apply for a 3 – 5 year work permit for the student, with no need for them to return to the Philippines.
Basically the message is, if you enjoyed studying in the UK, and you liked the work experience, we will be happy for you to stay – provided you are prepared to work. On British wages, who wouldn’t be?! So it appears that Britain is now importing beer, bananas and beautiful people from the Philippines and finds that a much more manageable situation than trying to garrison Manila. I think this could be described as a win-win situation all round.
Final word – after the last column someone e-mailed me and said that VIP stands for Very Ignorant Person – someone who didn’t study when they had the opportunity to. Well, there you go. More about international education to amaze you, next month….
Until the next upload, this is Roger Bartholomew.
Kudos to this year's batch of graduates! Read more about what could be in store for them this year with the latest job opportunities and the best career guidance to make their job hunting easy, convenient, and fun.
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