Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the UK becoming an e-Twinning country as part of the Turing Scheme in order to benefit (a) pupils aged 3-19 years in educational collaborations with similar aged children abroad and (b) teachers' continuous professional development.

The government has decided that it is not in the UK's interests to seek continued participation in the Erasmus+ programme. eTwinning is an EU initiative which is part of the Erasmus+ programme, so as a result our participation in eTwinning has also ended. There are currently no plans for the UK to join eTwinning in the future.

The new Turing Scheme will provide funding for school pupils to participate in international placements and exchanges, and the scheme is currently open for schools to apply. The scheme is not a like-for-like replacement of Erasmus+, and does not replicate the eTwinning online platform, but is focused on providing funding for school pupils to benefit from going overseas. We want to give as many pupils as possible the opportunity to travel abroad to experience different cultures, improve language skills and build independence, character, and resilience. The Turing Scheme offers guidance for schools on how to establish international partnerships, including through the British Council Schools Partner Finder. These partnerships also offer teachers the chance to share experiences and best practice with colleagues in other countries.