MINISTERS in Wales and Scotland say they will work together to explore how students in their countries can benefit from the Erasmus exchange programme, despite the UK leaving due to Brexit.

The Welsh and Scottish Governments say the proposed replacement for Erasmus falls short of what the EU programme offered.

The UK Government’s alternative – named the Turing Scheme after the codebreaker Alan Turing – will receive around £100 million in the next academic year.

Ministers in the devolved administrations say this “pales in comparison” to Erasmus, while Turing reduces support for colleges and schools.

In a joint statement, Wales' education minister Kirsty Williams and Scotland’s higher education minister Richard Lochhead said: “Erasmus+ is about so much more than just university exchanges. In fact, when taken together, more Erasmus+ funding is set aside for further education, schools, adult education and youth groups than for universities.

“Participating in an Erasmus+ exchange has proven to increase people’s self-confidence, cultural awareness, second-language learning ability, and employability.

“What’s more, these benefits are most pronounced for participants coming from the UK’s most deprived areas, and those furthest removed from traditional education.

“The UK Government’s proposed alternative, by comparison, is a lesser imitation of the real thing.

“The Turing Scheme, funded at £105 million for one year, pales in comparison to Erasmus+, which has now had its budget for the next seven years increased to 26.2 billion euro (£23.2 billion).”

They continued: “It is all the more unacceptable then that the UK Government is looking to impose this inadequate scheme upon Scotland and Wales through new legislation that overrides the devolved nature of education.

“We have been clear that what they are proposing is simply not good enough, and that instead any replacement funding for Erasmus+ should be given in the first instance to the Scottish and Welsh Governments, to allow us to exercise our right to deliver educational services within our respective nations.”

Last week, a group of just under 150 MEPs wrote to the European Commission, asking to them consider if Scotland and Wales could continue to take part in Erasmus despite the UK’s exit.