STUDENTS RATE UK AS THE SAFEST PLACE TO STUDY AS CONCERNS OVER SECURITY ABROAD GROW


The perceived multicultural nature of Britain’s society is the key reason for its reputation as the most secure study destination, according to students from over 80 countries who responded to a survey conducted by the British Council and the online student forum The Student Room.


Strict laws restricting gun ownership, along with good medical care, and a relatively low crime rate also contribute to the UK’s highly safe status. But having a “very multicultural society” was by far the most significant factor, with nearly 40 per cent of those who considered Britain the safest place to study citing it as the reason for their opinion. Over a quarter of students who responded to the poll placed Britain top in the safety ratings. Canada came second, voted as safest by over 15 per cent, followed by the United States, Germany, and New Zealand. Non-UK students ranked Singapore and Germany in fourth and fifth place.


Israel is seen as the least safe place to study -- due to fears over terrorist attacks – followed by South Africa, where street crime is considered to be rife. The USA’s relatively relaxed


gun laws, offset by its multicultural society and high police presence, divided opinion – leaving it placed as the third least safe as well as the third safest study destination.


A report on the findings from the British Council, published today, says crime against a rapidly rising number of globally mobile students, along with news and views spread via the internet, has led to a heightened awareness of the risks faced when studying abroad. As a result, safety has risen sharply in students’ priorities when deciding where to study. It is now the fifth most important consideration out of 19 factors influencing choice of


study destination, compared with 17th most important six years ago, a separate annual British Council poll of over 160,000 prospective students worldwide has shown.


The British Council’s Education Intelligence team used findings from this poll along with responses from the survey with The Student Room and feedback from focus groups with students and their parents to analyse the perceived threat to students’ personal safety while studying abroad.


The research sought to understand why student opinion on personal safety has changed over time and


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100