The SNP has been accused of 'hollowness' over its pro-European stance after failing to deliver a Scottish student exchange scheme to replace membership of the EU's Erasmus programme.

In its manifesto for the 2021 Holyrood election, the SNP criticised the UK Government for dropping out of the European education programme saying young people had been "robbed" of opportunities by the "Tory Brexit."

The party promised to "create a Scottish programme of exchange to provide mobility and cooperation opportunities in higher education, vocational education and training, school education, adult education, youth and sport."

After the SNP won the election in May that year, former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon included a commitment to launch a successor initiative.

Her programme for government, unveiled in September 7 2021, stated: "The UK's exit from the EU risks damage to Scotland's international standing, and reduces opportunities for Scottish students to travel and study in Europe.

READ MORE: Wales places thousands on new European programme while Scots scheme yet to begin

"We will develop a new strategy for international education, to promote Scotland's education offer globally, increase the number of international students, and maintain our links with the EU. We will also develop a Scottish Education Exchange Programme to support the international mobility of staff and learners, and work to re secure Scotland's access to the Erasmus + Programme."

However, three years on a Scottish successor scheme is still to be launched while Scottish students still do not have access to the EU's Erasmus programme.

Instead, the Scottish Government launched a much smaller scale £1millilon project with grants available to universities of up to £25,000.

Meanwhile, the Welsh Government launched its £65 million Taith programme in 2022 which has seen 6000 students travel for their studies to 95 countries.

READ MORE: Angus Robertson and Lorna Slater accused of ignoring Erasmus on Brussels visit

Willie Rennie, the Scottish Lib Dem MSP, told The Herald that the Erasmus programme is "a fantastic initiative that helped us forge relationships with our European friends" and opened up the world for Scottish universities and students.

He criticised the Scottish Government for failure to deliver on its promise to launch and successor scheme and appealed to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to let the whole of the UK rejoin Erasmus.

"The failure to swiftly set up a Scottish Erasmus replacement has exposed the hollowness at the heart of the SNP's pro-European rhetoric and left thousands of Scottish students missing out," he said.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson took the UK out of Erasmus during the Brexit negotiations. Photo: PA.

"The £65 million Taith scheme in Wales, kickstarted by the Liberal Democrats, has already lined up over 5,000 international exchange opportunities from September 2022 with funding for 4 years.

"There are encouraging noises coming out of European leaders and diplomats about international exchange opportunities. This is an open door that Keir Starmer should be pushing on.

"We can expand opportunities for young people to study, teach and volunteer abroad by returning the UK to the Erasmus Plus programme as an associated country."

He added: “The Scottish Government should support our universities to offer world-class opportunities.

(Image: Gordon Terris) Scottish Lib Dem Willie Rennie wants the Scottish Government to speed up work on an Erasmus replacement for Scottish students promised by the SNP in 2021.  Photo: Gordon Terris/The Herald.

“Thriving universities are fundamental to the national interest, both by attracting talented people to work in Scotland but also in terms of the research they do."

Mr Rennie continued: "The Scottish Government have had years to get a proper scheme off the ground. What they have put together  barely amounts to a fig leaf, covering up the gigantic hole where Erasmus used to be.

"Ministers seem completely disinterested. There is no energy driving this project forward and as a result students and young people are missing out."

Graeme Dey, the minister for higher and further education, told Holyrood in June that he wished the Scottish Government had been able to move more quickly but “we are where we are”. He said he wanted to look forwards, not backwards.

Mr Dey said that in 2023-24 the Scottish Government had funded the test and learn project and that it planned to “build on that in the coming years” with a view to developing “a programme which provides opportunities for all parts of our education system, including schools”.

“I don’t just want to have a programme for the sake of a programme. I want to have a programme that reflects the needs of the sector,” Mr Dey said.

The EU's Erasmus+ scheme provides funding for education, training and sport, with a particular focus on youth work. Thousands of Scottish students took part in the scheme before it closed post Brexit.

During negotiations with the EU, Boris Johnson's UK Government turned down an opportunity to stay in the programme, opting instead to create its own "Turing" scheme, which launched in 2021.

However, the Scottish Government criticised the Turing programme as "a lesser imitation of the real thing".

The Prime Minister has said he wants to renegotiate the UK-EU post-Brexit treaty, including on security. He also wants to forge closer economic ties in areas such as agriculture, chemicals and professional qualifications, though he has stressed he does not want to rejoin the single market or customs union.

However, EU figures want increased mobility for young people - and are open to the UK rejoining Erasmus - as part of a new closer relationship with the UK.

Miguel Berger, Germany's ambassador to the UK, suggested last month the EU would like a post-Brexit 'mega deal' which would restore freedom of movement for younger people and certain professionals.

But Sir Keir is reluctant to rejoin the Erasmus scheme with the cost of more than £135 million a year seen by the last government as prohibitively high, with education budgets already stretched.

Mr Berger said greater freedom of movement will be a priority for the EU as he revealed Berlin wanted a much 'broader' deal than the one being talked about by Sir Keir.

"We have a headline, which is security and cooperation. And beneath that, we think we should look for areas which are in the common interest," he told the Politico website.

He said his proposals did not amount to a return to the freedom of movement seen when the UK was in the EU, Mr Berger added: "I think it's very important that people understand this has nothing to do with the migration dossier, because people come here to study, work, do internships, whatever, and then they would leave. So this is not about migration."

But he added: "That would include a youth mobility scheme. It would include the Erasmus programme, school trips, youth exchanges, the question of visa costs. So I would say there are many, many things which affect the day-to-day mobility, especially for young people, and I would really like to see some progress there."

SNP MSP Rona Mackay said:  "The Lib Dems may have given up on their commitment to rejoin the EU but the SNP have not. Rejoining the European Union as an independent nation is the best way for Scottish students to enjoy the full benefits that EU membership brings."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Government remains committed to addressing one of the most damaging consequences of Brexit for our colleges and universities – the fact that UK students can no longer take part in the Erasmus+ Programme.

“The European Commission's proposals for a youth mobility agreement with the UK are welcome, and it is critical to maximise opportunities for young people to live, work, study and learn in the EU.

“Applications for Year 2 of the Scottish Education Exchange Programme Test and Learn Project have now opened. This will re-establish some of the opportunities that Erasmus+ provided, which the UK Government’s Turing Scheme does not."

In a letter to Holyrood's education committee last September Mr Dey gave details about the the Scottish Education Exchange Programme- Test and Learn Project.

"Although smaller in scale than Erasmus+, it will support student and staff exchanges to help develop stronger international partnerships," he said.

"In October 2023, Scottish universities and colleges can bid for one short term grant for a minimum of £1,000 and maximum of £25,000 to undertake international projects by 31 March 2024.

"They can also apply for an additional £10,000 for projects which contain cross sector educational partnerships e.g. with schools, youth work, adult learning, and sports organisations and will prioritise placements for disadvantaged groups.

"Scottish Government are committing and initial up to £1 million to this test and learn project. This shows our commitment to enable young people and staff to study and live abroad, and to EU and global partnerships."

The UK Government was approached for comment.