Move part of global restructuring process to deal with debts of almost £200 million.The British Council is set to end its English-language teaching activities in Italy, bringing to a close an initiative that began eight decades ago at the end of world war two.The Council, which promotes British culture and education in more than 100 countries around the world, was founded in 1934 and is a cornerstone of the UK's soft power. Debt The proposed ceasing of teaching activities in Italy is part of a sweeping global restructuring driven by a financial crisis centred on a £197 million debt owed to the UK government. The loan was advanced during the covid pandemic after the closure of British Council premises and the suspension of exams led to losses of more than £150 million.  The loan carries interest of around £14 million a year and must be repaid by September 2026. Last month, Italian news outlet Il Post cited an anonymous "spokesperson" for the institute who said the plan to discontinue English teaching was made to the Italian division by the London headquarters and was still in a phase described as "consultation." The source told Il Post that the British Council would not close but would "continue to operate in Italy through exams and cultural relations activities", with significant job losses on the horizon. Financial peril An Italian employee who asked to remain anonymous told Il Post that rumours of layoffs had been circulating since late October, when British Council chief executive Scott McDonald told the House of Commons foreign affairs committee that the institution was in "real financial peril" as it was unable to repay the government's loan. McDonald discussed with the committee a proposal to write off the British Council's debt by exchanging its huge art collection which comprises 9,000 pieces and whose value amounts to about the same as the debt to the government. However he stated that half of the collection is legally restricted, meaning it could not be sold. Over the weekend, La Repubblica newspaper cited a "well-informed source" at the institute who said that English courses and exams offered by the British Council in Italy will be confirmed until the end of this year, adding: "After that, we don’t know what will happen. And of course, there will be cuts affecting many teachers.” Global review Brian Young, the British Council's country director for Italy, confirmed to La Repubblica that talks were under way regarding the winding down of English teaching operations in Italy, as part of "a wider global review of our operations." Young acknowledged that the proposed axing of teaching operations in Italy was a cause of concern for many but stressed that the institute was "committed to managing this process with transparency and care", telling La Repubblica: "The British Council will continue to operate in Italy through its exams and cultural engagement work, maintaining strong partnerships with institutions, educators and communities across the country." Italy hard hit In February, the newspaper Politico published the contents of an internal British Council memo that foresaw a reduction of 400 positions across Europe and the UK. Italy is expected to be "especially hard hit", according to Politico, which reported: "Of 150 roles in the country, 120 are “in scope” — about 80 percent of the workforce."

The British Council is set to end its English-language teaching activities in Italy, bringing to a close an initiative that began eight decades ago at the end of world war two. The Council, which promotes British culture and education in more than 100 countries around the world, was founded in 1934 and is a cornerstone of the UK's soft power. The proposed ceasing of teaching activities in Italy is part of a sweeping global restructuring driven by a financial crisis centred on a £197 million debt owed to the UK government. The loan was advanced during the covid pandemic after the closure of British Council premises and the suspension of exams led to losses of more than £150 million.  The loan carries interest of around £14 million a year and must be repaid by September 2026. Last month, Italian news outlet  cited an anonymous "spokesperson" for the institute who said the plan to discontinue English teaching was made to the Italian division by the London headquarters and was still in a phase described as "consultation." The source told Il Post that the British Council would not close but would "continue to operate in Italy through exams and cultural relations activities", with significant job losses on the horizon. An Italian employee who asked to remain anonymous told Il Post that rumours of layoffs had been circulating since late October, when British Council chief executive  that the institution was in "real financial peril" as it was unable to repay the government's loan. McDonald discussed with the committee a proposal to write off the British Council's debt by exchanging its huge art collection which comprises 9,000 pieces and whose value amounts to about the same as the debt to the government. However he stated that half of the collection is legally restricted, meaning it could not be sold. Over the weekend, La Repubblica newspaper cited a "well-informed source" at the institute who said that English courses and exams offered by the British Council in Italy will be confirmed until the end of this year, adding: "After that, we don’t know what will happen. And of course, there will be cuts affecting many teachers.” Brian Young, the British Council's country director for Italy,  that talks were under way regarding the winding down of English teaching operations in Italy, as part of "a wider global review of our operations." Young acknowledged that the proposed axing of teaching operations in Italy was a cause of concern for many but stressed that the institute was "committed to managing this process with transparency and care", telling La Repubblica: "The British Council will continue to operate in Italy through its exams and cultural engagement work, maintaining strong partnerships with institutions, educators and communities across the country." In February, the newspaper Politico published the contents of an internal British Council memo that foresaw a reduction of 400 positions across Europe and the UK. Italy is expected to be "especially hard hit", , which reported: "Of 150 roles in the country, 120 are “in scope” — about 80 percent of the workforce."