Teacher and journalist, Charlie Ellis, reports on Edinburgh’s COVID recovery.
Following the twin blows of COVID and Brexit there are signs of renewed life in Edinburgh’s EFL scene. While several schools have closed for good in the last three years, those which have managed to survive are looking to summer and autumn 2023 with a degree of confidence. Some schools have re-emerged from a period of “hibernation,” while a number have recently expanded.
A top TEFL destination
Alongside cities such as Oxford, London, and Bournemouth, Edinburgh has long been a leading TEFL destination in the UK. Students are drawn to Edinburgh by the beauty and historical interest of the city and the high reputation of many of the English language schools. Many of these schools have, historically, been based in prime locations in and around Edinburgh’s Georgian New Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some students also come to Edinburgh to experience the cultural extravaganza that is the Edinburgh International Festival & Fringe in August, as well as the Hogmanay event at New Year. They find a very liveable and welcoming city with large green spaces, but only discover the distinctly “changeable” weather once they arrive!
The TEFL sector is a significant part of the UK economy. According to English UK, the ELT industry was, prior to COVID, generating around £1.4bn income for the UK each year and supporting around 35,700 jobs. However, this massive contribution often goes under the radar.
As previously outlined in the Gazette, the introduction of complex rules has severely impacted the school trips market. Many schools have closed for good, while others have limped on, switching to online teaching during the depths of the pandemic. More than 50% of staff in the EFL sector were laid off during that period as student numbers fell by 79%; a substantial number of teachers even left the sector for good.
“A proliferation of empty premises and “To Let” signs spoke of a sector in crisis. This now seems to have passed.”
Operating schools during the pandemic posed many difficulties. Due to the need to maintain social distance, classes had to be limited in size, which severely dented income.
Furthermore, it was difficult to maintain a “communicative” classroom atmosphere in such circumstances. Wearing face coverings made it hard to practice key aspects of the language, such as pronunciation. This period of great uncertainty required schools and teachers to be very adaptable. It was a substantial test for those in the sector, with no guarantee that their schools would make it through. Some, evidently, did not.
The loss of language schools
Among the Edinburgh schools to have shut in recent years include Mackenzie, Global, Wallace College, and Caledonian. Berlitz closed its physical premises on Frederick Street. The large chain British Study Centres also closed their vast Edinburgh base on George Street.
Mackenzie English School in Leith was the only school in the city which ran courses just for teenagers all year round; using a Task Based Learning approach, they had operated with success since 2008. Their closure came about a year after a move to spacious new premises in an attractively renovated church on Constitution Street, and saw a large number of teachers and admin staff laid-off. The business has since transmogrified into a nursery school.
A proliferation of empty premises and “To Let” signs spoke of a sector in crisis. This now seems to have passed. The majority of schools are looking ahead with greater optimism and a number are in the process of expanding.
Encouraging signs
Kaplan International Languages plans to move from their present home in Albyn Place to new premises at 26 St Andrew Square. There they will have the capacity for 300 students and 34 staff. The Language Institute (TLI), previously on Palmerston Place, has had a peripatetic existence over the last few years. For a time, it made use of rooms in the back of a church in the Newington area as it bravely kept going. It has now moved into new premises in Leith, which is generally considered Edinburgh’s liveliest area and has undergone massive changes since the 1980s.
Other schools in the city are demonstrating renewed health. CES retains its elegant premises in Edinburgh’s West End, close to both Princes Street and one of Edinburgh’s most beautiful and most “instagrammable” spots, Dean Village. It continues to offer teacher training courses alongside its regular EFL classes.
Simply English, which aims to “immerse students into the lifestyle and culture of the city,” has been in operation since 2016 and has recovered well from the pandemic. Simply English lies very close to the Meadow’s, one of Edinburgh’s many excellent public parks, as well as the main campus of Edinburgh University.
ECS Scotland has reopened, and targets those coming for intensive study holidays and who are prepared to pay a slight premium for small class sizes and an extensive cultural programme. Inlingua – in addition to EFL classes – offers the widest range of language training and translation services in the city.
Other schools seeing recovery include Basil Paterson, which has long been a prominent EFL location in the city. Alongside regular lessons, they offer respected teacher training courses. Many EFL teachers working in Edinburgh have gone through Basil Paterson’s CELTA courses. Basil Paterson is also the city’s main exam centre and the largest open exam centre in Scotland for IELTS.
Alba English School in Causewayside has recently marked its 10th Anniversary. As it enters its second decade, Alba is going through a period of expansion, seeking to adapt to a much-changed business climate in the EFL sector. This includes a shift in focus away from EU countries and an attempt to access broader international markets. Having been based on the second floor of the business centre in Causewayside, Alba have now taken over the ground floor of the building. Originally a police station, the building is an interesting, labyrinthine place, and it is still evident where the cells used to be located.
These expansions and re-openings exemplify more optimistic prospects for the EFL sector in Edinburgh. The schools are looking forward with some bullishness. So too are Edinburgh’s universities and colleges which offer EFL classes. It will take some time for the number of students to reach pre-pandemic levels, but there are sufficient signs to suggest that a revival is just getting started. Like those in charge of the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe, many schools are hoping for a busy summer.
