Page 24 - ELG1803 Mar Issue 455

COMMENT .

Alexandra E Rust are sending their children abroad for – nice mention of any of this. Nor is there one word No more tickets

about teaching or teacher qualifications or
toilets? Worldwide I have seen a lot of good
in Clubclass
Why parents schemes. The old NEAS scheme in Australia learners’ progress. Nor is there any promise The news of the closure of Clubclass
was pretty good, really strong on teacher
to publish the results, as the British Council
qualification and experience. Though, as a
and the Independent Schools Inspectorate
Brit, I simply don’t understand an inspection
language school in London, just weeks
What about child
system which doesn’t observe teaching.
after the Academy St John’s Wood, is
deserve scheme, with its spot inspections and its protection? Are they another reminder that, although trading
I had a lot of time for the Irish Acels
conditions have improved, the UK
inspectors from the department of education.
language school industry has yet to fully
going to insist that
Both schemes have been shut down.
recover. London was particularly hit in
The Australian government has replaced
more than theirs. The Irish government, however, just every teacher and every the 2015-2016 downturn and city centre
schools may also have been hit last year
host family are properly
put the old Acels scheme into cold storage
by the series of terrorist attacks.
until a ‘new’ International Education Mark
Reports suggest Manchester, though,
vetted?
was launched. That was nearly ten years ago.
was not affected by the Manchester
just a roll through the Irish Parliament. A quick read do. The British Accreditations Council is Arena bombing. Overall, however, the
The new scheme is grinding its way
number of British Council accredited
also planning to do so in its new scheme
through the code of practice, however, will
language centres has declined only
for local language schools (see back page
not reassure many parents.
slightly since the beginning of 2016,
of the dice is a comfort. It promises to check the agents interview). dropping just nine per cent, according
It promises to check the publicity, which
It’s the British way. And that is why the
to EL Gazette database records. Losses
– good. It even promises ‘learner protection’,
EL Gazette publishes the results in those
in traditional destinations such as
by which they mean ‘fee protection’.
If the school fails, you get your money reports. It’s for parents like me. London and Bournemouth seem to
have been counterbalanced by schools
back. MELANIE BUTLER opening in new hotspots like Wales and
But what about risk assessment? What Edinburgh. With over 500 centres still
about child protection? Are they going to Editor at large accredited, the British Council scheme
insist that every teacher and every host @MelanieButler_E looks still to be the biggest ELT
family are properly vetted? There is no accreditation system in the world.
Parents often foot the bill for language travel but a lack of information about
safeguarding and teaching can make chosing a language school a risky business,
writes Melanie Butler
e who pays the piper calls the tune. dozen girls at a time, fed them on spaghetti You cannot imagine what a relief
Except when it comes to language and locked the front door at 8.30pm every accreditation brings parents. Somebody who
travel. night. At least they were safe. Or they would actually knows something about language
H A recent press release from have been, had they not all climbed out of teaching has actually inspected this school:
English UK points out there are three main the window and headed for the nearest bar. a Ministry of Education, a university, the
stakeholders: the students, the agents and My Spanish friends have long complained British Council. Somebody has looked at it
the parents who pay the fees. about British host families. and said it is good enough.
The students want a good time. The agents Now I could tell them, it is not just the Accreditation worked for my family;
want good service levels and, though English one great university course, one very
UK are much too polite to mention this, You cannot imagine good one and a perfectly adequate private
bigger commissions. what a relief accreditation language school and my daughter’s Spanish
The parents, who foot the bill, worry about blossomed.
safety and academic quality. brings parents. Somebody Housing remained an issue. The Spanish
I was that parent. accreditation system, very strict on teaching
Unusually for a Brit, I sent my child abroad who actually knows standards, doesn’t care un pimiento about the
to study every year for four years. Even as an something about rest.
expert, I found it difficult to find out which So, after one more miserable ‘host mother’
schools offer quality. You ask other parents. language teaching has we switched to university residences. No
You trawl the internet. If you can find a accreditation scheme is perfect.
consumer brand you know, you plump for it. actually inspected this I have my arguments with the British
My daughter’s first trip was organised by Council inspectors. They were too slow to
her school. Her group went to the Madrid school implement child protection, and they are too
branch of a prestigious language teaching quick to accept lousy terms and conditions
brand I knew well, a brand I have taught UK. The next year an agent friend suggested which make teaching almost impossible
for. Did she make any progress? I don’t Costa Rica. Another school which didn’t Instead, as we reveal on page 6, they let
know, I never received a report. How was send a report, another single old lady, schools hire more and more non-graduates.
the academic quality? ‘OK, I guess,’ said the another complaint about the food. And why the hell is student progress just
teenager. Then friends told me Spain’s accreditation one tiny criteria among a hundred? No
She told me more about the ‘host family’: system was run by the University of more or less important than timetabling or
an elderly single lady who housed half a Salamanca and the Instituto Cervantes. good signage. What do they think parents
24 February 2018 editorial@elgazette.com 25