Page 6 - ELG2005 May Issue 470

NEWS . NEWS

Schools and universities shed staff Australia’s ELT industry “on the edge of a cliff”

as students shun courses overseas by Matt Salusbury and plans for English language teaching institutes or universities, either as
a stand-alone course or as a
from the beginning. The 14-page
Melanie Butler

Teaching
English
pathway to further study in the
Language
A month after the Australian International Engagement Strategy country, according to the strategy
by Matt Salusbury and government released a strategy to 2025 document appeared document. The sector, which
Melanie Butler make Australia the “destination of immediately after Australia banned employs some 10,000 people, JASON PATRICK ROSS / SHUTTERSTOCK
choice” for international English flights arriving from China due to brings in an average of AU $2.4
According to the Unesco Institute ZORRO STOCK IMAGES language students, industry coronavirus. billion a year. Strategy 2025 cites
of Statistics, the end of the first association English Australia At the time of writing, schools surveys showing a 90 per cent
week in April saw 1.5 billion wrote to Prime Minister Scott had not been ordered to close in satisfaction rate among Australia’s
children out of school across the Morrison requesting an AU $87 most Australian states, but many English language students.
world, with school closures in million rescue package. universities had opted to deliver Among the proposed target
place in 188 countries. At the “We’re on the edge of the cliff courses online, with many outcomes are “continually growing”
same time, 63 million state school and facing potentially widespread language schools following suit. student satisfaction and more
teachers were affected. closure,” Chief Executive of Milner International College in “benchmarking of the student
Universities, private schools English Australia, Brett Blacker, Perth, for example, announced it experience”. The document also
and private language schools told the Australian edition of The would move to online teaching notes that Australian ELT comes
worldwide have also closed due to Guardian newspaper on 25 March. only on 30 March. with a high level of quality
the Covid-19 pandemic. But what Following the government Ironically, the government assurance, backed by legislation.
is happening to their teachers? decision to close the country’s strategy identified teaching online Other targets of the strategy
Across all sectors, most of the border to non-citizens, language as one of the business include greater support to ensure
teachers who are still working are schools were continuing to teach opportunities for the English “seamless transition” for students
teaching online, with many those students who were language courses sector, along who’ve completed an English
schools dependent on these completing their courses but, “are with, “the design and delivery of language course, and progress to
online teachers for income. In facing the fact they’re going to English language curricula abroad further study. Seventy per cent of seen as a canary in the coalmine,”
Malta, however, the Union of have no students to teach in the and teacher training initiatives.” language school students go on to he said. “Historically, when
Professional Educators (UPE) very near future – we’re talking A total of 180,000 international some kind of further education, there’s dips for us it flows into
alleged that some language weeks,” he added. students took English courses in according to Blacker. other sectors, but at the moment
schools are forcing teachers to The coronavirus pandemic has 2018 in Australia’s language “In terms of the wider we’re looking at a total wipeout
work online, but have not paid dogged the government’s ambitious colleges, schools, vocational education industry, we’re often unless we can provide support.”
them since February.
The Times of Malta reported
the UPE claim that employers cancelling or delaying degree staff, including contract teachers, the closure of all schools. Its ELT crisis hits headlines worldwide Thais to target 10,000 teachers
informed their teachers that courses overseas (according to CAD $2000 a month. teachers remain unpaid.
should they refuse to work under Study Portals website), universities Governments’ support for Two weeks before the UK by Melanie Butler trying to get home to Japan by Matt Salusbury
the current conditions, the may also look to lay off staff employee wages have been key in lockdown, the unaccredited following the closure of 50 language
application for government grants teaching Academic English, many protecting teaching jobs in the Language House London (LHL) New Zealand is the latest country schools, according to the website of Thailand’s Education Minister,
on their behalf would “not be of whom are on casual contracts. language travel industry. school told its teachers that it was where language schools’ pleas for Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK. Nataphol Teepsuwan, met
forwarded for processing”. A seminar on Precarious and In the UK, the government closing, “because of coronavirus.” government bailouts have featured Other students are struggling to ambassadors from unnamed THAI MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
Language schools’ association Early Career EAP Practitioners subsidy for furloughed workers At the time of writing, staff have in the national press. The ELT stay on. In Ireland, the government “English-speaking countries” in
Feltom told the newspaper that due to be held in April has been means schools have largely been been unpaid for at least a month, sector was the industry most at risk has already come to the assistance February and requested that they
they did not condone the cancelled, but will be held online. able to retain teachers. The OISE following several months of late from travel restrictions, English New of international language students find teachers of English and other
practice, but that it was not The University and College chain has confirmed this, saying it salary payments. Language House Zealand chair Wayne Dwyer told by automatically extending their subjects for Thailand’s education
commonplace. Workers in Union (UCU), representing has “furloughed all staff” except London has no connection to any News Hub website on 30 March. visas and allowing those who lose system, “from elementary to
Maltese businesses forced to shut tertiary education lecturers in the those still working online. accredited schools with similar This is because – unlike universities their jobs because of the virus to university level,” as part of an
during the pandemic have been UK, told the Gazette that, In the Republic of Ireland, names. and high schools – it relied solely on claim the Covid-19 Pandemic upgrade of “the entire education Education Minister Nataphol
guaranteed at least €800 a month “patterns of teaching staff lay- where the government was slow Course book author Hugh foreign students for income. Unemployment Premium. system,” according to the Bangkok Teepsuwan
by the government. off… are patchy and mixed across to offer subsidies for furloughed Dellar recorded a message of Similar calls for help have hit One Irish language school, the Post.
In the UK, it is university staff the UK… but we are getting workers, “the ELT sector has support for the Tefl Teachers’ the headlines in Canada, where English Studio, has had to stop The newspaper quoted Having more foreign teachers
who may be most at risk. reports of job cuts being discussed effectively closed down,” Union, which represents the LHL language schools’ association trading. Its sister school in Teepsuwan as saying Thailand’s may boost students' confidence
According to The Guardian and we think you’re right that according to Brendan Byrne, teachers. Languages Canada asked for London has also closed down. schools currently have 7,000 and give Thailand's teachers the
newspaper, “hundreds of casual staff will likely be worst hit.” regional officer for Unite, the “I’m hoping that once all this financial aid on 25 March. Similar BLC in Bristol, England has also “foreign” teachers among its opportunity to benefit from more
university staff on precarious In US higher education, by trade union representing English coronavirus crisis has ended there pleas also came from Malta’s gone into liquidation. workforce, but that “another contact with fluent speakers.
contracts have been dismissed,” as contrast, there appears to be a language teachers. will be language schools for us to language schools’ association In the UK, the national press 10,000 teachers are required.” While the English-speaking
already cash-strapped universities freeze on hiring of permanent Following the introduction of a go back to.” Dellar said, adding, Feltom on 20 March and from has largely ignored the impact on Mr Nataphol said government nations to be involved were not
struggle to save money. tenured staff, according to the salary subsidy, Unite urged Irish “I’m also hoping that language Australia, as reported above. language schools. However, funds have been set aside for this listed, Teepsuwan said, “the
According to the newspaper, Adjunct Nation blog. The priority schools to, “step up to the mark, school owners and language Language students across the industry observers say that if upgrade, while unnamed accent of the teachers does not
Bristol University emailed 84 staff seems to be to deliver as many avail of this scheme, and top up school bosses do the right thing by world have struggled to return home language schools cannot trade “government to government matter as long as they can make
on “temporary or short-term courses online as possible, in order their workers’ wages to their their staff.” as flights have been cancelled. In the during the peak summer season cooperation programmes” are to the lessons fun.” This would
contracts” and informed them to keep institutions open in some normal level of earnings where “This shouldn’t be a situation resort of Cebu, in the Philippines, the current trickle of closures manage recruitment of native- suggest a broad interpretation of
that, due to the Covid-19 form until things return to possible.” where we profit from people when more than 1,000 students were could turn into a flood. speaker teachers. “English-speaking”.
outbreak, they had ended normal. For now, almost all the Worst hit are teachers in the the going is good… and drop
temporary contracts for those who hiring is of (cheaper) “adjunct small number of schools that have them like a hot turd when the
“could not work from home” or professors” on temporary ceased trading, The English going’s bad,” he added.
who were not “essential.” contracts. Studio Dublin went into
With 40 per cent of In Canada, the government liquidation in the week after the © Matt Salusbury and Melanie
international students considering have guaranteed all university Department of Education ordered Butler/EL Gazette

6 May 2020 editorial@elgazette.com 7