Page 7 - ELG2009 Sep Issue 472

NEWS . NEWS

Rules rollercoaster hits US schools as UK schools face closure, tax relief denied

international students stay home By Matt Salusbury A survey of 40 per cent of

members found that student TEG ENGLISH
A chain of five English language weeks began to fall even before
By Matt Salusbury schools in the UK, TEG English, Covid-19 hit the UK — falling 29
ceased trading, putting them per cent in the first quarter of
International education in the among at least 15 British 2020 (January-March). Second
USA is reeling from a series of Council-accredited schools quarter numbers were down 79
court judgements, government forced to close by the pandemic per cent, while the forecast for the
appeals and changing IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (see page 13). Language school peak summer season was for an 82
immigration policies which have association English UK estimates per cent drop on last year. Few
hit universities, colleges and that 30 per cent will not survive members surveyed believed the
language schools in the run up to the summer. sector would recover to pre-Covid
the new academic year in TEG owner David Tomkins levels before 2021.
September. blamed, “the extended lockdown UK ELT supports 12,000 jobs,
Cheryl Delk-Le Good, ... that saw fixed costs mount,” as according to the report, though
executive director of accredited well as “derisory governmental almost half are ‘seasonal
language centre association assistance,” according to Study employees.’ Just seven per cent of
English USA, told the Gazette Travel Magazine. staff had full-time work during the
that they have recorded the On the advice of English UK, pandemic, while 10 per cent were The TEG English school in Cardiff was among those closed
closure of 15 member programmes the British ELT sector closed its put on reduced hours. Of the 46
in the past six months. However, centres on 20 March, after its per cent of employees who were each make the decision for their local property tax relief. He added
she emphasised that, “member two biggest markets, Italy and laid off, the vast majority were own area, meaning language that language schools have
programmes continue to innovate China, halted flights to the UK, seasonal staff. schools in one part of London can benefited from the wages paid via
and adjust to the roller coaster of and two days after the Government measures have face a bill of £100,000 while the coronavirus employee
government guidance and government closed England’s allowed 65 per cent of permanent schools in another area pay furlough scheme and from
unknown short- and long-term state schools. staff and 70 per cent of seasonal nothing. emergency interest-free loan
impact of Covid-19.” A period of year-on-year staff to be furloughed. However, In a House of Commons debate packages.
The most recent twist in the growth, which began in 2017, the Department of Local on the impact of Covid on ELT in On 18 August, English UK
visa saga came in July, when that it had a chilling effect on would not issue any new student students no longer facing ended abruptly as student Government has failed to include July, Minister of Exports Graham interim chief executive Jodie Gray
government lawyers withdrew students going to their home visas for international students for deportation, most universities, numbers fell off a cliff, with ELT in the business rate scheme, Stuart pledged to “champion” the launched a Parliamentary petition
their appeal against an earlier countries for holidays. courses taught online. colleges and schools will now start earnings falling an estimated 80 which waives property taxes for sector and to talk to his asking the government to include
North Carolina ruling on a 2018 Many international students Just one week earlier, the academic year with at least per cent, according to a recent the leisure and hospitality counterpart in the Department of all language schools in the
lawsuit on “unlawful presence” for had been fearful of doing so, threatened with court action by some courses still held online. English UK report. industries. Local authorities must Local Government about possible business rates relief scheme.
student-visa holders. anxious that they might not be Harvard University and MIT, ICE English USA confirmed that,
Under this policy – which came able to return to the US. rescinded its earlier guidelines, “many of our member
into force following a US Customs Universities feared they would be dating from 6 July. These advised programmes are offering School Covid-19 cluster shakes Maltese ELT
and Immigration Service (USCIS) held liable for any of the students’ international students already in programmes this [autumn] with
memo – immigration officers breaches of their visas. With the the US to leave the country, an online component.”
could ban international students USCIS’s appeal now off the table, change universities or face Most first-year international By Melanie Butler have remained low. July student conditions. Tension between staff close in October when government
on student visas from re-entering the judgement comes into deportation if their course due to students will join courses online numbers were down to 1800, and management came to a head financial support comes to an end,
the US if they’d committed the immediate effect. start in September was to be from their home countries, often A cluster of Covid-19 cases at a around 90 per cent lower than the in early June when staff at one especially if travel restrictions on
most minor of technical breaches Shortly before USCIS dropped taught entirely online. Students facing a time zone difference of up language school in Malta has kept 18,400 arrivals reported for July school took strike action. Russians and Brazilians, two of the
of their visas, even accidentally. the appeal, its enforcement arm, on language courses faced even to 11 hours, as they can’t get visas, the island’s industry firmly in the 2019. August has also seen low FELTOM has warned that largest year-round markets, remain
The court ruled that the way Immigration and Customs stricter conditions, with no online or even attend a mandatory face- headlines. The “language school numbers, particularly of younger language schools are struggling to in place. Only one Maltese school
the policy was implemented was Enforcement (ICE), changed its input allowed at all. to-face interview for a visa at a cluster”, as the press named it, learners, FELTOM’s James Perry survive and worry that many could has so far closed.
unlawful and “inconsistent” with policy for the second time in just With Covid-19 cases still rising US consulate, which only started followed months of stories of told the Times of Malta.
the act on which it was based, and a few weeks, stating that they rapidly in the US, and existing slowly reopening on 15 July. struggling schools and teacher “If something happens that is of
activism, culminating in Malta’s great concern to parents, in this PIXABAY
first EFL strike on 5 July. case a significant increase in
On 30th July, Malta Today Covid-19 cases, then they’re not
newsinbrief. from Gazette news editor Matt Salusbury reported that 24 Danish teenagers going to take the risk and travel,”
were placed in quarantine in the Perry said.
BELARUS: Svetlana JAPAN: Forty CANADA: Schools FIJI: The US THAILAND: The Secretary INDIA: The policy of EF student residence after their The news that Covid cases had
Tikhanovskaya, the members of the association Languages ambassador to the General of Thailand’s the state of Rajasthan group leader tested positive for been found in language students,
presidential candidate Tozen Union Shane Canada has asked the Pacific nation, Joseph Private Education to convert one Hindi or
in the recent Belarusian Workers branch, were federal government for a Cella, launched the Commission, Attapon Rajasthani-language Covid-19. One week later, two following a weekend party, first
election who was on strike at the end of “Study Safe Corridor” to English Access Micro- Truektrong, assured the school in every district students and two members of EF came from teachers’ Union UPE,
forced to flee to July, according to the allow students pre- scholarship Programme public that the 3,000 to English-medium has staff had also tested positive, and who called on staff in affected
Lithuania, is a former Union’s website. The screened for Covid-19 to in July. The first such foreign English teachers encountered one more followed on 15 August. schools to self-isolate. Language
English teacher. As a teachers claim they arrive from Brazil, Turkey, programme in the who had been registered opposition in the
child, Tikhanovskaya, were required to South Korea and Japan. Pacific, it provides to enter Thailand by air via remote village of Malta’s language schools were school association FELTOM
who gave interviews to teach unpaid “make- The package includes a $70,328 Fijian (£24,526) the Philippines will be Khairabad, which would the first in the English-speaking condemned the Union for
the BBC in English, up classes” to cover 14-day isolation period to fund courses for 24 “thoroughly screened” on lose its girls’ school. world to re-open. Travellers from breaking the story but called for a
spent summers in hours cancelled before the course, and is teenagers in Wakanisila arrival for coronavirus. The Much of its population
County Tipperary, during the Covid-19 based on the plan settlement. The socially- teachers are either is made up of low caste low-risk countries were allowed ban on mass gatherings. FELTOM
Ireland, with the crisis, or work normal already approved for distanced course is returning expatriates or “untouchables” or back on 1 July, and all travel and the Union have been at
“Chernobyl children” contracted hours on National Hockey League being delivered by local newly recruited foreign “tribals” (aboriginal restrictions were lifted for most loggerheads since the beginning of
programme. half pay. players. NGO VisionFiji. teachers. ethnic minorities).
countries on 15 July, but the pandemic, when UPE began Malta’s sunny climate and picturesque scenery make the
enrolments in language schools complaining about teachers’ island nation a popular choice for language learners

6 September 2020 editorial@elgazette.com 7