The Association of German Language Schools and Language Tour Operators (FDSV) has introduced a student protection plan in a bid to “increase consumer confidence at a time of great uncertainty”.
The plan will allow language students aged 18+ to transfer to an alternative FDSV school should one of the organisation’s 17 members close as a result of financial difficulties.
“First and foremost, we want to provide security with the student protection plan”
Due to the global health pandemic, in 2020 FDSV members were 60-70% down on the previous year’s bookings, but the plan will seek to help students in their decisions to enrol with those FDSV members who are operating face-to-face lessons.
“First and foremost, we want to provide security with the student protection plan,” said FDSV managing director Julia Richter.
“The decision was made collaboratively and all 17 schools agreed to the plan,” she said, as operators aim to give language students even more safety in their booking process.
“Under the scheme, if one of the member schools of the association goes bankrupt, students enrolled at the school will be able to complete the remainder of the program they have paid for with another FDSV school free of charge,” the organisation noted.
“More complex” courses for young learners – especially in terms of accommodation and supervision and the requirement for guardians – mean that the plan is limited to those students aged over 18.
“Generally speaking, hygiene concepts in the German language travel industry are working well,” FDSV added.
“After the positive experiences which have been gathered over the summer months, the language schools and travel tour operators are feeling well-prepared for the Corona-based challenges in 2021.”
