At least 23 teaching staff at Grafton College English language school, Dublin, have been left without pay and fearing “homelessness” following the announcement that the school, where 470 international students were enrolled, has gone into liquidation. The college is the 22nd English language teaching organisation to close without notice in Ireland since 2014.
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Ireland: 470 international students impacted following Grafton College snap closure
Students and staff gathered outside Grafton College in protest at the school's snap closure. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins Students said that they had paid fees of up to €2,000 to study at Grafton College, and it is understood that the majority of students were from Brazil, with many others from Ecuador, Chile and Mongolia.
Some teachers claim they are now “one pay check away from homelessness”
On November 30, teachers at the school said they had been unable to contact Grafton College’s London-based owner after monthly wages were not paid, with reports claiming that the school was preparing to move to a smaller premises in January 2019.
However, following a meeting between teachers and the school’s management on December 3, it was announced that the school would be closing its doors for good.
A spokesperson for ELT Advocacy Ireland told The PIE News that former teachers occupied the building overnight and are now calling on the owner, Saeed Ur Rehman, director of studies Nicholas Kelly, and Irish Education minister Joe McHugh, to demand they be assured their previous month’s wages, which totals €75,000.
A GoFundMe page has also been launched on behalf of the unpaid teaching staff.
In a statement, Marketing English in Ireland – an association of accredited English language schools that includes Grafton College – said management informed MEI of trading difficulties and the likely impact on students in recent days.
MEI chief executive David O’Grady said that the students affected by the closure will be accommodated in new schools and protected under the Learner Protection Scheme that was introduced after the snap closures in 2014-2015 where approximately 20 schools closed suddenly.
However, the future is less certain for the teachers who do not have similar protection. The Qualifications and Quality Assurance Bill is currently being debated in the Irish parliament.
Trade union Unite has argued for a Teacher Protection Fund to be included in the Bill, as well as having each school sign up to the Fair Employment Mark to ensure abuses in language schools are avoided in the future.
Unite regional organiser Roy Hassey said the Grafton College case reinforces the need for legislation to protect the interests of both teachers and students in the ELT sector.
“There is literally nothing in place to help teachers or put in any protection for them”
“It is not in the interests of teachers, students or the wider economy that rogue employers be allowed to continue operating in the sector,” he said.
“This [QQA Bill], with the amendments, needs to be fast-tracked in the interests of the sector as a whole,” Hassey added.
Teachers, students and their supporters have flocked to social media in protest, with some staff members claiming they are “one pay check away from homelessness” as a result of the snap closure.
Disgraceful that teachers from Grafton College have to sleep in the building tonight to highlight not being paid by their employer #supportgraftonteachers @graftoncollege pic.twitter.com/UzfcJnvzuG
— Damien Eagers (@deagers) December 3, 2018
Speaking to Irish media, one of the teachers affected, Daragh McCarthy, said it is the third occasion that a similar situation has happened to him.
“The students are left without a school, they then are taken care of and they are put into other language schools, but there is literally nothing in place to help teachers or put in any protection for them in the industry.
“We feel we have to do this [protest] because it’s just being taken up in any serious way and we’re resolute about this,” he added.
The international English language teaching market is worth an estimated €762 million to the Irish economy, according to the Department of Education.
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3 Responses to Ireland: 470 international students impacted following Grafton College snap closure
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Dear All
We are Mongolians who paid tuition 5315 euro to Grafton college. 10 people have already became VICTIMS of Grafton College fraud. All these people waiting refund but there is NO HOPE for refund. The college staffs and director didn’t respond for our call, e-mails. We don’t know what we need to do. And where we should go? The Grafton college’s representatives especially made big FRAUD in Mongolia. They came physically to Mongolia many times especially in last time they came in 20th of October and made a very big seminar and registered many people. Now unlocking that they came here make a FRAUD. We just simple people for us 5315 euro for tuition fee big money. To make a this money here is very hard. Someone borrowed money from bank some sold they properties. Now we are crying our hope are gone no VISA no tuition refund. Why organizations which must check operation of Grafton college haven’t informed Grafton college’s financial difficulties. Having financial difficulties they made a big FRAUD in Mongolia. Now we have ONLY hope it’s BEIJING EMBASSY. We will try re-apply our documents again if our visa will approve we will study to another colleges. There is ONLY hope for us. Please share our circumstance’s to people of Ireland. We know Irish people one of most generous people of World. Please share our circumstance’s to Department of Foreign affairs and Trade Ireland, Department of Education and Skills, The department of Justice and Equality of Ireland, Embassy of Ireland Beijing.
Sincelrely yours
Student from Mongolia
Hope the govt. will solve the problem. This is right time to prove responsibility of govt and to create believable environment for foreign student. Time has given opportunity for correction. Please use this opportunity to welcome more foreign student.
Hard to imagine an English language school with 470 students can’t meet its financial obligations. Very poor management has to be at the top of the list. Commissions that English language schools agree to pay agents is probably at the top of poor management decisions. It will be interesting to see what management has done that resulted in this closure.