The number of suspect private schools or colleges in the UK has plummeted by almost 95 per cent in the past four years, according to sector association, English UK.. The findings are based on a recent survey of 560 non-accredited language schools, which have been monitored by the association since 2002. The number of suspect private schools or colleges in the UK has plummeted by almost 95 per cent in the past four years, according to sector association,
English UK. With the English language sector particularly prone to criticism, the association has monitored the wider industry landscape since 2002.
Chief executive of English UK, Tony Millns, said this week that government measures introduced since 2009 had “largely sorted out the non-accredited centres”, with many shutting, ceasing to recruiting outside the EU or cleaning up their act.
In a separate letter to UK immigration minister Damian Green he stated: "45% of the previously non-accredited (560) are no longer operating as English language schools; 27% are recruiting EU students only and are therefore also not a concern in immigration terms; and 22% have achieved some form of accreditation that is at least better than nothing."
The 33 suspect schools identified all appeared to accept an adult Russian student on a short course
English UK determined this by close observation of a professional sector that has been smeared because of some bogus (and well publicised) operations. It said it had monitored the schools through a variety of methods including “mystery shopper” phone calls.
The 33 suspect schools identified in the most recent survey all appeared to accept an adult Russian student on a short course, despite not being accredited to take visa students.
The threat of “bogus colleges” has been a key motivator for the UK government’s clampdown on student visa issuance among private providers over the last few years - especially given an accreditation black hole existed for years, when language schools were not mandated to prove their quality credentials (English UK co-managed an inspection scheme for 30 years, nonetheless).
English UK said it originally created its database of non-accredited schools to get an idea of the scale of abuse of the visa system, at a time when fewer than 300 of roughly 850 colleges in operation were accredited.
Its latest findings will be welcomed by quality ELT providers – not least because the story made it into
the Daily Mail, which has been one font of fury in relation to bogus colleges, so an acknowledgement in the mainstream press that the situation is improving is important.
"The government has however arbitrarily and actively discriminated against the bona fide private sector"
They also call into question whether the
increasingly tough visa regulations implemented for private providers since 2011 are still necessary. Measures such as the removal of all work rights for students at private education providers and a fivefold increase in the cost of accreditation (due to new designated accreditation bodies for Tier 4 visas) for those seeking Tier 4 status prompted a
spike in insolvencies in the sector last year.
Reacting to the research, David Blackie of
English in Britain – a website promoting accredited ELT schools in the UK – said: "Clearly everybody wants [bogus colleges] rooted out. The government has however arbitrarily and actively discriminated against the bona fide private sector by denying work opportunities which are afforded to the public sector, and should instead seek to encourage this most productive and successful area of British enterprise."
"For me it's a cause of worry that 27% of schools are recruiting from the EU who might not be accredited"
Diana Lowe, executive director of
ABLS Accreditation (The Accreditation Body for Language Services) another accreditation body for private English language schools, welcomed the research but raised parallel concerns about quality assurance. "For me it's a cause of worry that 27% of schools are recruiting from the EU who might not be accredited. I think this is a really important point for the industry in terms of quality assuring the product, and has nothing to do necessarily with immigration... We need to be working towards all schools operating having a bona fide quality assurance mark."
According to a recent Parliamentary report, weaknesses in the UK’s previous student visa system may have allowed
up to 50,000 people to enter the country illegally through the student visa route in 2009, though it is unclear how many of these came to English language schools rather than other institutions.
The number of suspect private schools or colleges in the UK has plummeted by almost 95 per cent in the past four years, according to sector association, English UK. With the English language sector particularly prone to criticism, the association has monitored the wider industry landscape since 2002.
Chief executive of English UK, Tony Millns, said this week that government measures introduced since 2009 had “largely sorted out the non-accredited centres”, with many shutting, ceasing to recruiting outside the EU or cleaning up their act.
In a separate letter to UK immigration minister Damian Green he stated: “45% of the previously non-accredited (560) are no longer operating as English language schools; 27% are recruiting EU students only and are therefore also not a concern in immigration terms; and 22% have achieved some form of accreditation that is at least better than nothing.”
The 33 suspect schools identified all appeared to accept an adult Russian student on a short course
English UK determined this by close observation of a professional sector that has been smeared because of some bogus (and well publicised) operations. It said it had monitored the schools through a variety of methods including “mystery shopper” phone calls.
The 33 suspect schools identified in the most recent survey all appeared to accept an adult Russian student on a short course, despite not being accredited to take visa students.
The threat of “bogus colleges” has been a key motivator for the UK government’s clampdown on student visa issuance among private providers over the last few years – especially given an accreditation black hole existed for years, when language schools were not mandated to prove their quality credentials (English UK co-managed an inspection scheme for 30 years, nonetheless).
English UK said it originally created its database of non-accredited schools to get an idea of the scale of abuse of the visa system, at a time when fewer than 300 of roughly 850 colleges in operation were accredited.
Its latest findings will be welcomed by quality ELT providers – not least because the story made it into the Daily Mail, which has been one font of fury in relation to bogus colleges, so an acknowledgement in the mainstream press that the situation is improving is important.
“The government has however arbitrarily and actively discriminated against the bona fide private sector”
They also call into question whether the increasingly tough visa regulations implemented for private providers since 2011 are still necessary. Measures such as the removal of all work rights for students at private education providers and a fivefold increase in the cost of accreditation (due to new designated accreditation bodies for Tier 4 visas) for those seeking Tier 4 status prompted a spike in insolvencies in the sector last year.
Reacting to the research, David Blackie of English in Britain – a website promoting accredited ELT schools in the UK – said: “Clearly everybody wants [bogus colleges] rooted out. The government has however arbitrarily and actively discriminated against the bona fide private sector by denying work opportunities which are afforded to the public sector, and should instead seek to encourage this most productive and successful area of British enterprise.”
“For me it’s a cause of worry that 27% of schools are recruiting from the EU who might not be accredited”
Diana Lowe, executive director of ABLS Accreditation (The Accreditation Body for Language Services) another accreditation body for private English language schools, welcomed the research but raised parallel concerns about quality assurance. “For me it’s a cause of worry that 27% of schools are recruiting from the EU who might not be accredited. I think this is a really important point for the industry in terms of quality assuring the product, and has nothing to do necessarily with immigration… We need to be working towards all schools operating having a bona fide quality assurance mark.”
According to a recent Parliamentary report, weaknesses in the UK’s previous student visa system may have allowed up to 50,000 people to enter the country illegally through the student visa route in 2009, though it is unclear how many of these came to English language schools rather than other institutions.
