press releases
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 Dramatic fall in number of suspect colleges, English UK research shows / 8 May 2012 |
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The number of non-accredited private English language colleges which may still be actively recruiting students in breach of immigration rules has fallen by almost 95 per cent both nationally and in London in the past four years, according to English UK research.
A letter to immigration minister Damian Green from Tony Millns, chief executive of English UK, the organisation of accredited state and private language centres, says: "We believe that this [research] shows that the changes introduced up to the start of last year were having, and continue to have, an extremely beneficial effect: 45% of the previously non-accredited 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."
Only six per cent of the original 560 language schools monitored nationally by English UK since 2002 are still giving cause for concern compared with four years ago, when checks found the vast majority were still active.
In London, of the original 178 language schools monitored by the charity, 34 per cent are no longer operating, 22 per cent are taking EU students only, 23 per cent have some form of accreditation, and just five per cent require further research.
Pointing out that it was English UK which had continually raised the issue of "bogus colleges" as an immigration loophole with the Border Agency and the last government "for years before anyone took any notice," Mr Millns says the success in sorting out the non-accredited sector will have had far more impact in reducing abuse of the student visa route than several more recent initiatives.
English UK originally created its database of 560 non-accredited English language schools to get an idea of the scale of the problem "because members were certain that these 'schools' were sources of blatant abuse of the student visa system," says the letter to Mr Green. At that time there were fewer than 300 accredited private sector English language schools.
The accuracy of the database was confirmed by a consultant working for the British Council in 2004, who found the main reasons the schools had not applied for accreditation were the cost and the fear they might not meet the required standards.
The most recent survey, carried out by an English UK researcher this spring, identified just 33 schools, six per cent of the original total, as still giving cause for concern.
This was because when approached during a "mystery shopper" exercise, they appeared to agree that they could accept an adult Russian student on a short course, despite not being accredited to take visa students. "This could potentially be error or lack of understanding of the student visa system on the part of the person we spoke to, but we obviously have no power to investigate that further," said Mr Millns.
Notes to Editors
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| English UK’s 2012 Business Trainers' Conference a great success / 2 May 2012 |
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The fifth annual English UK Business English Trainers' Conference, in association with Business English UK and supported by Cambridge ESOL, was held on a wet and windy Saturday 28 April at International House London.
68 delegates enjoyed talks on areas including English for Lawyers, Getting Started with Business English, Small Talk, E-learning, ESP Course-books, Developing Listening skills and Meeting the Needs of Pre-service Business Learners.
One major discussion theme, echoed by both of our plenary speakers, Evan Frendo and Ian McMaster, was the intersection between corporate, skills-based or competency-based training and the more traditional concerns of ELT practitioners, including focus on form and lexis.
A generous lunch spread and refreshments from International House kept delegates fed and watered throughout the day and a small business focused exhibition featuring Oxford University Press, Macmillan, Macmillan English Campus, Trinity, Pearson and Cengage gave plenty of ideas for new materials.
Huan Japes, English UK's Deputy Chief Executive (Professional Services) said "It was a fantastic day. It's good to see that even in such trying times people are prepared to invest in professional development. We had a good number of delegates, up on last year, and will work hard to continue this trend."
Notes to Editors
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| Building productive partnerships at the English UK Fair, Panama 2012 / 1 May 2012 |
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The English UK Fair, Panama 2012 took place at the InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort & Spa from Tuesday 24 to Friday 27 April 2012. The workshop was organised by English UK in partnership with and supported by the British Council, UK Trade & Investment and VisitBritain.
The fair brought together 80+ delegates, including representatives from English UK member centres and agents from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.
Also attending the fair were representatives from the British Council Colombia and Venezuela, and from UK Trade & Investment in Panama and Venezuela.
The Pelican Grill, with its beach-side ambience surrounded by azure infinity pools, provided the perfect setting for the welcome reception. Guests relaxed and networked while enjoying a buffet of typical Panamanian cuisine.
An engaging interactive networking session started the second day. Delegates had the opportunity to put names to faces in a game of business card bingo and discussed questions such as 'if studying English in the UK was a animal, what would it be'. Answers included an owl (wise), a dog (loyal) and an elephant (slow but reliable!).
A seminar programme followed with market information sessions for educators on Panama, Colombia and Venezuela. A parallel programme for agents included presentations from English UK, the British Council and Study UK. The morning was completed with a Q&A with Jennifer Manuel from the International Group at the UK Border Agency.
After a productive afternoon of appointment sessions, delegates enjoyed an evening tour and dinner at the Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal. Located on the east side of the locks, the Miraflores Visitor Centre allows the visitor to observe transiting vessels from a distance of only a few metres and learn first-hand about the various operations of the Panama Canal: the history of its construction, its role in the world markets, and the importance of its watershed.
Once all the hard work was over on the final day, delegates relaxed in style at the at the Convento de las Monjas in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Panamá Viejo.
Founded in 1519 by the conquistador Pedrarías Dávila, Panamá Viejo is the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas. Today, the ruins of the Convento are well preserved, and beautifully lit with coloured lights set against the night sky, provided the perfect setting for the gala dinner.
Peter Brown, the British Council's Regional Lead for English and Director Venezuela, welcomed delegates and spoke of the importance of English as an international language and the quality of a British education.
Delegates praised the overall organisation and programme, convivial atmosphere and business networking opportunities of the fair.
Steven A'Barrow from Harrow House International College commented, 'Simply the best event of its kind and the best way to establish quality contacts in the region. You can't fail to do business at these fairs.'
Peter Niklewicz from INTO University Partnerships said, 'A well organized, enjoyable and potentially very useful event. Definitely the friendly one'.
The study abroad agents were equally impressed. Cecilia Cavalie de Toledo of Students Partners in Peru remarked, 'Thank you for everything. You helped us to grow as people and as agents'.
The next English UK Fair for the Latin American region will be held in Lima from Tuesday 07 to Friday 10 May 2013 at the Swissôtel. The programme will include an optional overnight tour to Cusco and Machu Picchu.
Full details and registration will go live online at www.englishukfairs.com in late May 2012.
Notes to Editors
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| Survey shows Extended Student Visitor Visa a success story which should stay, English UK tells government / 3 April 2012 |
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A short student visa which can only be used by English language students has been a success in its first year and should continue, ideally on a permanent basis, says English UK.
It has written to immigration minister Damian Green with evidence from member centres showing that the Extended Student Visitor Visa has had a very low refusal rate, a very high return home rate, and that more than 80 per cent of students using it reach the language level required for a points-based visa.
"The results are very positive and indicate, we believe, that not only should this visa be continued, but it should be made rather more permanent by being written into the Immigration Rules," says the letter from chief executive Tony Millns. The ESVV, which is only for English courses lasting 6-11 months and has no prior language requirement, was introduced as a ministerial concession in January 2011 and is currently under review by the UK Border Agency.
Mr Millns goes on to suggest two ways in which the ESVV could be tightened up: that all language schools recruiting students on this type of visa should have to pass Accreditation UK inspections (the rigorous scheme run by the British Council and English UK) and that data from e-Borders be used to give early warnings of any centres where students were over-staying.
The letter says the refusal rate among members for ESVV visas has been just under eight per cent and adds: " Given that the threshold refusal rate for retaining Highly Trusted Sponsor status is 20%, this is a creditable performance."
In addition, says the letter, the return home rate is very high. Members report that 93 per cent of students later applied for another course and returned to the UK on a new visa, indicating that at least that proportion had returned home.
The survey results have shown the ESVV is doing what was expected of it, says the letter. "The average length of course the ESVV students attended was 32 weeks, pretty much as envisaged in the reasoning for its introduction. Around 85% of students reached level B1 in English by the end of their course, again suggesting that this visa is doing what was expected in its conception."
Notes to Editors
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| English UK welcomes newest specialist group / 16 March 2012 |
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English UK is delighted to welcome its newest geographical sub-group, English UK Northern Ireland.
The group was formed in early 2012 with all six English UK members in Northern Ireland as members: International House Belfast, Foyle Language School, North West Academy, Queens INTO, the University of Ulster and Belfast Metropolitan College.
Founder member Paul McMullan, principal of IH Belfast, said: "It made sense to form English UK NI as it gives us much more power as an active body in approaching and working with our tourist and other organisations.
"What we're trying to do is pull together not only the English UK NI members but the many other bodies, government and otherwise, involved with tourism and inward investment. We want to be working together to put NI on the map," he said.
The group plans to create a website as soon as possible as well as working together to organise inbound familiarisation trips for agents. It also intends to invite tourism and investment groups to its regular meetings.
Mr McMullan said there were many factors making Northern Ireland an excellent destination for EL students, including comparatively low costs, safety, and the fact that does not have high numbers of international students already.
"It's a very exciting time to come to Northern Ireland as it's really going from strength to strength," he said. "Last year we had the MTV awards, this year there's the opening of the new MAC arts centre and the Titanic exhibition."
Notes to Editors
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| Dionysian delights at the English UK Fair, Athens 2012 / 9 March 2012 |
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The English UK Fair, Athens 2012 took place at The Westin Athens, Astir Palace Resort from Tuesday 6 to Friday 9 March 2012. The workshop was organised by English UK in partnership with and supported by the British Council, UK Trade & Investment and VisitBritain.
The fair brought together 30 English UK member centres and agents from Greece, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, Georgia, Armenia, Romania, Cyprus, Croatia, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and the United Kingdom.
Also attending the fair were representatives from the British Council Greece and Cyprus and from UK Trade & Investment in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
The programme of social events, seminars, and one-to-one appointments in an elegant resort, with spectacular views of the Saronic Gulf, in the heart of the Athenian Riviera gave educators and agents the opportunity to really get to know each other and develop long-lasting productive partnerships.
The Alexander Ballroom at neighbouring Arion Resort & Spa provided the perfect setting for the welcome reception. With its luxurious ambience, complemented by crystal chandeliers, elegant design and spectacular views to the sea and the resort's gardens, participants were able to relax and network whilst savouring on delectable Greek cuisine.
With an engaging seminar programme on the second day involving an interactive networking session, delegates had the opportunity to discuss and share their ideas of what studying English in the UK means to them as a brand and to put names to faces in a game of business card bingo.
After a productive afternoon of appointment sessions, delegates enjoyed an evening of culture at the award winning Acropolis Museum, home to masterpieces of ancient Greek civilization and art, including sculptures, friezes, and figurines. This was followed by dinner at Dionysos, a classic landmark restaurant offering spectacular views of Athens and the Acropolis.
Once all the hard work was over on the final day, delegates relaxed in style at the farewell gala dinner hosted at the British Ambassador's Residence.
The stunning Residence is an historic monument in its own right. It is one of the most elegant and best-preserved neo-classical mansions in central Athens.
Delegates were welcomed by Her Majesty's Ambassador himself, Dr David Landsman OBE, who spoke of the importance of English as an international language and the quality of a British education.
Delegates praised the overall organisation and programme, convivial atmosphere and business networking opportunities of the fair.
Steve Phillips from Internexus Regents College commented: 'Another wonderful English UK Fair with a good mix of agents looking for a range of programmes'.
The study abroad agents were equally impressed. Nargiza Makatsaria of ELL. Ltd in Georgia remarked: 'This is a brilliantly organised fair. It was great because educators and agencies spent three days together and really got to know each other - there's no better way to network'.
The next English UK Fair for the Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe region will be held in Prague, from Tuesday 5 to Friday 8 March 2013 at the Crowne Plaza Prague Castle and the Strahov Monastery. This is a charming hotel nestled on the grounds of the UNESCO protected site of the Strahov Monastery and within the property of Prague Castle. The programme will include seminar and appointment sessions, welcome reception, an evening tour of Prague by historic tram and a farewell gala dinner at the Troja Chateau.
Find more details and book online at www.englishukfairs.com.
Notes to Editors
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| Record numbers at the 2012 English UK Management Conference / 7 March 2012 |
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Massaging our neighbours in the opening plenary session, drinking and conversing next to shrunken heads and totem poles, the Curious Case of the Missing Sorbet, these are some of the abiding memories of the seventh iteration of the English UK Management Conference, held at St. Anne's College Oxford on 2 and 3 March. The Management Conference was supported by Cambridge ESOL. A number of speakers touched on themes of family and community, appropriate to an event which asked us to consider what we can do together to professionalize our industry further and provide a framework in which both the needs of our learners and our own career goals can be met and enhanced.
George Pickering's opening plenary, 'The 2020 Manager' provided a perfect start to the conference with good humour, props and jokes. This session looked at the skills managers need in a changing professional environment, how they can go about acquiring these skills and minimize the constraints on them doing so by harnessing willpower, managing interruptions and developing specialities.
The evening's panel discussion, expertly chaired by Fiona Dunlop, struck an incredibly positive note for UK ELT with its stories of how the panel and others have prospered in the industry while pursuing very different career paths and goals. Pete Sharma outlined key issues, controversies and outcomes; the session ended with the opportunity for delegates to personalize their responses by discussing deceptively simple but practically complex questions such as 'should we require our learners to switch off their smartphones in class?'
Oxford University Press provided the Friday evening entertainment, with a sponsored reception at the Pitt Rivers museum. With an evening of canapés, drinks and jazz, there was no shortage of conversation starters.
Will Kinsman closed the conference by looking afresh at the eternal question of how we can value our customers as individuals and, crucially, control our costs without damaging the customer experience. Terms such as the 'Tesco Bingo Test', the 're-imagination clinic' and 'the tyranny of or' should by now be part of our lexicons and we left loved-up on Love Hearts.
In all, 105 delegates attended over the two days. This is approximately 20% up on 2011 and provides evidence that ELT management in the UK is in rude health.
Summing up the conference, Cambridge ESOL's Lee Knapp said "there really is no better event for ELT management professionals to learn about key issues in our industry".
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| English UK opens doors in Kurdistan / 17 February 2012 |
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English UK is planning a members' event in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq after a highly successful scoping visit this month.
Senior International Manager Jodie Gray and members of the Board of Directors Steve Phillips and Richard Day had three full days of meetings with officials around the country, and are now preparing a full report on the opportunities in the market for UK English language providers. The trio left Kurdistan very upbeat about the opportunities for English UK members.
"There was a very positive and progressive feeling in the country, which has been rapidly developing over the last few years," said Richard, adding: "Kurdistan is placing great emphasis on education in the development process. We were very warmly received by Presidents and senior staff at universities, past and potential students, educational agencies and government personnel."
Jodie added: "We're in the early stages of planning an event in the region for our members in May 2012, and we hope this will help English UK members to connect with potential students, study abroad agents and other stakeholders and influencers."
During the visit, which was funded by UK Trade & Investment and organised by the Kurdistan Regional Government UK Representation, the party met the region's main study abroad agents, the Presidents and senior staff of four leading universities, business leaders, and officials responsible for the country's Human Capacity Development Programme, which is spending $100m each year on higher training for university graduates and government staff. Since 2010, more than 4,000 students have been awarded scholarships, of which two-thirds have come to the UK. The scholarship programme includes an allocation for students to improve their English in the UK for one year before post-graduate study at university.
"Kurdistan is a great opportunity for English UK and its members, still a pioneering EFL market and a region that has been overlooked by many educators. Now is the time to act," said Steve Phillips, adding: "UKTI missions are ideal gateways as doors are opened at high levels – the decision makers are met with and action can be taken there and then. This was our experience in the Kurdistan region and I look forward to seeing the gains for EFL UK from this short trip."
Notes to Editors
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| Sell-out marketing conference informs and entertains / 27 January 2012 |
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From practical advice on networking to an extraordinary tale of using extreme honesty in brand creation, the English UK ELT Marketing Conference had something for everyone.
A lively list of speakers at the sell-out event began with Nigel Risner, formerly one of the youngest CEOs in the City of London, explaining why most people don't network effectively and explaining how to identify and communicate with different types of people.
His animal analogy -- that people's personality types are broadly monkey, dolphin, lion or elephant, and that the wise marketer will tailor a pitch accordingly -- became a talking point at the day's refreshment sessions, as did his other main nuggets of advice about networking with strangers and using business cards to convey useful information.
"He was just brilliant, and everybody's been trying to put what he said into practice," said Susan Brearey, director of the Suzanne Sparrow Language School in Plymouth.
Jodie Gray, English UK's senior international manager who organised the day at the historic Butchers' Hall in London, was also delighted. "It's been great. We filled all 165 places for the event and had a waiting list of more people who wanted to come. The speakers made a real impression with all the delegates, and lots of people were very complimentary about the new venue."
The day's closing session was another talking point. The speaker was entrepreneur BJ Cunningham, whose business failure at the age of 23 left him more than 800,000 in debt and with the need to make more money fast.
His solution? To create a cigarette brand called Death, with the unique selling point of honesty. "What matters most is what people believe," he said. "A brand is a promise. Logos, pantone colours -- they're all a vehicle to get your promotion into the eyes of your customer."
More detailed advice for the EL industry was provided during nine elective sessions led by experts. Mesud Yilmaz gave extensive advice on the Turkish market, outlining the expectations of students -- which include last-minute decisions to travel, the desire for ornate certificates and dislike of homestay accommodation -- and agents, who want prompt replies from language schools and have strong views on discounted commission. Other sessions gave equally useful information on Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Kurdistan.
Other sessions discussed ways of getting the marketing message across, with Peter Swain explaining how to get the best out of apps, Jon Aizlewood on digital marketing, and Angela Murray on copywriting. There was also a masterclass from three industry professionals on international marketing, who gave their hard-earned tips on careful pre-trip research to avoid arriving on public holidays or organising meetings without sufficient travelling time, and the do's and don'ts of building relationships with agents.
And at a panel meeting chaired by Amy Baker of industry website The PIE, ELT sector experts including English UK Chief Executive Tony Millns, Andrew Mangion, Executive Chairman of the EC Group, answered questions about branding and future prospects.
Marketing conference first-timer Barbara Carson, Sales & Marketing Manager of The British Association of Boarding School Short Courses found the day useful. "I thought the first and last sessions were particularly good, but it was all very good. I got a lot of useful things to take away with me," she said.
Roger Smith, director of the English Language Unit at the University of Leicester, added: "I very much enjoyed it. I found it refreshingly different and very informative. I'm very impressed and would come again."
Notes to Editors
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| English UK's 2012 Fairs get off to a fantastic start / 24 January 2012 |
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English UK's decision to increase the number of its overseas fairs to meet market demand was proved correct when the first of 2012's events sold out within weeks.
The number of fairs has been increased to four in 2012, and the Athens event, being held in March, now has a waiting list of agents disappointed to have missed out.
"We're absolutely delighted with the success of the small fairs, and agents and educators alike tell us it's a winning formula," says Jodie Gray, English UK's Senior International Manager who has been responsible for organising the innovative workshops since the first one in 2007.
"It's really simple. Each fair is held in a different market area. We limit numbers and choose a luxury hotel in a fantastic resort destination. The result is small and intimate fairs with a very friendly atmosphere: three days of quality time for everyone.
"The agents and educators still get those formal appointments, but supported by many chances to socialise and enjoy sightseeing, which helps them develop lasting partnerships much more quickly than usual.
"It's unique: people really get to know each other, but in a very relaxing atmosphere. Having fun together is a brilliant way to bond."
English UK's insistence on quality is also a significant factor: only selected top quality study abroad agencies are eligible to sign up for each event, where they will meet 30 of the organisation's fully-accredited members.
The Athens fair takes place at the Arion resort and spa from March 6-9, with agencies recruited from Central, Eastern and South-East Europe, home to Turkey and Russia, both major markets for English UK member centres, as well as several developing markets.
The other three fairs organised for 2012 are in Panama (April), Dead Sea Jordan (October), and Macau (November). The English UK series are the only agents' workshops focused exclusively on the UK's English language teaching sector.
Notes to Editors
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| English UK announces new deputy chief executive / 23 January 2012 |
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English UK is delighted to announce that its new deputy chief executive for professional services is Huan Japes.
Mr Japes is well-known in the ELT sector, where he has worked at all levels, with his most recent role being as chief examiner in TESOL for Trinity College London.
He is one of two deputy chief executives at English UK and will take over responsibility for professional services, leading the association's work on quality assurance and professional development, including ambitious projects on continuing professional development.
Chief Executive Tony Millns said: "We are really delighted to have appointed Huan and are looking forward to him starting work with us in February. He has extensive experience at all levels in English language teaching and will be very well-placed to take forward our work to further professionalise the sector."
Mr Japes said he was really excited about his new role, adding: "I am hoping to make a real difference to professional lives in the industry across a wide a range of our membership as possible, whether that's in further training and developing confidence or through courses and workshops, or working with teachers' managers. I want to find out what they might need.
"English UK has been pioneering a lot of this work, but it would be good to see if there is any room for development," he said, adding that he was particularly interested in looking at teachers' CPD".
Mr Japes, 44, took a degree in History and History of Art and had begun museum work when he got a desire to travel and completed his CertTESOL before spending 18 months teaching in Turin. After returning to London he moved back into teaching and the English language sector, taking an MA TESOL at the Institute of Education at the University of London.
He then worked in a number of EFL-related positions in London, including welfare officer, assistant director of studies and teacher trainer, before becoming training and recruitment manager for EF Education. Since September 2005 he has worked for Trinity College London as Chief Examiner TESOL.
Mr Japes joins Annie Wright as joint deputy chief executive. Ms Wright, who is currently on maternity leave, is responsible for Business Services and leads the International Team.
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| English UK gets "Banned colleges" story corrected / 17 January 2012 |
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A news story issued to most national and local media wrongly claiming that fully-accredited English language centres had been "banned" from bringing international students into the country has been corrected.
More than 22 English UK member centres were infuriated when they were named on a list of 66 "banned colleges" released to the media in November, alongside institutions which had been banned for breaking the rules. The story was widely used and several news websites published the list in full. Several instructed lawyers to demand a full retraction and apology from the Home Office.
These centres had taken a business decision to voluntarily resign from the Register of Sponsors (RoS) when a prohibitively expensive new inspection regime became compulsory. They can still legitimately teach EU students from Europe or those on courses of up to 11 months, and had not in any sense been banned, but the story did not make this clear.
After several months of wrangling, the UK Border Agency last week told one of the affected schools, Brighton International Summer School (BISS), that it had had supplied two separate lists of centres no longer on the RoS and stressed the different reasons for removing centres from the register in its press briefings. It blamed the media for getting the story wrong.
English UK immediately brought this to the attention of the Press Association (PA), the national news agency which had written and circulated the story and the list of "banned colleges" to media outlets through the UK.
"It is regrettable that despite the considerable efforts made by the UK Border Agency and the Home Office press office to ensure that the media outlets understood the detail of the information provided to them, that this was not better reflected by some media in their subsequent publications," said the email.
PA swiftly agreed to "clarify" the story and sent out the following version, agreed with English UK, to all its media customers:
"In 1 POLITICS Immigration List (COLLEGES IN FOREIGN STUDENT BAN) transmitted on 01/11/2011 and repeated early on 02/11/2011, we reported that hundreds of colleges had been banned from bringing foreign students into the UK as part of the Government's plans to control immigration. English UK, which represents accredited English language colleges, a sector worth around £2.5 billion to the UK economy, has asked us to make it clear that its members who were named had voluntarily chosen not to apply to stay on the list, for legitimate business reasons, because they can still bring in students on visitor visas and do not need a Tier 4 licence." It has also taken action to ensure that any of its customer websites still displaying the banned list will remove it.
Tony Millns, Chief Executive of English UK, said: "We're pleased that PA has acted quickly on this and included a fuller explanation of the facts for its users. We are also hoping that everyone involved, including the UKBA press team, PA and the wider media will now have a better understanding of the issues involved so that similar, potentially defamatory mistakes, will not be made on future occasions."
In its email to BISS, the UKBA's Litigation and Correspondence Team claimed it had even contacted a national broadcaster which ran the list on its website under the headline "banned" to reiterate that this was inaccurate and should be amended.
It explained: "In telephone briefings with journalists the day before the publication, the Home Office press office made clear that revocation of a licence did not necessarily indicate non-compliance or poor educational standards. While explaining various figures within the press notice, it was stressed to journalists that education providers may have decided for their own reasons not to apply - for example, because they no longer were looking to attract overseas students, or had decided to focus on the extended Student Visitor Visa route. "Two lists of those sponsors whose licenses had been revoked were emailed separately to the Press Association who expressed interest in regionalising the story - one list was of the revocations due to non-compliance of sponsor duties and the other of revocations further to the new educational oversight and Highly Trusted Sponsor (HTS) arrangements. Before these lists were sent to the Press Association, the Home Office press office explained over the telephone the differences between these two lists and the various reasons
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| Forming new language centre/agency partnerships: English UK Fair participants highlight the most important factors / 19 December 2011 |
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Accreditation is the single most important factor which helps agents to choose an English language centre, whilst language centres look for references and recommendations.
These are the findings from a series of informal sessions held at English UK's three 2011 overseas fairs, where small groups of member centres met agents from all over the world.
Icebreaker sessions at each event, in Muscat, Singapore, and Buenos Aires, tackled the question underpinning the international student market: what factors make schools and agents trust each other enough to do business together?
"Trust is key," agreed the Argentinian group, but discussions in the three sessions looked at what helps to build that trust.
Workshops were rated the most useful way for agents to find new schools and schools to find new agencies. This was mentioned twice as often as other routes, and generally came top of the list for each group of people.
The icebreaker sessions in the three fairs were themselves rated very highly.
"The group discussion before meeting sessions is good and effective. Agents learn more lessons about how to evaluate international schools for students. On the other hand, schools also know how to judge a good agent," said Le Thi Yen Binh, of International Consultancy and Educational Development, Vietnam.
The next most important factor for agents seeking new language centres was a visit and the chance to talk to its students. In third place for this type of information are the agent associations, followed by other recommendations, the English UK website, and students themselves.
For language centres seeking new agents, recognised status-- such as the English UK Partner Agency Scheme -- was the second most important method, followed by Fam Trips and word of mouth. Feedback from students was also rated as important.
Agents and educators then turned to discussing what factors seal the deal. "What information do you need to make your decision?" they were asked.
For agents, accreditation, course options, commission and nationality mix got equal top rating. Almost as important were price, facilities and location, with hours taught, accommodation, teacher qualifications, visa support, efficiency and leisure activities also scoring highly. Among the many other factors mentioned were safety, references, personal appearance of schools and highly trusted status.
Information which educators wanted to have about new agents were led by references, the number and type of other language centres the agency worked with, recommendations and marketing methods. Other factors mentioned included efficiency, accredited agent training, the number and type of student sent, and "gut feeling".
Educators and agents are looking for quality, but how do they judge that? Agents gave a broad sweep of factors they would look for in a language centre, led by response time, teacher qualifications and accreditation. Price, feedback, honesty, visa knowledge, sensitivity to cultural issues, honesty, the sharing of feedback and good student care were among many other factors mentioned.
For language centres, accreditation, honesty, and timely payment were at the top of the list for judging the quality for agents. Other factors mentioned in the three workshops were monitoring student progress, evidence of pre-departure counselling, knowledge, feedback, and "no surprises."
Groups were also asked what made the perfect workshop. Agents went for location, whilst educators were more motivated by price, fitting in more meetings, and the opportunity for group discussions.
Both agents and educators liked smaller workshops such as the English UK Fairs. Of less importance, but mentioned, were a good percentage of good faces, good organisation, two days maximum at the event, serious commitment and good organisation. English UK member Richard Day, known for his lively presence and presentations at the Fairs, also got a special mention by several groups.
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| Sun, sea and serious business at the English UK Fair, Singapore 2011 / 19 November 2011 |
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The English UK Fair, Singapore 2011 took place at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort from Tuesday 15 to Friday 18 November 2011. The workshop was organised by English UK in partnership with and supported by the British Council, UK Trade & Investment and VisitBritain.
The fair brought together 29 English UK member centres and 42 study abroad agents from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The programme of social events, seminars, and one-to-one appointments in a luxurious beachfront resort overlooking the South China Sea gave educators and agents the opportunity to really get to know each other and develop long-lasting productive partnerships.
Participants were treated to a warm welcome reception and dinner held at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort's Horizon Pavilion. With its full-length glass windows, offering panoramic views of the sea and the resort's lush landscape, the vista really came alive at night, displaying twinkling lights from ships anchored far out on the horizon.
After a day of hard work, delegates had the opportunity to explore Singapore by trishaw and river cruise on the second night. The route took in many iconic landmarks, including the impressive boat-shaped 'SkyPark' perched atop the three towers that make up the world's most expensive hotel and the majestic Merlion - an icon of the city overlooking the Marina Bay.
Following a final day filled with one-to-one appointment sessions, the fair concluded with a gala dinner held in the colonial splendour of the world famous Raffles Hotel. Delegates were greeted with live traditional Chinese music set in the timeless elegance of the Palm Garden, before savouring an array of authentic dishes from all over Asia. Judith Slater, Deputy High Commissioner at the British Council, delivered a farewell address which focussed on the importance of partnerships between agents and educators, and the many attractions of the UK as a study abroad destination.
Adell Mitchell from Live Language commented 'It is obvious that the English UK Fairs are well researched, expertly planned and offer a superior service to other educational fairs. They showcase the UK as a welcoming, friendly and hospitable place to live and study. I'm sticking with English UK events - they are simply the best.'
The study abroad agents were equally impressed, commending the quality of the attending educators, the business networking opportunities available and the convivial atmosphere of the fair.
Gareth Baxter-Jones of Euro Education in Thailand remarked, 'The social programme was absolutely excellent and was very smoothly organised. Meetings were very productive. I have made at least 5 very high potential business partners and also renewed quite a few previous relationships. All in all it was a great event!'
Phuong Nguyen from Phuong Nguyen Consulting Business in Vietnam agreed, enthusing 'I don't know if there is any English word that expresses the meaning of "beyond excellent" to rate the English UK Fair 2011 in Singapore. Everything was extremely well-organised, professional and impressive and certainly will leave fresh memory in the hearts of all the attendants.'
The next English UK Fair for the Asia Pacific region will be held in Macau from Tuesday 13 to Friday 16 November 2012 at the Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16. This is an elegant hotel, set right on the waterfront, in the heart of the charming historic quarter of this former Portuguese enclave. The programme will include seminar and appointment sessions, welcome reception, an evening walking tour of Old Macau and a farewell gala dinner on the rooftop of Ponte 16.
Find more details and book online at www.englishukfairs.com.
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| English UK members demand an apology from Government over "banned colleges" list / 8 November 2011 |
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English UK members have instructed lawyers to demand a full retraction and apology for wrongly including them on a list of colleges " English UK members have instructed lawyers to demand a full retraction banned" from bringing international students into the UK.
The organisation, which has more than 450 fully-accredited language centres in membership, is co-ordinating the action by a number of its members who were named on a list of 66 "banned" colleges released to the media last week.
They were described as being among 474 which have either had licences revoked, cannot sponsor any new students or have been banned following an investigation.
However, at least 22 of the schools are fully-accredited English UK members which took the business decision to voluntarily resign from the Register of Sponsors this autumn. They meet high inspection standards, can still legitimately teach certain groups of international students, and have not in any sense been banned.
"We are co-ordinating action over the way in which the Home Office allowed it to be inferred that all the colleges on that list were bogus, fronts for illegal immigration, or of poor educational quality. This has been enormously damaging to the reputation of perfectly legitimate and high-quality businesses," said Tony Millns, chief executive of English UK.
"Our affected members are initially asking the Home Office for a full retraction of this misleading information, and they may consider pursuing those parts of the media which published the list or stories based upon it as well.
"We and our hard-working, law-abiding members are absolutely furious about this."
The legal letter complains of the "misinformation" placed in the public domain by the UK Border Agency. "Such misinformation so far as it relates to our clients is untrue, defamatory and gravely damaging to their goodwill and reputations. This letter therefore seeks an immediate apology and retraction," it says.
The letter goes on to state that the press release and news items based directly on it amount to a "flagrant defamation" of the colleges "in that the impression has been created that those on the banned list are untrustworthy, offering an immigration service other than education, have lost the right to bring international students to the UK, is not a first class education provider, does not meet the standards required of a Tier 4 sponsor when it chose not to apply, is abusing immigration controls, and is facilitating the abuse of student visas".
"The potential damage is substantial, irreparable and unquantifiable," says the letter, requesting an "immediate and unqualified apology".
Most of the English UK members named on the "banned list" decided against remaining on the Register of Sponsors either because it was uneconomic to do so or because their businesses did not require it.
It is only necessary to be on the Register of Sponsors to bring in points-based visa students on longer-term courses, such as a university degree. Summer schools, centres specialising in English courses of up to 11 months, and those who only take students from the EU, do not need to be points-based sponsors.
Some centres which did take small numbers of points-based visa students made the decision to withdraw from this market in September, when new regulations meant they faced a five-fold increase in inspection costs. Many smaller businesses that provide education of an exceptionally high quality could simply not afford this.
Notes to Editors
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| Government's student visa changes damages competitiveness of £2.5bn sector / 2 November 2011 |
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The UK's £2.5bn English Language sector is losing students to overseas competitors as a result of Government visa changes.
Eighty per cent of accredited colleges surveyed think the changes have made them less competitive in an international market, and fear that students will instead choose to enrol on courses in countries such as Australia.
A particularly damaging change for the sector is a four-fold increase in inspection costs for most private colleges since the Government ruled that previous systems were no longer valid for most student visas. These included the rigorous, widely-respected, and internationally-trusted Accreditation UK scheme, run by the British Council.
Colleges believe their next mandatory inspection is likely to cost an average of over £10,500, compared with £3,253 for their previous Accreditation UK inspection. The majority of institutions surveyed say they face a double burden of costs as they need to keep their internationally-recognised Accreditation UK status up to date as well. The total average cost of £14,000 would be uneconomic for many language colleges.
"It is almost incomprehensible that at a time when the UK's growth figures are just 0.5 per cent that Government actions are threatening a valuable part of our export sector," said Tony Millns, chief executive of English UK, which represents more than 450 fully-accredited English Language centres in the state and private sector.
"It is extraordinary that this government is imposing red tape, bureaucracy and an enormous costs hike on what is a rare growth sector in the economy.
"We're calling for the Government to urgently reinstate Accreditation UK as an approved inspection scheme. It was developed in a full understanding of the needs of this specialist sector and is the most rigorous system in the world. "This needs to be done quickly, before too many centres either find it is uneconomic to continue trading or are forced to pass on vastly increased costs to students who are being warmly welcomed by our competitors, particularly in Australia, Canada and the US."
Mr Millns said the member survey had confirmed that some English UK centres had decided to withdraw from the Government's register of points-based visa sponsors as a result of the uneconomic costs of the new inspection regime. They can continue to take students on visitor visas.
Mr Millns added that the Government's approved inspection schemes simply look at education provision and do not check compliance with visa regulations, which is done by UKBA officers. No English UK member centre -- for whom Accreditation UK inspection was mandatory -- has been closed down by the UK Border Agency.
Peter Thompson, Principal of the Oxford School of English, said: "Under the new visa restrictions, we have seen demand for the long-term General Student Visas fall to zero: one year ago, we had 47 students here on a GSV, while today we have only six, all of whom are coming to the end of their course. Our network of educational agents worldwide continually expresses astonishment at the barriers the new visa restrictions have placed before their students, and at the immense harm this has done to the UK's appeal as a study destination; and in many cases, tell us they have stopped promoting education in the UK and have switched their focus to educational institutions in Canada, the USA or Australia. The financial loss to our school is significant and threatens our very existence, but repeated as it is in schools and colleges nationwide, the loss to the UK's economy and international standing is an utter disaster."
Notes to Editors
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| English UK launches online briefing course for agencies / 18 October 2011 |
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Language travel agencies who wish to join English UK's Partner Agency Scheme will find it easier to do so now that a specialist online briefing course has gone live.
Until now agencies had to attend a seminar, run by English UK staff, which covered the benefits of studying in the UK, explained visa issues and gave more information about the scheme. This delayed or prevented many eligible agencies from joining the scheme if English UK staff had not visited their area.
"We know it's been frustrating for many agencies who were keen to join the scheme and met all the other criteria, "said Jodie Gray, English UK's senior international manager.
"We're delighted that our interactive briefing course has now gone live. It should mean that many more of the world's leading agencies can join our scheme and enjoy the benefits of working more closely with English UK and our members."
The online briefing course covers the work of English UK, the benefits of studying in the UK, and includes a full and clear explanation of the different types of visa available to students.
Prospective partner agencies must also complete other parts of the application process, which includes getting good references from five English UK member centres.
The English UK Partner Agency Scheme recognises those study abroad agencies and educational consultancies that are successfully promoting the UK as an English language teaching destination. To join the scheme, an agency must demonstrate that they have developed successful partnerships with a number of member centres, are engaged with the work of English UK and adhere to the principles of our agency code of conduct.
To date, 76 agencies from all over the world have joined the scheme.
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| Latin American agents enjoy visit to the north of England with English UK / 13 October 2011 |
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English UK held another successful inward mission in early October for 11 participants from Latin America. The agents came from across the region, including Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia for a trip designed to introduce them to the north of England.
This autumn inward mission was run in partnership with the British Council.
Things started on a great note as the agents arrived to a spell of unseasonably hot weather in London. Following a full-day workshop attended by 10 English UK members from throughout the UK, the group headed by train to the north of England for the showcase element of this mission.
Showcases give educators the opportunity to present their courses, facilities and services to agents. On Tuesday the group's visit to York College additionally included a lunch cooked by students studying on the college's catering course. The afternoon was spent in Leeds with Leeds Language Centre where the agents were given the opportunity to observe and participate in lessons before exploring a little of the city.
Liverpool extended a warm welcome to the group, starting with a memorable evening outing to the Cavern Club. In addition to visiting the centre premises of both LILA* (Liverpool International Language Academy) and The Liverpool School of English, the group enjoyed both a walking tour of the city centre with lunch at the Bluecoat and a minibus tour that introduced them to some of the city's major attractions. Liverpool left a deep impression on all of the participants.
On the Wednesday evening, English UK North hosted a reception and buffet dinner at the British Council's offices in Manchester enabling the group to network with around 15 Northern member centres.
The mission continued to Chester where they visited English in Chester and then enjoyed sightseeing activities, giving them a real feel for the city. The final showcase was Apex College in Manchester where highlights included chatting to students and participating in a sample pronunciation lesson.
The second mini-workshop was held in Manchester on the Friday. 10 member centres attended including representatives from the FE and HE sector. The agents were delighted to see the variety of providers represented within the English UK membership.
The inward mission concluded with a champagne ride on the Wheel of Manchester and a farewell dinner at the Market Restaurant, a very traditional restaurant serving locally sourced, modern British dishes.
The agents showed serious interest in doing business with English UK members and a productive and friendly atmosphere prevailed throughout the trip. Feedback from educators and agents alike has been extremely positive.
Carlos Gonzalez, Director, Take Off Ltd enthused 'The whole experience was amazing, starting from the organisation, the people, the educators…as a company is a change in culture and minds after this experience. We will offer better options in England. We never imagined in the North of England the cities were so nice'. Han Steen, Director, Universo Educativo, remarked 'My goal was to get to know the North and I certainly feel more confident to promote this part of the UK – it has so much to offer language students'.
Click here to view pictures of the inward mission.
Notes to Editors
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| A record-breaking year for StudyWorld London / 14 September 2011 |
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It was a record-breaking year for StudyWorld London, with almost 900 delegates from all over the world attending the international student recruitment fair.
Opening the event, Tony Millns, the chief executive of StudyWorld organiser English UK, said that students increasingly realised that in order to be world-class, they had to have studied somewhere else in the world. He continued: "Despite problems, we're optimistic that this business will continue to grow."
He was equally upbeat by the end of the event. "A lot of good business has been done here, and I've had lots of positive feedback about the quality of both schools and agents, as usual. People also seem very happy with changes we've made to the programme, including encouraging educators to arrange private viewings and hospitality for agents on the Tuesday evening."
English UK refreshed the format of StudyWorld this year, replacing the first evening's formal dinner with a short party for newcomers, followed by a glittering Welcome Reception intended to make it as easy as possible for delegates to start networking from the start. The event opened with four hours of seminars, including a major presentation from Jeremy Oppenheim of the UK Borders Agency on visa regulations, including new guidance for Highly Trusted Sponsors. There were also sessions on English UK's Partner Agency Scheme, how language centres should comply with visa regulations, on simple rules of marketing and predicting global trends.
Siobhan Baccas, who organises StudyWorld, said it had been a record-breaking year. "Not only did we have almost 900 attendees at the event, but we had our biggest-ever number of exhibitors, which tells a lot about the quality of the business we do here.
"And we were delighted with the way the Welcome Reception went. It was a fantastic surprise for delegates going into the room and finding gold drapes, intimate seating and a fantastic centrepiece bar -- it really had the wow factor. It will be a challenge to top that next year -- but we'll try!"
Sue Edwards, Chair of English UK, was also pleased with the way StudyWorld had gone, reporting many positive comments about the organisation. "Each year the team continues to surprise," she said, adding: "We're moving forward into a new year, whilst also being aware of the challenges ahead. I think everybody is rushing to do business for the new year."
Carsten Sallman, Marketing Manager of Sprachcaffe Languages Plus, said: "StudyWorld is always really good fun which is why we come back. The party last night was really nice. I enjoyed the fact that it was a standing up reception, with people being active in their approach, speaking to each other rather than sitting down. We weren't limited to people on the same table. I really liked the entertainment and the magician doing card tricks.
"StudyWorld is always very fruitful for us. People here are very serious about business and this is important to us."
StudyWorld sponsor PPI was also very happy with the event. Director Danny Silvester said: "Last night's Welcome Reception was a massive improvement on previous years and I'm proud to be part of it. People are coming over to see us because the logo is on everything. Just from the logo and the StudyWorld T shirts we've had so much exposure, and that's fantastic. It's been a massive rise in our credibility, it says we're a company which is education based, support based, shows we're embedded in the industry. 80 per cent of our clients are in the industry. The industry is massively important to us. We see ourselves are being part of the language travel industry."
Agents and educators were also delighted with the event. Ben Logan of BLS in Bury St Edmunds, said; "This is our sixth year. Lots of the agents here send us students and the ones we have appointments with are saying what we do is really good. And the party -- that was a 100 per cent improvement on last year."
Jos Van Kerkhof of Study Travel had been to StudyWorld 12 times, and said: "I come every year to meet friends and to do business and enjoy myself."
Notes to Editors
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| Students party with English UK and Lost in London / 25 August 2011 |
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More than 2,000 English language students had an unforgettable evening at an event co-hosted by English UK and corporate member Lost in London.
Fiestaval, at Proud 2 on 30 July, featured samba dancers, Brazilian drummers, aerial performers, jugglers, beat boxers and many other eye-catching performers from different cultures. It attracted students from all over London and the South.
Tristan Bailey of Lost in London, which organises weekly parties as well as larger events, said: "We've been organising large scale events for language schools for years but this is the first we've done in collaboration with English UK.
'We wanted a celebration of different cultures under one roof and used performers from different nationalities to create an international party feel.
'Bringing happy, like-minded students together from around the world, in an awesome and safe environment, always creates an unbelievable atmosphere. This is why our parties are so popular.'
He added: 'Our aim is to create a party environment that students may never get anywhere else in London or even back in their native country.'
Jodie Gray, senior international manager at English UK, said: 'English UK hasn't been involved with anything like this before, but it was a fantastic night and the students really enjoyed it.'
Mr Bailey plans many more events. He said: 'Our biggest event yet was a Hallowe'en party for 3,000 and hopefully this year's will be bigger. We hope to continually create awesome memories for students visiting the UK.'
Notes to Editors
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| English UK brings agents to visit summer school providers / 25 August 2011 |
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During the week of 25-30 July, 12 leading educational agents from China, led by a British Council China officer, attended an inward mission that was designed to showcase the summer programmes offered at English UK member centres.
The group was welcomed by English UK staff on their arrival on Sunday and taken on a brief tour of the major historical sites in central London, as well as a ride on the London Eye. They enjoyed the tour and the pleasant summery weather.
On Monday, the group visited Stafford House's brand new site in Holborn, followed by an out-door lunch in the vibrant Covent Garden market. In the afternoon, thanks to sponsorship from UK Trade & Investment, a workshop was held at the Westminster Conference centre. 10 English UK members attended this workshop. Afterwards members and agents came together and enjoyed a relaxing welcome dinner at a restaurant nearby afterward. Tony Millns attended the dinner and gave an official welcome to the group.
From Tuesday onward, the agents visited 5 member schools – Concorde International's summer centre in Hampstead, TASIS in Egham, Twin Summer Centre's in Guildford, Cavendish School in Bournemouth and International House Bristol.
The second workshop was held in Bristol on Friday in association with English UK South West. 9 centres attended the workshop including representatives in the FE and HE sector. Agents were delighted to see such variety of providers within the English UK membership.
The mission continued to Cheltenham and Oxford where they visited St Giles International, Summer Camps in Cheltenham and MM Oxford Study Services summer campus in the Oxford University colleges of Hertford and St. Hugh's. The university town of Oxford left a deep impression on the participants.
With little time to waste, the group visited the King's Colleges summer campus in Reading on Sunday before taking a flight back to China.
The Chinese agents showed serious interest in doing business with English UK members during the mission. Seeing summer centres in operation helped them gain insight and a greater understanding of the differences among the summer centres, the variety of programmes, the operations of summer schools, and student experience in the UK.
Thanks to the hospitality of the host schools, the mission also was a rich cultural experience for the visitors.
Ms. Shuwen Huang of Edulosophy Limited said 'By taking this inward mission visit I built up more confidence on promoting the teaching the methodology, courses, accommodation arrangement. We can not only promote for schools in London, Oxford, and Cambridge but also those good schools in South West and North part of UK.'
Click here to view pictures of the inward mission and video interviews with some of the participating agents.
Notes to Editors
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| Government policies damaging a rare economic success story /26 July 2011 |
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The Government's policy of cutting the number of international students risks damaging the economy at a time when growth is flatlining.
Today's figures showing that the UK economy barely grew in the first half of 2011 come at the same time as a report from MPs warning that plans to cut student visas will also cut one of the few growth areas in the economy by at least £3.6bn.
Tony Millns, Chief Executive of English UK which represents more than 450 fully-accredited English Language centres, pressed these points yesterday in a meeting with Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, Minister of State for Trade and Industry.
He said: "The Government's economic strategy and its immigration policy are completely at odds with each other in the area of international students. We should be making the most of the fact that our international reputation for quality in education is so high that students want to come here to our independent schools and English language centres and go on to take degrees at our universities. Instead, the message which has gone out round the world is that Britain no longer wants students to come here. This is a huge loss to the UK economy at a time when we need export-led growth."
A recent report from the Department of Business, Immigration and Skills ('Estimating the Value to the UK of Education Exports') forecast that international education exports could nearly double from a current £14 billion to over £26 billion by 2025, making it one of the growth sectors that could lead the UK out of recession.
The greatest threat comes from elsewhere in the Government - the Home Office and UKBA - which are committed to reducing net migration 'from the hundreds to the tens of thousands'.
This target, criticised by the Parliamentary Home Affairs Select Committee in its report this week, is unachievable because the Government has no control over two of its main components – the numbers of EU nationals who come to work here, and the number of British people who choose to emigrate.
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| English Language sector worth more than previously thought / 20 July 2011 |
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Teaching English to international students earned almost £2bn for the UK in 2008-09, according to new research commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
This research excluded state sector colleges and universities which teach English to overseas students and so the real figure for that year is likely to be considerably higher.
The report says that one reason these figures are significantly higher than previous estimates is the "large and increasing number of students in more recent years" and also "differences in the duration of stay". It estimates a total value of UK education exports at just over £14bn.
"This is a higher figure than we have previously dared to use, and it underpins the vital importance of this sector to the UK's balance of payments," said Tony Millns, Chief Executive of English UK, which represents more than 450 fully-accredited language centres.
He added: "This demonstrates yet again that the Government needs to act with real caution in its desire to cut the number of overseas students coming in to the UK. Attacking those coming to study English risks not only the income and international reputation benefits to this sector, but also the much larger market for international students in our universities which is fed by language students."
The report, written by Dr Gavan Conlon, Annabel Litchfield and Greg Sadlier of London Economics for BIS, estimates the total value of ELT education exports for 2008/9 at £1,996.2 billion, part of a total UK education total of £14.1 billion. This is made up of £879.5m in tuition fees and £1,116m on living expenses, travel and entertainment. The report, called, Estimating the Value to the UK of Education Exports, was commissioned by BIS to help it understand the UK's global share of education-related activities and growth potential over the next ten years and beyond in order to formulate a "supportive policy framework to allow Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE) and associated business sectors to increase their income from overseas and attract more foreign direct investment, contributing to the economic growth of the United Kingdom economy." It suggests that the overall market will grow consistently to 2025. "The analysis suggests that from the current baseline of £14.1 billion, the value of the education-related export market might be approximately £21.5 billion in 2020 and £26.6 billion in 2025 (both in 2008/09 prices). This represents an annual growth rate of approximately 4.0% per annum in real terms."
However, the report assumes a lower growth rate of 3.2 per cent per annum for the EL sector, creating a market worth £1,456m in fees and £1,849 in other spending in 2025, a total of £3,304m.
Language centres responding to a survey said visa issues were the main threat to the sector, and an analysis of prospects in the report notes among potential weaknesses that: "HM Government policy could be more friendly to overseas students."
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| English UK brings agents to Scotland / 9 June 2011 |
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Towards the end of last month English UK welcomed 13 agents from Central Asia, the Caucasus, other former Soviet Union countries and Russia to our Spring Inward Mission. This mission was both our first trip to Scotland and our first joint activity with two of our newest formed geographical groups, English UK Scotland and English UK London.
Inward missions are a combination a familiarisation trip with one or two small scale workshops providing agents with the opportunity to meet with language school representatives from all over the country as well as showcasing a particular area of the UK.
Following a workshop with English UK members at Twickenham Rugby Stadium, the trip to Scotland commenced. Over the course of a busy 3 days, the group visited Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen gaining firsthand experience of 5 different language centres -EAC, Edinburgh School of English, Glasgow School of English, Live Language and International House Aberdeen. In addition to visiting the centre premises, the showcase element provided the agents with opportunities to observe and participate in sample lessons, view student residences, try local cuisine (including Haggis, Shortbread and Cranachan) and to undertake some sight-seeing activities, helping to give the agents a real feel for the cities they visited. Highlights of the tourist elements included a guided tour up the Royal Mile and a luxurious champagne boat cruise on Loch Lomond.
On the Tuesday evening, English UK Scotland organised a 3-course candlelit dinner at George Hotel, Edinburgh, enabling the group to network with around 12 Scottish member centres.
The inward mission concluded with a farewell drinks reception and dinner with members of English UK London at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel in Bloomsbury, London. This mixer dinner provided the agents with an opportunity to network with representatives from a further 15 member centres and for some participants consolidated business relationships formed at English UK Fair Muscat earlier this year.
There was a productive and friendly atmosphere during the mission and feedback from agents and members alike was very positive. Nargiza Makatsaria, General Director of ELL.Ltd in Georgia enthused 'I once again want to outline that I am truly impressed by the event and its organisation'. Nadezhda Anisimova from British Council Kazakhstan advised 'having visited English language schools, I feel more comfortable and confident now promoting English UK schools…and particularly schools in Scotland'.
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| High praise for the English UK Fair, Buenos Aires 2011 / 19 May 2011 |
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The English UK Fair, Buenos Aires 2011 took place at the InterContinental Buenos Aires from Tuesday 3 to Friday 6 May 2011. The workshop was organised by English UK in partnership with and supported by the British Council, UK Trade & Investment and VisitBritain.
The fair brought together 23 English UK member centres and 41 study abroad agents from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
The programme of social events, seminars, and one-to-one appointments in the historic Argentine capital gave educators and agents the opportunity to really get to know each other and develop long-lasting productive partnerships.
Participants experienced a 'real taste of Argentina' at the welcome reception and dinner held at the Terraza del Virrey in the InterContinental Buenos Aires. Sat in a winter garden restaurant decorated with orange gerberas and candle lanterns, entertained by the upbeat melodies of live traditional tango music, the delegates enjoyed a 'parillada porteña' - a mix of grilled local favourite meat cuts - served family style for each table to share.
The 3-course dinner and tango show at 'Esquina Carlos Gardel' on the middle night of the fair was another memorable evening. This tango club and restaurant, decorated in an Art Nouveau style recreating the sophistication and luxury of the salons of old times, featured first class artistic performances and excellent cuisine. Graham Perry from Aberystwyth University commented, 'The personal highlight for me was tango night. Exhilarating, dignified, unforgettable'.
After all the hard work was over, delegates and other invited high profile guests from Argentina's education sector networked and celebrated in style at a farewell gala dinner hosted at the Residence of the Her Majesty's Ambassador to the Argentine Republic. The magnificent British Residence is a landmark building in the heart of Buenos Aires. It is among the finest ambassadorial residences the UK has anywhere and was designated a National Historic Monument in 2001.
Mr Simon Thomas, Chargé d'Affaires at the British Embassy Buenos Aires, spoke of the importance of English as an international language, the quality of a British education and the many attractions of the UK as a study abroad destination.
Delegates praised the overall organisation and programme, convivial atmosphere and business networking opportunities of the fair.
Richard Day from English in Chester remarked, 'This is a brilliant formula that really works. Congratulations!'
Stephen A'Barrow from Harrow House International College commented, 'A phenomenal fair, the best yet. My South America business increased significantly after the last event. I expect the same result after this one.'
The study abroad agents in attendance were equally impressed. Mauricio Chagas de Oliveira of High Connections Intercambio in Brazil wrote, 'Organisation - excellent! Attention by the team - plus excellent. Professionalism - excellent. Any other comments - excellent!'
Also attending the fair were representatives from the British Council Colombia and United Kingdom, the UK Border Agency and the British Embassies in Buenos Aires, Bogotá and Caracas. These delegates were able to exchange valuable market information and new ideas with the participating educators, agents and exhibitors.
The next English UK Fair for the Latin American region will be held in Panama from Tuesday 24 to Friday 27 April 2012 at the InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort & Spa. The programme will include seminar and appointment sessions, welcome dinner by the beach, private evening tour of the Panama Canal's Miraflores Locks' Visitor Centre and a farewell gala dinner in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Panamá Viejo. See www.englishukfairs.com for more information.
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| Fun in the sun at the English UK Fair, Muscat 2011 / 17 April 2011 |
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The English UK Fair, Muscat 2011 took place at Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa from Monday 28 to Thursday 31 March 2011. The workshop was organised by English UK in partnership with and supported by the British Council, UK Trade & Investment and VisitBritain.
The fair brought together 30 English UK member centres and 40 study abroad agents from Algeria, Bahrain, Georgia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan. Exhibitors included the British Council, UK Border Agency, UK Trade & Investment London, Study UK and TVET UK. Also attending the fair were representatives from the British Council Algeria, Georgia, Kuwait, Oman, and United Arab Emirates, and from UK Trade & Investment in Syria.
The programme of social events, seminars, and one-to-one appointments in a luxurious resort alongside the sparkling bay of Al Jissah in the Sultanate of Oman gave delegates the opportunity to really get to know each other and develop long-lasting productive partnerships.
Dr. Noel Guckin, HM British Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, gave the opening address at the welcome reception and dinner, which was held in a sublime setting on a grassy peninsula with the sound of the waves breaking on the beach below.
Participants had the opportunity to try out their bargaining skills on an evening excursion to the famed Muttrah Souk. Several of our more fashion-forward male delegates invested in their own traditional white gowns (dishdashas), embroidered hats (kumahs) and headscarves (muzzars), which they proudly showed off at the Omani themed farewell gala dinner.
Guests arriving at the gala dinner, also held by the beach, were greeted by Omani dancers and drummers. Silversmiths, weavers, henna artists and a traditional breadmaker showcased their crafts, while two friendly camels provided the perfect photo opportunity! Mr. Paul Doubleday, Director of the British Council Oman, gave the closing speech, focussing on the importance of the partnerships between agents and educators.
The British Council and UK Trade & Investment generously sponsored the English UK Fair, Muscat 2011.
The next English UK Fair for the regions of the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia will be held at the Dead Sea Jordan from Monday 1 to Thursday 4 October 2012 in the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea. The programme will include seminar and appointment sessions, a welcome reception by the beach, evening tour of Amman, a reception at the Residence of HM Ambassador to Jordan and a 1001 Nights themed farewell gala dinner held in the Sunset Arena.
Educators, agents and exhibitors will also be invited to take part in an optional overnight Desert Highway tour to Wadi Rum and Petra. This will include visits to Mount Nebo and Madaba, a sunset Bedouin jeep drive in Wadi Rum, overnight at a luxury tented desert camp and a guided walking tour of the ancient city of Petra.
Find more details and book online at www.englishukfairs.com.
Notes to Editors
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| Student visa changes "could open new loophole" says English UK / 22 March 2011 |
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The changes to the UK student visa system announced by the Home Secretary Theresa May this afternoon could open a new loophole, warns an organisation representing 450 accredited language centres.
Students entering the UK for a year or more will be tightly regulated, as colleges bringing them in on General Student Visas under the Points-based System must now have Highly Trusted Sponsor status and be inspected by Ofsted. But the Government risks losing control of students entering for up to 11 months on an (Extended) Student Visitor Visa, which is outside the PBS.
Tony Millns, English UK's chief executive, commented: "The danger is that Entry Clearance Officers will not check that applicants for Student Visitor visas are in fact enrolled at accredited colleges, and will approve visas which allow bogus students to come to dodgy colleges with no controls or even proper classes. It would be a disaster if a crackdown on one route allowed abuse to happen through another. The extended SVV is a good route for relative beginners who needed extra time to reach the language level required for a PBS General Student Visa, and we do not want to lose it because of abuse by non-accredited colleges."
English UK has welcomed several aspects of the Government's package on student visas, while assessing some changes more critically. "Overall the package of measures is more targeted than the original proposals, and we shall be looking to work with UKBA and Ofsted to make sure that the majority of our member colleges who already have Highly Trusted Sponsor status can continue with that under the new arrangements.
"Finally however we must say to the Government that the UK's international education sector, one of the few growth areas of the economy right now, has had 5 years of continuous rapid change in the visa system and requirements, and once these changes are introduced there should be no further changes for at least 2 years to restore confidence around the world that it is possible to come to the UK to study."
English UK agrees with the decision to leave the English level for pre-degree courses at B1, broadly equivalent to a top-grade GCSE, as "welcome and sensible". It also believes setting maximum visa terms of 3 years for courses below degree level, and 5 years (except for courses such as medicine and architecture) for first degree level and above, is broadly sensible and realistic.
However, it says the Government has "missed a trick" by not basing its approach on payment of course fees (or a significant proportion of fees) in advance, and the concept of visa officials deciding which banks can be trusted or not extends the powers of the UK Border Agency into commercial dealings worldwide.
It is concerned by the discriminatory and anti-competitive decision to outlaw the right to work for students on courses at private colleges, even though these courses may be franchised by a university whose own students can continue to work for up to 20 hours a week.
English UK is also concerned that some genuine students may be deterred from studying at British universities by the new regulations on language requirements, dependants and post-study work. The decision to require students on degree courses to have level B2 English (equivalent to a top-grade A level/university year one) will either restrict access to a considerable number of universities or will increase the numbers of students who have to take an international foundation year course before moving on to a degree, making it effectively a 4-year course. The restrictions on the rights of students to post-study work and to being accompanied by dependants during their courses will deter an appreciable number from coming to the UK, with a backwash effect on the number coming for preliminary English language and international foundation year courses.
Notes to Editors
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| English language schools welcome Parliamentary report into student visas /17 March 2011 |
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English UK, which represents 450 accredited language centres, today welcomed a report warning the Government against making changes which could damage Britain's international education sector.
In a wide-ranging report, the Home Affairs Committee says the sector is estimated to be worth £40bn to the UK economy and is a significant growth market. Pointing to the experience of visa reform in the US and Australia, which led to a fall in applications, the committee warns that some of the Government's proposals could have "serious unintended consequences."
The report says any cap on student visas is undesirable and unnecessary, and urges the Government to improve its data collection systems so that policies are not being made on "flawed data". Students, it says, should not be classified as migrants.
Its many recommendations include a suggestion that the Extended Student Visitor Visa, currently being piloted, should be made permanent. In addition, if the Government does go ahead with its proposal to raise the minimum language requirement to high A-Level standard for students on general visas, the Extended Student Visitor Visa (which does not have a language requirement) should be further lengthened to 18 months to allow the higher level to be reached.
It warns that if the language level were raised and the ESVV were dropped, there would be a "calamitous impact" on the English language sector.
Welcoming the report, Tony Millns, Chief Executive of English UK, said: "The committee is absolutely right in its analysis both of the vital importance of this sector to the UK economy, and of the potentially disastrous consequences of some of the Government's proposals. We are calling on the Coalition to read this report carefully before finalising any policy changes around student visas."
Other recommendations of the Committee's report include a call for a single, streamlined system of accrediting institutions sponsoring international students. It is concerned that Government approval of the current accreditation bodies has lapsed.
The strongly-worded report also says the Government should clarify certain issues around its planned secure English language tests, should prioritise the implementation of exit checks on people leaving the country, and calls for "a more reliable system of data collection than the International Passenger Survey can be used upon which to base immigration policy."
Keith Vaz MP, the Committee's chair, said: "The Government's policy ought to be evidence-based. Generating policy based on flawed evidence could cripple the UK education sector. In the case of international students this could mean a significant revenue and reputational loss to the UK. We strongly urge the Government to examine the data which it currently uses to extrapolate migration figures and recognise that for any genuine student the doors to Britain's fine education institutions are always open. If the door is shut they will simply study elsewhere."
Notes to Editors
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| Government warned on cutting international student numbers / 21 February 2011 |
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Dramatic cuts in student visa numbers being proposed by the Government would not only damage the UK's economy and higher education sector but also fail to meet targets for lower migration, according to two authoritative new reports.
The Institute for Public Policy Research report concludes that tens of thousands of genuine international students are at risk of being turned away from British universities and colleges, costing the UK billions of pounds, as the Government seeks to meet an "artificial target" for cutting migration.
Analysis by the IPPR finds that cutting student immigration would only have short term impacts on net migration. Large reductions in student immigration would produce only small reductions in net migration.
The IPPR report comes only days after the Higher Education Policy Institute published its own document on the implications of the Government's proposals restricting Tier 4 visas. Results of the Government's consultation are expected next month.
Both reports cover much of the same ground, which is that Government would have to cut the numbers of genuine students entering the UK in order to meet its migration targets, that it is using unreliable data to establish the numbers of students entering and leaving, and that a tightening up of regulations on sponsoring institutions would be the best way to ensure students were genuine. Both documents also suggest that the Government is not being overt about its true intentions.
Tony Millns, chief executive of English UK, commented: "These well-researched reports undermine the Government's case both for treating students as part of the country's net migration statistics, and for cutting numbers beyond what is necessary to reduce abuse, for example by improving accreditation of colleges. These reports indicate the Government is running real risks with our international education sector, one of the growth areas of the UK economy, if it seeks to cut net migration by reducing international student numbers. The worst aspect is that both reports show that cutting students won't necessarily achieve the Government's objective on net migration anyway, so the policy could fail and yet do significant damage to a vital sector."
Student Migration In The UK, written by Sarah Mulley, the IPPR's associate director for Migration, Trade and Development, says that the Government's proposals are "likely to have significant negative consequences for legitimate international student recruitment. These proposals are most easily explained in light of the government's overall objective to reduce total net migration to the UK, and consequently to reduce student immigration. In our view… reducing student immigration is unlikely to significantly reduce net migration in the medium to long term, and the economic costs of the drastic reductions in student immigration that would be necessary to meet the government's overall objective would be considerable.
"However, if it is the government's intention to follow this course, it is important that this be openly stated and discussed in the policy, political and public debate."
It adds: "International students contribute a huge amount to the UK education sector and to the wider economy. The ability of international students to come to the UK sells Britain and British business to the rest of the world. The government cannot have its cake and eat it: it will simply not be possible to reach the reduced net migration target and retain the benefits that students bring to the institutions they attend and the wider economy."
The HEPI report, The UKBA's Proposed Restrictions on Tier 4 visas: implications for University recruitment of overseas students, written by University of East Anglia vice-chancellor Professor Edward Acton, is no less damning.
It concludes: "If the government is determined to be guided by International Passenger Survey data and to discourage international HE recruitment, we need certainty about the matter. We can then drastically curtail the considerable British resources being spent on seeking to attract international students by our embassies, by the British Council, by BIS and by every university. William Hague can rethink his announcement in January that 'as British Ministers fan out across the world in the months to come we will be promoting British education as well as our economy as a whole.' The Treasury can build the concomitant fall in export earnings into its forecasts. The Higher Education Funding Council for England can revise its list of 'at risk' institutions. Universities can plan with local authorities how to cope with the rapid loss of income, shedding of jobs and singularly ill-timed damage to university cities and regional economies that will follow."
Notes to Editors
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| English UK members give evidence to Home Affairs Select Committee / 8 February 2011 |
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Around 70 universities, colleges and private English language centres travelled to Brighton to give evidence on student visas to a special session of the Home Affairs Select Committee.
Witnesses travelled from as far away as Wales and Leicester to appear before the Committee's only open session to be held outside Westminster during its scrutiny of the Government's proposed changes to student visas.
They warned the chairman, MP Keith Vaz, that raising the student language requirement to B2 (equivalent to a high A Level) risked sending large numbers of students to study in competitor nations such as the USA.
They wanted to see a better accreditation system and more information on their students, such as whether a visa had been granted, whether it had been used, and whether the student had arrived in or left the UK.
And while welcoming the new 11-month Student Visitor Visa, they were concerned that it contained fewer immigration safeguards than the Tier 4 route, and suggested that it be limited to centres holding Highly Trusted Sponsor status.
Mark Allen, of Sussex Downs College, said that two years ago 95 per cent of students on their programmes would continue to study at a British university. "Fifteen to 20 per cent of those are now going to university elsewhere because of the obstacles put in their way. The danger this is causing long-term to the university sector is significant," he said.
Diane Schmitt of Nottingham Trent University told the committee that the language requirement was particularly unhelpful. "We know some countries' education systems don't do much speaking and listening because it's not logistically possible and the national examination at the end of their school system reflects this. Chinese students, for example, don't have an even proficiency profile."
Caroline Lucas, the Brighton MP who organised the meeting, said international education was "a major economic issue". She added: "I do think this issue can be won. There is cross-party support that there are better ways of resolving this problem.
"The message is very loud and clear that these schools and colleges need a period of stability and certainty but are very happy to have a further tightening of accreditaqtion and regulation. But requiring students to have higher level of English really does risk the future of schools and colleges."
Mr Vaz said the committee hoped to produce its report as quickly as possible, ideally by the end of February.
Tony Millns, chief executive of English UK, said the international education sector was growing, and was one of the "bright spots" in the UK economy.
Notes to Editors
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| English UK appears before Home Affairs Select Committee / 4 February 2011 |
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English UK was the first organisation called to give evidence at the Home Affairs Select Committee's investigation into the Government's proposed visa changes.
Questions from committee members ranged over the issues of bogus colleges, language levels and foundation courses, but they appeared most astonished by the revelation from English UK chief executive Tony Millns that the registration of all Tier 4 provider accreditation schemes had lapsed.
"The accrediting bodies were approved for an initial term of two years. That approval has lapsed. Technically, none of the accreditation bodies are approved by the Border Agency," said Mr Millns.
"Are you telling the committee that those now doing the accreditation are doing so without proper authority?" asked Keith Vaz, the committee chairman.
"Yes," replied Mr Millns.
"Does the Government know this?" enquired a clearly startled Mr Vaz.
"Yes."
"And what has it done about it?" asked Mr Vaz.
"Nothing, actually," said Mr Millns.
"Excellent," said Mr Vaz, promising to write to the Government about the matter.
Mr Millns also brought the attention of the committee to other problems in current accreditation arrangements. While the numbers of registered colleges had almost halved in the past two or three years, with 2,292 able to bring in Tier 4 students - a move supported by English UK - there were still problems.
He said: "The Border Agency has approved a number of accrediting bodies for the purposes of the register in Tier 4. We do not believe standards in some other schemes are as high as in our scheme, which has been running for nearly 30 years and we have observed that colleges which have had registration withdrawn and failed the quality test of our scheme have subsequently got accreditation from another body and have thereby remained on the register. That is clearly a loophole."
Asked how the loophole could be closed, Mr Millns suggested that there should be no more than one or two accreditation bodies, and added that the BA is considering whether it could make an interim move so that as soon as a college loses accreditation from any body, it is removed from the register.
However, if accreditation were tightened up, it would become a very high-stakes process for colleges which would be likely to mount legal challenges against decisions. "That doesn't mean that I oppose it," added Mr Millns.
The committee also asked questions about the Government's consultation on student visas. Mr Millns pointed out that in order to meet its target of cutting net migration, "it would need to cut the student route to zero which would mean no international students would be able to come into the country, and even that might not be quite enough."
A difficulty was that numbers leaving and arriving in the UK were currently monitored using the International Passenger Survey, which measured about one in 500 people entering or leaving the country. On arriving, said Mr Millns, students would probably say they were entering for study; on leaving, that they were returning home. "Therefore for students, numbers entering and leaving do not correlate… We would really wish to see students taken out of migration statistics completely."
Asked by Cambridge MP Julian Huppert whether he had a "fundamental problem" with the immigration questions being asked, Mr Millns replied: "Is the objective the correct one in terms of immigration control? Probably not. Can it be achieved? Almost certainly not. Would we even know if it had been? No, from the statistics."
The other major area of control to the English language sector and universities, said Mr Millns, was the government proposal to raise the required language level to B2. Up to 80 per cent of students on university pathway programmes arrived with much lower levels of English. They improved this during their foundation programmes and also learned study skills vital for the degree courses that 97 per cent of them then joined.
"This is a major feeder route for universities. If the language level was raised to B2 it would cut the majority of these students," said Mr Millns. This in turn would threaten the survival of some university departments, particularly in the areas of science, technology, engineering and maths.
Mr Millns gave some support to certain areas of the Government proposals. "I think what the Home Secretary has referred to as breaking the link between temporary and permanent migration is very much the way to go," he said of the proposal that students should not be able to switch to family or work routes into the UK.
He also described as "a reasonable concession" the suggestion that pre-sessional courses might be extended from three months to a year. And he was happy with the idea of risk-assessing different countries.
Asked whether he supported the Government policy of cutting international student numbers, Mr Millns replied: "Only as an incidental consequence of tackling abuse in the system, not as a policy in itself." It was, he said, "pretty meaningless" whether a student was in the UK for 11 months, 14 months on a Masters course or three years on a PhD before departing, in the context of immigration.
Elizabeth McLaren, manager of Accreditation UK, who gave evidence alongside Mr Millns, was asked about the impact of the consultation proposals. "It will damage our reputation as the leading education provider in the world. Students will be put off by an unwelcoming reputation. If they can't start their study journey here... and have to go elsewhere to get their English medium education, they may just choose to stay there."
Should the UK be concerned about its international reputation, asked committee member David Winnick? "I think the strength of the UK's education offer is very important in terms of the reputation of the UK and has an impact in all areas of the UK economy in terms of people working with us, doing business with us, all sorts of cultural aspects."
Four representatives from the university sector gave evidence to the committee during the remainder of the session, painting a grim picture of the resulting problems if the language level was raised to B2, or overseas students were barred from working here after their graduation.
Professor Edward Acton, Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia, said international students were a growth area. It was estimated that there were around 60,000 students on pre-university pathways, and 70 per cent of those would not have come if the B2 English requirement had been in place. B2 would "suffocate" the pathway, he said.
Professor Steve Smith, President of Universities UK, said a large percentage of the student body had previously studied in the UK: "For us it seems paradoxical at a time when we are trying to find growth in the economy. Here is an export industry, by some estimates the 7th most successful export industry in the UK, the market is growing at 7 per cent a year, the UK is the second most successful sector in the world, it would be worth over the next 15 years an additional £5bn in export earnings per year to the UK on top of the £5.3bn it earns. It seems crazy to stop that development by focusing on using inappropriate methodology, something that isn't a problem."
It was using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, he said.
How could the Government be helped to achieve what it wanted to without damaging the universities, asked Mr Vaz. Professor Acton replied that he would strongly support HTS status, ask for high deposits for students, and for the UKBA to tell sponsors when CAS letters were used by students, and when they arrived in and left the UK.
Professor David Wark, of Imperial College London, said international students were "absolutely critical". They formed 29 per cent of the student body at Imperial, and provided some 62 per cent of fee income. UK students benefited from this income through higher standards of teaching. Some departments would be seriously damaged if the numbers of overseas students were reduced.
To view coverage of the Home Affairs Select Committee Meeting on Parliament TV, please click here.
Notes to Editors
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| English UK joins other education groups in press conference / 31 January 2011 |
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English UK and Study UK this week joined other leading international education groups opposed to the Government's proposals on student visas in a national press conference.
This is likely to be the first in a series of cross-sector initiatives to raise awareness of the dramatic consequences for Britain's international and higher education sector, worth £10bn a year, if proposals including raising the language requirement to B2 for visa students become law.
The press conference was a joint initiative by Universities UK, the University of East Anglia, the National Union of Students, the UK Council for International Student Affairs, English UK and Study UK.
Each organisation expressed its alarm at the proposals in the Government's consultation, intended to cut student numbers, warned that the proposals risked seriously damaging both the fragile British economy and the university sector, and questioned whether students, 97 per cent of whom leave within two years of their courses ending, should be included in migration curbs at all.
Tony Millns, chief executive of English UK, said international education was a growth sector for the UK at a time when the economy as a whole had contracted. Demand at all levels was growing and the UK had a high reputation for quality education.
However, the actions of the Government and the constant visa changes of the past three years were leading to a perception that the UK was not welcoming to students. "There is market scepticism about whether the UK is open for business," he said.
He said the requirement that visa students must have reached level B2 in English - equivalent to a high A Level - would particularly hit international foundation year courses, which typically run for 44 weeks and prepare students for the demands of a UK degree course. At present, most of these students arrived at roughly A2/B1.
If the foundation course route was closed to large numbers of students, that would affect not only English UK members but have a "highly damaging" effect on universities, almost half of whose international students come from foundation courses. That in turn would damage university finances, as many are kept afloat by international student fees.
Susan J Hindley of Study UK said the sector would support proposals intended to eradicate abuse of the system, but the suggested changes went well beyond that.
Dominic Scott of UKCISA said the proposals on student visas were probably "the most radical for a generation" and had attracted 25,000 responses including many comments from students who had come to the UK expecting to be able to progress in their studies. "Students don't want to settle in the UK. They want to get work experience and then go back to Shanghai or Taiwan and say, 'I've got real credibility.'"
He added: "On a number of proposals I think the Government is beginning to realise it's gone too far. I hope they will moderate that. if they don't it will undermine a successful industry. Without doubt we will lose students, lose trust, lose income, lose reputation and lose business links around the world."
Nicola Dandridge of Universities UK (UUK) was equally forthright. There were three areas of particular concern: damage to the UK economy, universities' economies and a consultation document which was "inappropriate".
UUK research had shown international students brought around £5bn into the UK economy each year, of which £2.3bn was "off-campus" expenditure in the local economy. "This is a hugely significant export industry," she said.
She said international student numbers for the UK were second only to the US "which given the size of the US is quite an extraordinary demonstration of the quality of the UK higher education industry. This is a very successful industry which the Government is actively seeking to constrain. Given the economic circumstances this is quite extraordinary that the government is putting these proposals forward," she said.
Ms Dandridge added that not only did nine per cent of the sector's income come from international students, but that universities were now hugely dependent on international researchers to teach some key STEM courses.
Professor Edward Acton of the University of East Anglia warned of a "catastrophic" effect on university finances and their role in driving their local economies.
The sector representatives also agreed that students should not be regarded as migrants. "97 per cent of them are transient. If you wanted, you could tackle that other three per cent," said Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students.
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| English UK welcomes new extended Student Visitor Visa / 13 December 2010 |
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New extended Student Visitor Visa means English language students can study in the UK for 11 months at any proficiency level
English UK today welcomed an announcement by the UK Border Agency that from 10 January 2011, the Student Visitor Visa will be valid for a maximum of 11 months for English language courses only.
The students must return home at the end of their course, but then should have reached a high enough standard in English that they could apply for a General Student Visa (GSV) to further improve their language skills or enrol at a British university.
Since March, the GSV has only been available for students who had already achieved level B1 – roughly equivalent to AS Level. This was almost impossible to achieve within the previous six-month limit of a SVV, and prevented many genuine students from studying in the UK.
Students who want an extended SVV (including non-visa nationals) must apply in their own country, showing that they have enrolled on a course lasting 6-11 months. They cannot work, bring dependents, switch to another visa type or extend their stay. The extended SVV will be a pilot in the first instance.
Tony Millns, English UK Chief Executive, said: "This change to the student visitor maximum length will provide a route for English language students who are relative beginners and are likely to need a course longer than six months to reach level B1.
"We will monitor how this change works in practice, and will respond to the consultation on student visas, but welcome this as a positive interim move by the UK Border Agency."
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| The English UK Fair, Hanoi 2010 – a resounding success / 7 December 2010 |
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The English UK Fair, Hanoi 2010 took place at the InterContinental Hanoi Westlake between Tuesday 16 and Friday 19 November 2010. The workshop was organised by English UK in partnership with and supported by the British Council, UK Trade & Investment and VisitBritain.
The fair brought together 33 English UK member centres and 52 study abroad agents from China, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The programme of social events, seminars, and one-to-one appointments in a sublime waterfront resort on the banks of Hanoi's West Lake gave educators and agents the opportunity to really get to know each other and develop long-lasting productive partnerships.
Participants experienced a 'real taste of Vietnam' during the exhilarating tour of Hanoi's Old Quarter on vintage scooters. This was followed by a cultural evening in the historic surroundings of the Ly Club.
Ms Kate Harrisson, Chargé d'Affaires at the British Embassy Hanoi, spoke of the importance of English as an international language at the welcome reception, which was held in the Saigon Restaurant in the InterContinental Hanoi Westlake.
After all the hard work was over, delegates relaxed at a farewell gala dinner in the French colonial surroundings of the Press Club, during which Mr Robin Rickard, Country Director of the British Council Vietnam, praised the high quality of British education providers, as evidenced by the English UK members in attendance.
Around 30 fortunate participants chose to stay on in Vietnam, taking part in the optional overnight Halong Bay Cruise. Aboard two 5-star luxurious 'junk' boats, delegates enjoyed visits to a floating village, swimming and water sports in the Bay, evening drinks on the deck, a 5 course dinner menu and, for those early-risers, dawn Tai-Chi!
Delegates praised the overall organisation, convivial atmosphere and business networking opportunities of the fair.
Richard Day from English in Chester remarked, 'An interesting and exceptionally well organised event with some good agents from several countries - well worth attending'.
Duncan and Jane Hume from White House Education commented, 'The fair was brilliantly organised. We enjoyed taking part and look forward to the next event. The Halong Bay Cruise was amazing'.
English UK members particularly relished the opportunity to experience a developing market such as Vietnam. Hannah Cox from the University of the Arts London said, 'A brilliant fair and great introduction to a new market for us.'
100% of the agents attending the fair rated the English UK members that they met as 'excellent' or 'good'. Johannes Kembauan from Deha Education/Idea Institut in Indonesia commented, 'A very good event to expand our network of contacts and maintain existing relationships.'
Also attending the fair were representatives from the British Council China, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, and from UK Trade & Investment offices in Vietnam and Singapore. Delegates were able to exchange valuable market information with educators, agents and exhibitors. Cathy He from the British Council China remarked, 'This is the first time that I have attended an English UK Fair. It was well-organised and impressive. It has been really useful for us in our promotion of the UK ELT sector in China.'
The next English UK Fair for the Asia Pacific region will be held in Singapore from Tuesday 15 to Friday 18 November 2011 at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort. The programme will include seminar and appointment sessions, welcome reception, tour of Singapore by trishaw and bumboat and a farewell gala dinner at the world famous Raffles Hotel. Find more details and book online at www.englishukfairs.com.
Notes to Editors
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| Government can change visas whilst protecting top export industry / 22 Nov 2010 |
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Download English UK's submission on the review of student visa routes 2010
English UK today published its input to the government’s review of the UK visa system for students, with proposals we believe will help meet the objectives of reducing net migration and reducing abuse of the system, whilst protecting one of our top five export industries.
International students contribute over £10 billion a year to the UK economy in their spending on course fees and living costs. International education is one of our top five export industries and students’ spending while here counts as foreign earnings. It is a vital contribution to our economic recovery.
Key proposals on reducing net migration and settlement include:
To reduce abuse of the visa system, it proposes:
In addition, English UK proposes that after the current review is complete, the visa system should be left unchanged for at least a year and that after that amendments could only be introduced on one of two set dates each year. The points-based system has been subject to constant change since its introduction less than two years ago, leading to great confusion among visa applicants and prospective students about the current requirements.
"There is no need for drastic action on student visas," said Tony Millns, chief executive of English UK. "The economic situation has already made the UK less attractive to migrants, and the new system is considerably tougher at all points than it was prior to 2009. Students do not contribute significantly to net migration or settlement, and they are the wrong target for cuts in UK visas."
English UK argues strongly that students contribute little to net migration (Home Office research found they were the likeliest group of migrants to return home at the end of their visa period) and are a vital contributor to the UK economy and the financial health of the university sector.
Moreover, students contribute little to net migration due to their relatively fast turnover: new entrants are balanced out by students completing their courses and leaving the country.
If there were a 'cap' on students who study in the UK for longer than a year, the main group who would be hit are those coming for preparatory courses such as international foundation year programmes leading on to degree courses at UK universities. Universities recruit nearly half of their international students from those already in the UK on these preparatory courses.
International education is one of our top five export industries and students' spending while here counts as foreign earnings. It is a vital contribution to our economic recovery. Over the last two years, exchange rates have made the UK more affordable and international student numbers have increased as a result.
Notes to Editors
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| Student visas are the wrong targets for cuts / 22 November 2010 |
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Cutting the number of student visas, as the Migration Advisory Committee suggested this week, would not help the Government meet its target of reducing net migration and would seriously damage the UK’s economy and its universities, says English UK. .
There are six good reasons why we should not cut the number of visa for international students.
The first is that the Coalition's aim of reducing net migration from the 'hundreds to the tens of thousands' by 2015 is in itself the wrong target. The aim should be to reduce settlement (permanent migration which adds to the UK population and demand for public services), not temporary migration. As Home Secretary Theresa May suggested in a speech on 5 November, this can be done partly by making it much more difficult for people to switch from temporary migrant status to permanent migrant status.
Second, international students are the group of migrants least likely to settle here. The Home Office's own report The Migrant Journey (published 6 September) shows that in 2004, of the 186,500 students granted visas, only 5,568 later gained settlement rights. This is just 3%.
The vast majority of entrants gaining settlement rights (84%) came to the UK on family and work visas.
Third, international students contribute little to net migration because in any one year, the number finishing their courses and leaving the UK is about equal to the number coming in. The Home Office report The Migrant Journey said that of the international students who came to the UK in 2004, nearly 3 out of 5 had left the UK again within two years. Those who remained had legally extended their stay, either because they were on longer courses, or because they had found work in highly-skilled or shortage occupation posts, or because they had married a Briton. The report concluded: 'It seems plausible that the vast majority of migrants granted non-visit visas in 2004 have left the UK'.
Fourth, international students contribute over £10 billion a year to the UK economy in their spending on course fees and living costs. International education is one of our top five export industries and students’ spending while here counts as foreign earnings. It is a vital contribution to our economic recovery. Over the last two years, exchange rates have made the UK more affordable and international student numbers have increased as a result.
Fifth, if there were a 'cap' or limit on students who study in the UK for longer than a year, the main group who would be hit are those coming for preparatory courses such as international foundation year programmes leading on to degree courses at UK universities. Universities recruit nearly half of their international students from those already in the UK on these preparatory courses.
International student fees are an increasingly vital income stream for UK universities, enabling them to keep courses and departments open to preserve choice and subsidise places for home students. Universities which lost a significant number of international students would have to cut courses and close departments. By 2013 some might even face insolvency.
Finally, net migration since the 1970s has directly correlated to the relative performance of the UK against the global economy. It was negative through most of the 1970s (the three day week and IMF bail-out, industrial unrest and strikes) and into the early 1980s. It was slightly positive through the later 1980s, marked by the Lawson boom and 'Big Bang' in the City, leading to many financial services firms moving to London.
It dropped again in the early 1990s recession, but rose consistently on the back of the UK's economic recovery from 1996 to 2008.
The IPPR think-tank noted in June that 'net immigration to the UK in the year to September 2009 was 11 per cent lower than in the year to September 2008'. Their conclusion was that 'the economic crisis, the natural cycles of migration flows and the tougher policies of the last government have already turned the tide – and at this rate we will see net immigration fall below 100,000 without the cap on immigration'. Even on the current government’s most optimistic forecasts, UK economic growth over the next 4 years will lag behind that of most other major countries, and especially that of fast-developing nations like Brazil, China and India.
The UK will simply be a much less appealing destination for migrants – except perhaps exactly the international students we need, who are attracted by the UK's reputation for quality in education.
"We will be asking the Government to take note of all of these points in the review of student visas which is to start shortly," said Mr Millns.
Notes to Editors
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| English UK announces plans to expand its 'boutique' fairs / 17 September 2010 |
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They are small, intimate, friendly, and a great place to do business. English UK's overseas fairs have proved such a hit with agents and educators alike that the number of events is rising to meet the demand.
"We're increasing from two fairs a year to three because they are so successful, and possibly more in future," said Jodie Gray, International Marketing Manager at English UK.
She added: "The boutique fairs are three days of quality time: they're much smaller, very intimate. The agents and educators still get their formal appointments, but they also go out on tourist trips, enjoy good meals and socialise together which gives them the time and space to develop meaningful partnerships.
"They are really good events. Everybody has a really nice time, with excursions such as camel-riding, and as a result they develop long lasting partnerships."
The winning formula for the fairs includes limited numbers of guests and educators (places are limited to 30 educators and 40 agencies), a luxury venue, and social trips, receptions and dinners all included in the cost.
Upcoming events include a fair in Hanoi this November and three in 2011 in Muscat, Buenos Aires and Singapore. Details are available on a dedicated website, www.englishukfairs.com, which was launched at StudyWorld London last week.
The boutique fairs began in 2007 as part of a project by the English Language Promotions Group (ELPG), made up of English UK in partnership with the British Council, UK Trade & Investment and VisitBritain. The group wanted to create a more co-ordinated approach to the promotion of the English language.
This vision for "joined up promotion" became the first small fair, held in Cancun in March 2007 for Latin American agents. This success led to a Hong Kong fair in 2008 and two last year, in the UAE and Brazil. The fairs are all organised by English UK in partnership with the other members of the ELPG.
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| StudyWorld London 2010 / 14 September 2010 |
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StudyWorld London marks one of its biggest events with industry launches and innovations
A partnership scheme for agents and the expansion of English UK's small overseas fairs were launched at StudyWorld London last week – along with a stunning new format for the event’s guide.
The 41st StudyWorld was one of the biggest ever, with 400 agents from 62 different countries attending the event, meeting over 300 educators. Record numbers of appointments were pre-booked, with 84 per cent of available slots taken before meetings began on Tuesday morning.
"There's been a really good buzz about the event this year, and agents and educators have been telling us that there’s lots of good meetings happening – and they're very positive about the business they are doing," said Siobhan Baccas, English UK's International Events Manager and StudyWorld London organiser. The importance of the event to the international market was underlined by the presence of schools from Japan and Argentina for the first time, she said.
Sue Edwards, Chair of English UK, which organises the event, was also very positive.
She said: "People here are very buoyant about the future. I know there are challenges, but the message I am getting from agents and educators alike is that people are trying to deal with them. Schools understand how to ensure the visa system works, and agents are looking to find new ways of developing their businesses. This is anything but a depressed market."
The event's new sponsor, Unite, was also delighted. Rosie Nesbitt, head of sales, said: "This is the first year we've attended and it's been a fantastic opportunity for us to network with companies we haven't necessarily had contact with before. And we can talk directly to the world's leading agents.
"There's been a lot of interest, and it's been a real eye-opener about the business opportunities which are out there and we're really looking forward to working with the people we have met here in the future. We've done a lot of business."
The event guide and information pack got a radical makeover this year to create something containing all the information needed by agents, but which would also be user-friendly and eye-catching. In place of the bulky ring-binder full of event information and participant details was a glossy A4 brochure and a memory stick, sized to slip into hand-luggage.
Annie Wright, Deputy Chief Executive of English UK, said she was delighted with the fresh new look of the information pack. "We know agents have wanted something which was easier for them to get home, because they've asked us to ship the old-style binders to them after the event in the past. We're getting very positive feedback about the new format, and we're very proud of the fresh, modern look of the brochure," she said. Another innovation meant agents attending the event could relax or work in between appointments in a dedicated zone close to the meeting halls.
StudyWorld London also saw the official launch of English UK's partner agency scheme, which was attended by almost 100 agents interested in joining up.
In a busy week for English UK, the organisation also announced plans to expand its small international fairs, which have become an instant hit with agents and educators because of the increased opportunity to build deeper working relationships. A dedicated new website went live during the event, at www.englishukfairs.com.
And attendees also got a first look at Light Up Your Potential: Discover English in the UK, the new promotional film produced by English UK and the British Council.
Educators and agents alike reported a productive two days' business. Christine Goodwin of the Northumbria School of English said she noticed a new mood among agents. "Some of them are specifically looking for schools in the North of England – they said they were looking for something different to their usual schools in London and along the South Coast. It's the first time that's happened," she said.
Andreas Schweitzer of the College Internacional de Cannes was at the event for the first time. He said: "I think the agents here are more serious than at some other events. It's early to say, but I think it's gone well and I'm happy."
Renato Silveira of 2001 Travel in Brazil, said: "There's always something new here." He attends StudyWorld every year. And Anastasia Satarina, of Foundation Initiative in Russia, was also on a return visit. "It's very good – well organised, with good services. I've done lots of business, met some old partners and had discussions with new ones about new initiatives."
Notes to Editors
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| English UK’s partner agency scheme gets off to a flying start / 14 September 2010 |
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More than 90 agents attended a seminar launching the new English UK Partner Agency Scheme in London.
The scheme is a new initiative to recognise study abroad agencies and educational consultancies which are successfully promoting the UK as an English language teaching destination. Successful applicants will already have good working relationships with at least five English UK members.
"We have already had interest from quite a few agents around the world in joining the Partner Agency scheme," said Annie Wright, Deputy Chief Executive of English UK. "But we were really pleased to see so many people attending the official launch seminar, and we're confident that there will be a lot of applications for membership as a result."
"We're really excited about this scheme, which we think will lead to much closer working relations between our fully-accredited schools and the world's leading language travel agencies."
The scheme is simple for agents to join – the basic requirements are to have attended a Partner Agency seminar and at least one English UK-organised event, be able to provide five references from English UK member centres, and complete a detailed business profile form. Membership is valid for two years, and is currently available at a discounted introductory rate of GBP 90 until the end of 2010.
Benefits for partner agents include an official certificate, the right to use a Partner Agency logo, and access to exclusive marketing material including poster and art work files and PowerPoint presentations.
Members will also get a listing on the English UK website which will refer students and English UK members directly to them, as well as preferential access to selected English UK events and activities.
Agent Halina Juszczyk, owner of Language Abroad in Poland, was keen to join. "I'm very interested in it, partly because of being able to use the logo. People could trust me more if they can see the logo to say I am doing my best."
Vesna Salabalija of Intelekta in Slovenia was also interested. "I think it would be very good if we can have more contact with each other and not just if there’s a problem."
Notes to Editors
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| Most overseas students return home after study in UK, report shows / 6 September 2010 |
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Overseas students are more likely to go home at the end of their visa than most other groups, Home Office research proves.
The report 'The Migrant Journey' was written to inform the Coalition's review of UK immigration, and was cited by immigration minister Damian Green in a widely-previewed speech tonight.
Tony Millns, chief executive of English UK, commented: "In fact, the report shows that the vast majority of students are returning home, in contrast to people coming to the UK for family or work reasons."
The report shows that:
It concludes: "the largest proportion of those granted settlement in 2009 had entered the UK via the work (leading to citizenship) route and the family route."
One section of the report also questions the assertion that too many migrants remain in the UK. It says: "a smaller number of migrants stay permanently in the UK than is commonly thought," and "it seems plausible that the vast majority of migrants granted non-visit visas in 2004…have probably left the UK."
Tony Millns commented: "There has been a complete misinterpretation of what this report actually shows. Misleading attacks on international students risk seriously damaging what is an export success story for the UK. International students bring over £10bn in foreign earnings to the UK each year, and thousands of UK jobs depend on them, not just in colleges but in local businesses from tourist attractions to taxi firms. Students are not in fact migrants, and international students contribute hugely to the UK."
Notes to Editors:
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| English UK welcomes its first national special interest group / 29 July 2010 |
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English language centres in Scotland have joined forces to become English UK Scotland.
The 17 centres were all members of SELTIC, the independent Scottish consortium of accredited English language centres. They applied to become the first national group of English UK because of the marketing and business benefits that are part of belonging to a large and well-established organisation.
Rupert Lezemore, Chairman of English UK Scotland, said: "Most of us were members of English UK and we could see the benefits of being under their umbrella. It was a very simple decision really: we thought it would be better to be part of a bigger group rather than independent.
"From the marketing point of view English UK is much more of an internationally recognised name, and that will be very helpful. This makes very clear what we do," he said.
One of the new grouping's functions is to work together to lobby for the industry in Scotland. English UK Scotland members are also planning joint events, including cross-school training, which is more difficult for centres to do in isolation. "We're planning speakers and so on for staff training. We're building a real community," said Mr Lezemore. Member centres are in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Aberdeen.
The English UK grouping will be able to build on the way that SELTIC members used to work together. Its centres would bid together for large contracts and co-operate to accommodate students' needs.
Mr Lezemore said that the SELTIC name, though accurate, had become less helpful as more would-be students searched for language schools on the internet. He added that English UK Scotland members now made up the majority of British Council-accredited centres in the country.
The Scottish group formally became part of English UK after a board meeting in April. Work is now underway to create a dedicated new website making full use of English UK and English UK Scotland branding.
English UK Scotland joins existing special interest groups including those for Business English, Work Experience, Young Learners and the regional groups for the North, Central England and the South West.
Notes to editors:
English UK is the world's leading language teaching association, with 440 accredited centres in membership. It covers university and further education college language departments, international study centres in independent schools, educational trusts and charities, and private sector colleges. English UK is a UK registered charity. www.englishuk.com
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| Immigration minister promises to look again at B1 language rule / 26 July 2010 |
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Immigration Minister Damian Green and UK Border Agency Chief Executive Lin Homer today undertook to work with English UK and its members to look for alternative solutions to maintaining the controversial language requirement for visa-national students on English language courses.
The Minister and Lin Homer met a delegation of language school industry experts and MPs representing constituencies where the local economy depends upon overseas students coming to the UK to learn English.
Mr Green and Ms Homer undertook to have “detailed discussions” about the case put forward during the meeting by English UK, which represents 440 fully-accredited language centres.
The Home Office originally introduced the B1 requirement (equivalent to a top-grade GCSE) in March but was forced to drop it back to A1 (basic English) on July 9, following a High Court judgement that said the rules had not been put before Parliament as legally required. The B1 level was restored on Friday 23 July when the Home Office introduced new Immigration Rules, which MPs are challenging.
Tony Millns, Chief Executive of English UK, put forward two simple suggestions to replace the B1 language requirement for English language students.
“Most UK education experts would say that the best indicator of ability to follow a course successfully is past academic achievement – which is why we have so many tests and exams in this country. We suggest therefore that the best indicator for English language students is that they reasonably recently completed high school education in their own country, equivalent to what we have here as Year 12, usually AS level.
“Second, we understand that UKBA has a risk profile for every country. This opens the possibility that the existing general educational level required of students applying for English language courses could be higher for countries which are judged to be high risk, and lower for low risk countries.”
Mr Millns said the current rules were damaging a successful business sector and were not supported by any evidence that students on lower-level courses were likelier to disappear or overstay.
While many of the other changes which came with the points-based visa system had positively transformed the system, he said the language rule was “deeply damaging” for the sector.
Language schools were cutting staff hours and state providers were halting courses. This was having a detrimental effect on the economy.
Ultimately, numbers of overseas students enrolling at UK universities would fall because 46% of students applying to universities are here already on English language and foundation year courses, creating a knock-on effect for British universities.
In conclusion, Mr Millns said: “I am going back to the Home Office tomorrow for more discussions and to give information to feed into the review of the student visa system which the Minister has already begun. For the good of the sector and the UK economy, we need to get this sorted out quickly. We welcome the UKBA offer to engage constructively in considering alternatives to the B1 rule.”
Notes to Editors:
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| English UK disappointed at Border Agency’s change to visa rules / 22 July 2010 |
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English UK today said it was “very disappointed” at the decision by the UK Border Agency to again raise the level of English proficiency required for British student visas.
As of July 23, students below degree level must again prove that they have reached level B1, which is just below A Level standard. This includes students who want to learn English in the UK, a situation which English UK Chief Executive Tony Millns has described as “clearly absurd”.
The B1 level was originally imposed by the Government on March 3, but overturned on July 9 after English UK won a judicial review of the process by which the rules were changed. The High Court judge, Mr Justice Foskett, ordered that the language rules should revert immediately to the “basic” level of A1.
“We’re very disappointed that the Border Agency has made this change without us having had the chance to meet the new Immigration Minister, Damian Green, and make our case with him,” said Mr Millns.
“A group of MPs who represent constituencies with high concentrations of language schools and myself are due to meet Mr Green on Monday. They are very concerned about the effect of this ruling on the local economy of their constituencies. When Mr Green was in opposition, he too was very supportive of our position and the detrimental effect this rule has on genuine students.”
Notes to Editors
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| English UK wins high court judicial review case / 9 July 2010 |
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More than 3,000 jobs and over £600 million a year in foreign earnings have been saved for the UK economy by a High Court judgement on which international students can come to the UK.
English UK has today won its case in the High Court against the last Home Secretary’s decision to raise the level of English which students must have before they can get a UK visa to learn the language here.
On March 3 2010, the level was raised from elementary to intermediate (from A1 to B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) for students who wanted to take courses of longer than six months and so needed a General Student Visa. They could no longer study on a course at a lower level than B2, roughly equivalent to A Level. In effect, this meant that they had to have a good standard of English before they could come to the UK to learn it.
The change was not directly put before Parliament, but was made through a paragraph in an appendix to the immigration rules which gave the UK Border Agency (UKBA) the blanket power to specify the minimum academic level of course which students can come to the UK to study on the General Student visa (GSV).
In his written judgement, Mr Justice Foskett said anything which "changed materially" the criteria of entry for overseas students must be done through a change in the rules, and not through a change in the guidance.
He agreed with counsel for English UK that a recent ruling from the Court of Appeal, on another immigration case, also applied to the way the language requirement was changed.
The rationale for the judgment in the Pankina case, Mr Justice Foskett said, was that "a provision that reflects a substantive criterion for eligibility for admission or leave to remain must be the subject of a process that involves a true Parliamentary scrutiny" (his emphasis). The increase in the level of English was not in fact subject to Parliamentary process, but done through a change in administrative guidance.
On this, Mr Justice Foskett said: "I do not doubt that the changed approach in the new guidance does operate to change materially the substantive criteria for entry for foreign students who wish to study English in the UK, and…that cannot be achieved by a change in guidance – it must be achieved through the medium of a rule change."
He went on to conclude that "extrinsic guidance cannot be used…to make a material or substantive change in existing immigration policy without the negative resolution procedure set out in section 3 (2) of the 1971 Immigration Act being implemented".
Tony Millns, Chief Executive of English UK, which represents 440 fully-accredited English language centres, said: "This judgement upholds our basic case that the Home Secretary was wrong to introduce a substantive change in the entry criteria for GSV students without laying that change before Parliament.
"We have asked the court to rule that the English language requirement must now revert to what it was before 3 March, in other words students must be at level A1 to take an English language course at A2. This will give our 440 member centres some immediate help since many of them faced losing a damaging number of students this summer and autumn."
He added: "We brought this case as a last resort, and will now seek to discuss with UKBA ways in which we can help formulate a more sensible policy which our members can support and which will contribute to immigration control. Genuine colleges have no desire to enrol people who are not genuine students. We are pleased that Mr Justice Foskett saw the merits of our case and we believe that his decision is good for the UK economy, to which the English language sector contributes about £1.5 billion in foreign earnings each year."
English UK’s case was led by Nichola Carter of Penningtons Solicitors LLP and Judith Farbey of Doughty Street Chambers. Commenting on the case, Nichola Carter, immigration partner at Penningtons, said: "Creating an immigration system which both denies entry to those with unlawful intentions and allows the UK to retain its reputation for world-class English language teaching is a complex process involving decisions of cultural and economic importance. This ruling confirms that parliament must be included in decisions which will significantly change the immigration system. In the months between the implementation of this unlawful policy and the hearing of this case, English UK continuously offered its assistance in creating a policy which was effective, sensible and lawful, and maintains that offer now."
Notes to Editors
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| English UK takes Government to court / 2 July 2010 |
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The Government’s decision to raise the required level of English for visa students applying to study the language in the UK was challenged in the High Court this week.
English UK’s judicial review centres on the way in which the minimum language requirement for the General Student visa was raised earlier this year from “elementary” (A1 on the Common European Framework of Reference) to “intermediate” (B1).
The major strand of the legal argument focused on whether it was legitimate for the Home Secretary to have introduced the B1 language requirement through the UK Border Agency’s Guidance to Sponsors, rather than explicitly introducing it in Parliament.
“The change to the minimum level of English tuition ought as a matter of law to have been introduced by a change to the immigration rules and was incapable of being introduced by changes to the sponsor guidance,” argued Judith Farbey, counsel for English UK.
Miss Farbey said that under the 1971 Immigration Act, any changes to the rules must be brought before Parliament. MPs then have 40 days in which they can “disapprove” the changes.
She said this procedure was not followed with the changes to the language requirement. The relevant paragraph had stated that: “Points will only be awarded for a Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies … if the course in respect of which it is issued meets each one of the following requirements: a) the course must meet the UKBA’s minimum academic requirements as set out in sponsor guidance published by the UKBA...”
Miss Farbey argued this enabled “substantive change to the administration of immigration control by policy rather than rule changes which was plainly outside the contemplation of the enabling 1971 Act.”
Substantive issues must be put through Parliament for negative resolution, she said, with fresh scrutiny every time there was a change to these terms. She said: “The 1971 Act makes plain that the Secretary of State must be constrained by the law. We say he must be accountable.”
But Neil Sheldon, appearing for the Home Office, disagreed with this interpretation. He argued that MPs clearly understood from the relevant paragraph that there would be minimum academic requirements and that this change could have been disapproved by MPs if they had wanted to. “By laying that rule before Parliament the Secretary of State was in my submission making it perfectly clear how he intended to operate this facet of border control. He made it perfectly clear that discretion was reserved for himself in setting a minimum academic requirement and the right to exercise that discretion,” he said.
Both sides also disagreed about the significance of a new Appeal Court ruling on the legality of immigration guidance applying to former students seeking leave to remain. In this case, the immigration rules said applicants needed to have £800 and “specified documents”. The policy guidance added the instruction that the applicant must have had the £800 for the previous three months.
The judgment in the Appeal Court case, delivered the week before the English UK case was heard, considered the legality of the policy guidance’s three-month stipulation.
It considered whether the rules could lawfully include provisions from another document which had not been laid before Parliament, was not itself a rule of law but department policy, and whether it was able to be altered after the rule was laid before Parliament. The overall answer, found the judge, was no. Miss Farbey argues that this applies to the B1 guidance.
The English UK hearing, which lasted for a day and a half before Mr Justice Foskett, also considered many of the other issues surrounding the Tier 4 Review and the way in which the B1 language level was introduced. Many members of English UK were present for the hearing.
In further legal arguments, Miss Farbey said that the decision to raise the language requirement was “unreasonable or irrational” because there was no evidence to warrant the conclusion that immigration control required the barring of students below this level. She said the B1 requirement had led to a situation in which sponsors determined whether or not a student could enter this country. This removed High Court scrutiny from matters bearing on immigration control.
Miss Farbey took the court through events from the introduction of Tier 4, the rise in applications from the Fujian area of China, the announcement of the Tier 4 review, the way in which the Secretary of State announced the new rules on the Andrew Marr show and the subsequent dissatisfaction of a House of Lords committee which examined the process.
The Home Secretary had, she said, failed to establish the link between unlawful immigration and raising the minimum level of English language tuition. “The change to B1 to deal with this is simply unevidenced,” said Miss Farbey.
She also disagreed with the Government’s assertion that genuine students who wanted to study elementary English in the UK would not be prevented from doing so.
“The review report confirms there will inevitably be some students who opt instead for another English-speaking country and who will be lost as potential Further or Higher Education students in the UK,” she said, adding that the Review contradicted the Impact Assessment of the changes, which stated that changes to Tier 4 would yield “nil” loss of revenue to colleges recruiting genuine students.
She was dismissive of Home Office suggestions that genuine students would have a “commitment” to studying in the UK. “There are two inferences buried in this somehow: that commitment to the UK is a relevant factor in immigration law or policy and that those with no commitment to the UK are somehow bad students.”
However, Mr Sheldon disagreed with this interpretation of events. “China is simply a stark illustration. Plainly there is nothing preventing applicants from other areas cottoning on to this issue, should they wish to do that,” he said. “Plainly it would be inappropriate in the event of the Secretary of State to attempt to apply sticking plaster solutions from country to country as the problem arises.”
Mr Sheldon said there was evidence that the language requirement would deter economic migrants. He said that the only students excluded by the B1 requirement were those who did not intend to pursue a further course of higher education, or were not sponsored by their government. He argued that such students had no genuine intention of studying English in the UK and therefore lost revenue would be from bogus students.
English UK is seeking a declaration that the decision was unlawful and for an order to quash it.
Mr Justice Foskett is now considering the evidence. He told the court that he appreciated the urgency.
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| New visa rules cost economy more than half a billion pounds a year / 10 June 2010 |
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Changes to student visa rules are costing the British economy at least £600m a year, according to new research.
English language centres are losing an average £500,000 worth of business each as a result of the new requirement that their students must have reached a certain level of proficiency before they can be granted a study visa.
And 60 per cent of language travel agents said clients had chosen to study English in the UK’s competitor countries, including the USA and Australia, as a result.
“In the face of these facts, which support a conservative estimate of loss to the UK of £600 million minimum, the UK Border Agency’s argument that the impact on the sector would be ‘limited’ cannot be sustained,” said Tony Millns, Chief Executive of language teaching association English UK, which surveyed its members and their agents to support its campaign for an urgent revision of the rules.
He added: “The loss to UK foreign earnings comes at a time when we need export growth to lift the country out of recession.”
Since March 3, when the new rules were introduced after a review of the Tier 4 visa system, students of English who want to take courses of longer than six months have had to prove that they have already reached level B1, which experts say is the equivalent of a top-grade GCSE.
Border Agency officials argue that beginners could reach B1 on a six-month student visitor visa which is unaffected by the new restrictions, but English language schools say many would find this impossible.
The agent survey shows just 40 per cent of students who had wanted to learn English in the UK are choosing this option. Although this is better than nothing, these students are taking shorter courses than they might otherwise have done, reducing their spend in the UK. They may also be less likely to continue studying here, particularly if they cannot reach B1 in six months.
English UK surveyed just under 10 per cent of its member centres in early June, asking how many students they had been forced to turn away since March.
Centres reported an average loss of 35 students who were not at level B1 but could previously have been enrolled on lower-level courses which were long enough to get them to their desired level of English. A very small proportion had chosen to come on a six-month visa, but the vast majority had applied to other countries. The average financial loss to each centre was around £125,000 for those weeks alone: over a year it would be half a million pounds.
“Over a year, this would mean a loss to the total English UK membership of at least £220m in tuition fees. The loss to the English language sector as a whole would be around £300m, with the loss to UK foreign earnings at least double that, as students spend several hundred pounds a week on accommodation, food, travel, books and general social spending ,” said Mr Millns.
He emphasises that these figures were an underestimate and the true loss to the economy would be much higher. This was because the survey was done at a quieter time of the year for language centres and because there was no way of quantifying how many potential students had been put off from even enquiring about courses at a UK language centre by the B1 minimum.
Mr Millns added: “Some of these students would have intended to continue studying in the UK, usually with another course at degree level, and that further income, roughly £20,000 a year per student, has almost certainly been lost to us as well.”
English UK’s survey of 200 leading study travel agents in 31 countries, also conducted in early June, strongly suggests the new rules have had a huge impact on numbers of genuine students choosing to study English in the UK as well.
Of the agents who completed the survey, 40 per cent said their clients had chosen a shorter UK course on a six month student visitor visa. The remaining 60 per cent had chosen courses in other countries after learning of the new rules, with the leading choices now the USA, Canada and Australia.
“Some of them even cancelled the booking and went to the USA instead,” said one Japanese agent, whilst a Turkish agency commented: “Most of our students have decided not to go to the UK. They think that the UK Government does not want Turkish students anymore.”
Mr Millns said international language organisations were seeing the same trends. One group’s English language centres in the UK are down by US $2m so far this year, with referrals to USA courses up 50 per cent.
And the number of CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance of Study) being issued by language centres as part of the visa process also strongly suggests the UK is losing business.
Mr Millns said 6,400 were issued during the first ten weeks of the new rules, equating to an annual rate of around 35,000. “This is extremely low given that in a typical year, between 500,000 and 600,000 people come to the UK to learn English, and it would support the argument that visa national students are going to countries other than the UK to learn English.”
Notes to Editors
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| English UK celebrates 50th anniversary / 17 May 2010 |
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Free legal advice, information about new regulations and a glittering 50th anniversary dinner were among the highlights of this year’s English UK AGM and conference.
And a new MP made a special visit to promise members he would be supporting the industry in Parliament and had already started to arrange an adjournment debate.
English UK Chief Executive Tony Millns told members that despite the difficulties of the last year, early figures showed English UK members had performed up around 2.5 percent on 2008, which had been a very good year.
"It shows the resilience of the UK and the sector: that we’re still an aspirational destination seen as a place for serious study, with a reputation for quality teaching," he said, adding that he expected 2010 to be no less challenging than 2009.
He promised members that the association would continue with its judicial review of the way new regulations were introduced after the Tier 4 Review, and that he would be asking for early meetings with the new immigration ministers and their shadow counterparts, and urged them to write to their own new Members of Parliament.
One new MP, Conor Burns, attended the second morning of the conference. Representing Bournemouth West, he is fully aware of the problems being caused to members by the Tier 4 Review, and told delegates: "I will do anything I can to take your cause direct to ministers. I have also raised this with the Speaker, John Bercow."
Mr Millns said the UK’s language sector was being helped by several factors, including the weak pound and concerns about racist attacks in Australia. And English UK itself played a significant role, he said: "I think we see the value we thought we would have from creating English UK in 2004, a single well-resourced association with over 440 members now."
Almost a hundred members celebrated the history of the association with a special dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the formation of ARELS (the Association of Recognised English Language Services), one of the two language centre associations that merged to form English UK.
Guest of honour at the dinner at Le Meridien in Piccadilly was John Eckersley, now 82, who was one of the founder members of ARELS. He said: "We didn’t envisage ARELS becoming anything more than an association of private language schools, and wouldn’t have foreseen this. It is good now the whole industry has been brought together in one association."
Also present at the dinner was Nicole de Lalouviere, the former chair of state sector language association BASELT, who had the original idea for English UK during a trip in China with then ARELS Chief Executive Tony Millns. She recalled: "We were cognisant there would be almost insurmountable hurdles and it could have gone either way… but it didn’t make sense to operate independently.
"There were all these problems, and people saying it wasn’t going to happen – and I’ve come here tonight and found this jolly organisation with people asking each other if they are state or private and where they work."
Sessions at the AGM, held at Le Meridien in London’s Piccadilly, included a presentation by Penningtons Solicitors LLP on progress of the judicial review and a practical explanation of how language centres can work to avoid Tier 4-related problems.
Delegates also heard sessions about the new Vetting and Barring Scheme and VAT rules, learned about English UK’s new Partner Agency Scheme from Deputy Chief Executive Annie Wright, and found out more about how the new language tests may work.
Members also heard about progress on an English UK-led project to investigate establishing a web-based professional development "one stop shop" for English language teaching, which would include a quality framework and a new professional association. Mark Rendell, Deputy Chief Executive of English UK, said a steering committee of industry stakeholders had now been chosen and news on a funding application was expected shortly.
There were also presentations from David Graddol about the future of education in India, and from Aidan Manktelowis of the Economist Intelligence Unit on the global economic outlook.
For delegate John Corcoran, Chairman of St Andrew’s College Summer Schools, it was his first time at the AGM and conference. He said: "It was particularly important for new organisations to be aware of what’s going to be happening. It’s my first time here and I am really pleased with it. It was worth it for the Penningtons presentation alone."
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| The Dubrovnik Fair / 31 March 2010 |
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The Dubrovnik Fair Working for Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe took place at the Radisson Blu Resort and Spa, Dubrovnik Sun Gardens, between Tuesday 9 and Friday 12 March 2010. The workshop was organised by the English Language Promotions Group (ELPG) which comprises the British Council, English UK, UK Trade & Investment and VisitBritain. The fair brought together 31 English UK member centres and 43 study abroad agents from Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Turkey, Ukraine, Latvia, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Albania, Romania and the Czech Republic. It was was the fifth workshop to be jointly organised by the ELPG.
The programme of social events, seminars, and one-to-one appointments in the beautiful coastal setting just outside Dubrovnik gave educators and agents the opportunity to really get to know each other and develop long-lasting productive partnerships.
David Blunt, HM Ambassador to Croatia, and Les Dangerfield, Director of the British Council in Croatia, both spoke before the farewell dinner, which was held in the impressive surroundings of the Rupe Museum, in the historic Old Town of Dubrovnik.
Educators praised the overall organisation and concept of the fair - 'very well organised as always and plenty of opportunities to make contact with agents and other education providers'. One delegate remarked, 'such fairs are an excellent opportunity to build quality business connections', and 'everything was … well-coordinated and very professional'.
Agents were also very positive about the Dubrovnik Fair - 'It was much smaller than other fairs I have attended, but the atmosphere was much friendlier. It had a ‘personal touch’ and provided excellent opportunities for a personal contact with the education providers…The extraordinary venue and location…added value to the event'.
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| New student visa rules - English UK response / 10 February 2010 |
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The new rules on student visas announced by Home Secretary Alan Johnson this morning (10 February) will potentially hit the UK English language sector hard. The UK is the global market leader in English language courses, which bring in around £1.5 billion in foreign earnings a year.
The main impact would be to eliminate students from countries such as Korea, Kazakhstan and Colombia coming to the UK to study English. These are often long-stay students who start at lower levels (typically elementary) and work up to the level required for university entry over 32-40 weeks.
The Government proposes to raise the minimum course level for such students to B2 on the European Framework, which corresponds to A level on the Government’s own Languages Ladder and ‘advanced’ on most other language competence scales. This is well above the ‘just below GCSE level’ which the Government was claiming earlier this week.
To enter at lower levels such students will either have to be sponsored by their government (and most governments do not sponsor such students) or on pre-sessional courses leading to a degree (and most decide on their university course after studying in the UK, visiting various universities, and being interviewed by them).
The Home Office and UK Border Agency have never published any evidence to show that significant numbers of such students work illegally, overstay their visas or are engaged in any other unlawful activity in the UK. The great majority are diligent students who want to improve their career prospects by gaining a high-quality UK education and gaining qualifications which are internationally valued.
The Home Office has pointed to recent problems with large increases in applications from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal as evidence, but almost none of these are for English language courses at our accredited member centres.
English UK therefore urges the Home Office and UK Border Agency to:
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| The São Paulo Fair Working for the Americas / 29 October 2009 |
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The São Paulo Fair was held at the Sofitel Jequitimar Guarujá from Tuesday 20 to Friday 23 October 2009 and brought together 32 English UK member centres and 39 study abroad agents and educational consultants from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela. The workshop was organised by the English Language Promotions Group (ELPG), which comprises the British Council, English UK, UK Trade & Investment and VisitBritain.
The Fair was the fourth workshop to be jointly organised by the ELPG. The success and popularity of these fairs is based on their unique small size and friendly atmosphere.
The programme of social events and one-to-one appointments in the relaxed beach resort setting of Guarujá gave educators and agents the opportunity to really get to know each other and develop long-lasting productive partnerships. Martin Raven, HM Consul-General São Paulo and Geoff Smith, Director of the British Council São Paulo, joined delegates for the welcome reception and seminar programme, and Marina Zelenoy, Entry Clearance Officer, British Consulate-General, Rio de Janeiro, led a very useful session on the points-based visa system for students.
Educators praised the overall organisation and concept of the Fair – ‘the English UK events are excellent and extremely good value for money. The whole team is very efficient, the venues are perfect and in particular the Sofitel in Guaruja was pure luxury'. One delegate commented, ‘the programme gave us the opportunity for networking, which is a vital factor for our business. The organisation was fantastic from the beginning…nothing was missed'. Agents commended the hospitality and the high quality of the accredited UK English language centres in attendance – ‘this well-organised event in a paradise destination provided the opportunity to meet enthusiastic and friendly UK schools. I enjoyed it very much and came back home full of information and deeply motivated to go on working’.
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| Chief Executive celebrates tenth anniversary / 21 October 2009 |
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Ten very eventful years were celebrated by English UK at a special event last week.
The reception and dinner was officially held to mark the decade in which Tony Millns has been chief executive of the organisation. But much of the evening’s conversations were about how the organisation has been completely transformed during that time.
When Mr Millns took the job, it was as chief executive of ARELS, an organisation representing private language schools only.
Since then he has initiated and overseen a merger with BASELT, which represented state sector institutions, and encouraged the new organisation to grow. As of this week, it has 435 members, of which 338 are private and 97 state sector. At the time of the 2004 merger there were 320.
“Creating an organisation to represent the whole industry was the obvious thing to do, and we can see how well that’s working today. But it has taken a lot of hard work by the English UK staff, board members and our chairs,” said Mr Millns.
There had, he added, been pressing financial and organisational reasons to bring the two organisations together – quite apart from the benefits of creating a unified lobbying body.
Past chairs recalled the changes during a dinner held at the Oxford and Cambridge Club in London after a reception for board members and close associates.
Sue Bromby, former co-chair of English UK, said the initial idea of merging the two organisations had come when Arels’s Tony Millns and Baselt’s Nicole de Lalouviere, found themselves on a trip together in Beijing.
“She rushed back and told us about it. She was excited about the name, and we could all see the sense of an organisation which could unite us to campaign,” she said.
Sue Edwards, current chair, thanked Mr Millns for his dedicated work over the years. She talked about the changes brought about by English UK and described the difference it has made to be able to lobby the Government as a unified organisation.
One result of this had been to ensure officials and ministers understood the impact their early points-based visa proposals would have had on the industry and were persuaded to modify the system to something much more acceptable.
Meanwhile, Timothy Blake, former Arels chair, recalled the interview panel which had seen the candidates for the chief executive’s job. “I said, before we start the discussions let’s have everyone write their preferred name on a bit of paper and pass it up to me,” he said. “Every single one of them said Tony Millns. That cut the discussion short.”
* Former chairs who attended the dinner included Timothy Blake of the London School of English (former chair, ARELS); Richard Day of English in Chester (former chair, ARELS), Charles Harrison, the English Language Centre Brighton and Hove (former chair, ARELS) Sue Bromby of the University of Salford and Mike Wills, then of the Salisbury School of English (joint chairs, English UK) Sue Edwards, of Kaplan Aspect, Bournemouth, current chair of English UK; Sarah Schechter, Anglia Ruskin University and current vice-chair of English UK.
Board members included Jane Dancaster of Wimbledon School of English, Judy Loren of Excel English, Caroline Hugo of St Edmund’s College, Stuart Higgins of Saint Michael’s College; Graham Simpson of the Oxford English Centre, Michael Cornes of Study Group and Kate Cadwgan-Evans of Warwickshire College.
Also present were Annie Wright and Mark Rendell, deputy chief executives of English UK.
Guests at the reception included David Lepper MP, chair of the all-party Commons group on English language teaching; Jeremy Oppenheim, Charlotte Taylor and Mark Walmsley of UKBA; Michael Carrier of the British Council; Dominic Scott, Chief Executive of UKCISA; Mike Milanovic, Chief Executive of Cambridge ESOL; Huan Japes and Jenny Pugsley of Trinity College London; Sue Hindley, chair of Study UK and Elizabeth McLaren of Accreditation UK.
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| Official ministerial visit to Kazakhstan / 21 October 2009 |
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English UK has recently improved its links in Kazakhstan after joining an official ministerial visit to the country.
The visit was organised by the office of David Lammy, minister for higher education, and included meetings and round table discussions with Kazakh officials and principals of colleges and universities.
Tony Millns, Chief Executive of English UK, was invited to represent the English language sector in the delegation. He said: “It’s a very interesting area at the moment and it looks as though there could be a lot of potential here for our members.”
Discussions centred on educational partnerships between the two nations. Kazakhstan, once part of the USSR, is rich in oil and minerals and is currently working hard to reform its technical and vocational education system to create a more skilled workforce.
A round table event organised by the British council in the Kazakh capital of Astana focused on the role of partnerships and ways of ensuring effective joint working.
The United Kingdom was represented by the Association of Colleges of Great Britain, TVET UK and English UK.
Kazakhstan’s representatives were from the Technical and Vocational Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Science, Human Resource Development Center and KazMunaiGas National Company.
English UK’s sister organisation, TVET UK, has recently brokered a multi-million pound deal for six British colleges to provide training in Kazakhstan.
Engineering, ICT, teacher training and construction are among the courses which will help transform the economy of the oil-rich Central Asian state.
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| StudyWorld London 2009 celebrates 40 years / 17 September 2009 |
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The world’s oldest international student recruitment event celebrated its 40th anniversary last week.
Professionals from more than sixty countries attended this year’s StudyWorld, which brings together study travel agents and education providers to form new business partnerships.
Two hundred and twenty-six educators and 418 individual agents spent two days in one-to-one meetings during the event at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel – despite the world economic downturn.
Annie Wright, deputy chief executive (business services) of English UK which organises StudyWorld, said she was delighted with the success of this year’s event.
“There has been a real buzz about the halls this year and more than 90 per cent of the educators’ appointment slots were filled. We’ve had very good feedback from educators and agents alike. It looks like a lot of business has been done here.”
Lee Knapp, development manager of StudyWorld London 2009 sponsor Cambridge ESOL, agreed. He added: “There are a lot of serious people here who want to do business. You don’t get time wasters.”
To mark the 40th anniversary of the event, English UK chief executive Tony Millns presented gifts to several agents and educators which had worked together for several decades. “We are partners in quality, working together to bring the best possible experience to students, because that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
Other events at StudyWorld London included the launch by Cambridge ESOL of its new Placement Test which can speedily and accurately assess a student’s English level, and also the English UK branded student phonecard.
The £5 phonecard, produced in partnership with GSM International, can be sold by English UK member centres and will be particularly useful for students on short courses.
Other highlights of StudyWorld London 2009 included a talk by Barbara Woodward, International Director of the UK Border Agency on the new visa regulations, and seminars on subjects including marketing language schools during a recession, doing business in the Far East, and how British colleges can offer tailored vocational courses to meet the needs of other countries.
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| Home Affairs Committee Report on Bogus Colleges / 21 July 2009 |
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Download this press release as a PDF document More needs to be done to prevent bogus colleges from continuing to operate, and to deport former students who used them to enter the UK illegally, according to a new report by a Parliamentary committee.
The Home Affairs Committee’s list of recommendations includes a requirement that all private English colleges and language schools should be compulsorily regulated, and that the use of the word “college” should be restricted by the Government to fully accredited institutions.
The Committee is also concerned that the UK Border Agency warns up to 85 per cent of the schools it inspects that it is about to do so. “This is unacceptable and does not give us any confidence in the rigour of the inspection regime in combating bogus colleges,” says the report.
The recommendations were welcomed by English UK, whose chief executive Tony Millns gave extensive evidence to the committee. He said: “We support all the suggestions which would make it difficult for bogus colleges to operate. No organisation should be able to trade as an educational institution unless it has some quality assurance from independent accreditation.”
While it found no evidence of a link between bogus colleges and terrorist activity, the committee was concerned about the “tens of thousands” of illegal immigrants who might already have entered the UK on fraudulent student visas.#
“Firm enforcement action must be taken against any individual whose student visa has expired to ensure that they leave the country, as well as against those who have set up bogus colleges to perpetrate visa fraud. We have received no evidence that the Home Office has made adequate preparations to deal with this issue,” said the report.
Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: "Bogus colleges may have allowed tens of thousands of foreign nationals to enter the country illegally: the Government has been aware of their existence for ten years and done nothing to stop them. This is totally
"The Government must restrict the term 'college' to prevent any premises above a fish and chip shop from being able to claim it is a reputed educational institution. The term 'college' should only be given to accredited institutions."
The Committee welcomed the new points-based system for student visas but warned that it would continue to monitor sponsorship arrangements as it “remained cautious” about the Border Agency’s ability to deal with the issue. It wanted the Department of Business, Enterprise and Skills to make better use of information supplied by existing legitimate networks about potentially bogus institutions, and promised to look again at this recommendation once Tier 4 is fully recommended.
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| Home Affairs Select Committee attended by Tony Millns / 3 June 2009 |
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Bogus colleges damage the UK’s international reputation, MPs warned
Tony Millns, Chief Executive of English UK, has given evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on the issue of bogus colleges.
In a wide-ranging discussion, he told MPs that it was a "national scandal" that private education institutions could be set up with no regulation.
"It has been for many years a national scandal that anyone, whether a fit and proper person or not, can hire two rooms above a fish and chip shop and call themselves a college. It is almost unbelievable given that the world believes that UK education is high quality," he said, adding that at the very least accredition by a recognised body should be necessary.
He and Nick Lewis from the Association of Colleges told the committee that the new system whereby only accredited schools can sponsor visa students visiting the UK had closed many of the loopholes. But there was a serious need to protect the international reputation of the country's education.
"It strikes me extremely strange that the department of education have never made a move to in any way licence, accredit or quality assure private sector education establishments. I'd go as far as to say it was a national scandal," said Mr Millns. He said that English UK archives showed that there was a register run by the Department of Education and Science until 1982 when it was abandoned as part of the "Thatcher cuts."
"So we had as the sector to pick that up with the British Council. We set up a new accreditation system but that was voluntary. A mandatory system for registration has not existed since 1982."
He told MPs that English UK had been campaigning for a decade on the issue of bogus colleges. He said the organisation had a database of non-accredited English language centres in the private sector, of which 450 were not "necessarily bogus but, how should I put it, would repay further investigation... you get the impression a lot of them are probably substandard at the very least."
It was not just English language centres which were bringing in overseas students, but also private tertiary colleges, often advertising courses in IT or business studies. Tens of thousands of students might have entered the UK via such colleges, and he suggested there were "a couple of thousand" institutions which should be looked at.
Asked if he thought potential terrorists might have been among their students, Mr Millns said he thought it was perfectly possible but was not anywhere near as prevalent as the bogus students who were actually economic migrants and entered the UK to work illegally.
The other problem was that some of the bogus colleges were actually ripping off students who were genuinely seeking education.
"The international UK reputation for quality in education is a key selling point. Colleges which are bogus or simply poor quality... damage that reputation for quality so all legitimate institutions suffer.
"And this is a major economic benefit for the UK. International students bring in about £8bn a year to the UK. They are growing: we've just looked at our first quarter statistics for our core group and it is 14.6 per cent up on the first quarter of 2008.
"Show me another industry sector growing at 14.6 per cent year on year. This is a very significant business for the UK and it is also very important for our perception in the world because... people go back to their countries and become ministers, VCs, and opinion leaders. It is tremendously important for the UK's public diplomacy. Anything which damages it is very bad news for the UK."
The committee is now considering calling on the Department for Children, Schools and Families to give evidence on whether it believes there should be educational regulation of private colleges.
The select committee session was widely reported, including by the BBC, the Guardian, the Telegraph and the Daily Mail.
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| Earthquake victims helped by English UK member centres / 14 May 2009 |
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More than 50 young victims of last month's devastating Italian earthquake will be able to learn English for free in Britain this summer, thanks to the generosity of English UK members.
Language schools have offered 63 free student places after an appeal from the Italian embassy in London, which says it is overwhelmed by the response.
Giuseppe Berlendi, Counsellor at the Embassy, says: "British people have been showing great generosity and solidarity towards Italy.
"I am really struggling to find the words... I am really confused by this generosity."
He said the Italian ambassador wanted to thank all the schools, and would also be writing to the British Council with the names of those who had offered courses. "We want to tell them that we asked English school in Britain and got so many offers we could not accept any others.
"We want to recognise their generosity - it's always rare and must be encouraged."
Almost 300 people died as a result of the earthquake, which struck the central Italian region of Abruzzo on April 6. It registered 6.3 on the Richter scale and left tens of thousands of people homeless. Many are still living in tents.
Mr Berlendi did not know how many young people would decide to take up the offer of free tuition and lodging. "The girls and boys are at present in tents so maybe they won't want to leave their families... I don't know whether there will be more than 50 candidates," he said.
Although eight of the participating schools have also offered free accommodation, the Embassy has asked Italian families living in the UK to take in students from the Abruzzo region so that they can attend the English courses.
So far, 35 families have agreed to host a student and Mr Berlendi believes that it will be possible to take up around 55 of the free places on offer. Details of the schools and the families offering places have been sent to the authorities in the earthquake zone to make the arrangements.
Tony Millns, Chief Executive of English UK, said: "At this challenging time, it is tremendously encouraging to see how positively English UK members have responded to the appeal to give help to the areas of Italy affected by the recent earthquake.
"We hope that the Italian students who come to the UK have a fantastic experience here and help to build stronger ties for the future between Italy and the UK."
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| English UK hits 400 member mark / 2 March 2009 |
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English UK today announced that it has achieved its 2009 target of exceeding 400 members, with membership today standing at 402.
The 400th member, recruited last week, is English for Everyone, a language centre based in Aberdeen which becomes the northernmost member centre.
Tony Millns, chief executive of English UK, said: "English UK was already the world's leading language teaching association by number of member centres, and is accepted by UK government departments as the representative body for the accredited English language teaching sector in the UK. The recent growth in membership consolidates that position. And gaining a member in Aberdeen means that we really can say that we cover the UK from Aberdeen to Zennor."
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| New website for world's leading language teaching association / 19 January 2009 |
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An upgraded course search function, a comprehensive members' area and expanded student pages in eleven languages are among the innovations on English UK's new website, launched this week.
Not only will the site provide improved services for English UK's 390 accredited members, but it will better promote British language schools to potential students and language travel agents all over the world.
And the launch comes at a time when the UK's English language schools appear to be bucking the economic downturn by overwhelmingly reporting good or improved bookings for the first quarter of 2009, after a dramatic upturn in business last year. The sector expects to benefit further from the falling value of the pound, which will make it particularly good value to learn English here.
"It is perfect timing," said Tony Millns, Chief Executive of English UK. "The new site does a far better job on showcasing the quality and variety of English courses available in the UK at a time when exchange rates have made us far more affordable as a study destination. Coming here to learn is now unbeatable value for money."
"The new website also comes as we're preparing for the Government's launch of the new points-based visa system for students in March 2009. Only language centres accredited by an approved accrediting body such as Accreditation UK can apply to be on the Register of Sponsors. And only organisations on the Register can issue a 'confirmation of acceptance for studies', a unique reference number which students must have to apply for a full student visa. So non-accredited centres will no longer be able to enrol student who need visas next year. This is good news for the accredited English language sector, which brings more than 350,000 students to the UK each year to learn English. The low-quality and sometimes frankly bogus non-accredited colleges damage the reputation of the UK for providing a quality education, and that reputation is our key selling point abroad."
The members' area has been expanded and updated, and includes marketing news and information on forthcoming events. It is also much more user-friendly, bringing together everything centres could need to make the most out of their membership. The training area covers full details of English UK's affordable and quality-driven Continuous Professional Development programme for the ELT industry, including qualifications, conferences and training days.
Prospective students and language travel agents will find it much easier to find the perfect course, thanks to the site's upgraded search function. They will also get a more rounded and colourful picture of life and studying in the UK.
Entirely new features in the student area of the site include interviews with past and current students, a frequently updated roundup of British news, and lots of information on culture, things to do, and profiles of unusual courses.
This area of the site will be available in English and ten additional languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Portuguese.
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| Language centres buck the economic trend, survey finds / 19 December 2008 |
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English language centres in the UK are overwhelmingly positive about business prospects for early 2009, despite the economic downturn.
Ninety per cent expect business to remain good or improve during the first quarter of next year, and even among centres reporting lower bookings a significant minority remain optimistic.
Most UK language centres experienced a dramatic upturn in business during 2008, and the sector expects to benefit further from the falling value of the pound which will make it particularly good value to learn English here.
"Exchange rates have made the UK much more affordable as a study destination. Combined with our reputation for quality in education, this now makes the learning English in the UK unbeatable value for money," said Tony Millns, Chief Executive of language teaching association English UK.
The survey covered 101 of English UK's 390 member centres during early December 2008. Over half a million language students come here annually, contributing £1.5bn to the British economy, and the sector has grown by 30 per cent in the past three years.
Half of the centres surveyed said bookings for early 2009 were good, and comparable to the past two years. Almost 40 per cent expected bookings to increase, and of those a quarter anticipated significant improvements. Centres anticipating the biggest rises in business were more likely to be outside London, in locations including the South-West and Scotland.
One south coast centre, which did not want to be named, says bookings are up by 25 per cent, whilst one London language centre is moving to new premises in order to capitalise on new business.
"We're hesitant about being positive because of the extreme situation around us, and we have kept on thinking it might be about to crumble - but it hasn't yet," says Peter Tamkin, acting principal of The English Language Centre in Brighton.
Business has improved significantly during the past two years for his school and he expects this trend to continue into 2009. "It all seems a bit unreal," he says. "All you see in the media, everyone suffering and saying it's going to get worse. And we're coming away from work every day with things going really well. We're quietly confident."
Centres believe the profile of their students may change dramatically as a result of the worldwide recession. Korean students for example may be badly affected by the falling value of their currency. However, more European students are expected to fill the gap as the pound's near-parity with the euro makes it much better value to learn English in the UK rather than in other English-speaking countries.
John Barnett, secretary of the English UK Eastern Region group and chairman of the Business English UK sub-group says: "The value of the pound is helping. It is a key advantage for new business, and the UK is well placed now compared with several international competitors.
"This is the thing to make use of. In the past we were much more expensive than the US, Canada, Australia. A Swiss agent could send someone to Australia for 12 weeks and that would still be cheaper than the UK but it is not like that any more."
While he said centres in his area had experienced an unusually good autumn and bookings looked good for next year, he expressed slight concerns about some specialist areas of the industry. "The corporate sector is a worry, and I know of three members offering business English in small groups whose bookings are down for the first quarter.
"The training budget is the first thing that's cut when companies are having difficulty. But the weak pound could help. A good 80 per cent of the business English sector is in Euroland so we must be benefiting there."
Siân Choma-Peters, director of Ceran UK in Warwickshire, has also noticed a slight drop in enrolments among senior business people for early 2009. "Some of the people who would normally come to us are trying to keep their business going and are needed. But people do tend to book later on these courses, and it might change by the time we get there."
However, other centres surveyed said business English courses were selling well with general courses down a little.
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