English UK leads student protection review

English UK has launched a major review aimed at developing stronger protection for students whose accredited English language teaching providers close unexpectedly.

The review begins with an online consultation inviting providers, agents, students and other stakeholders to help establish what protection students should be able to expect. A representative task force will then assess how those protections could be delivered and recommend a preferred approach to our Board of Trustees.

> Complete the English UK student protection review online consultation

Please submit your response by 23:59 on Wednesday 11 November.

No final model has been chosen. The consultation will help establish the principles that should underpin stronger student protection before the task force assesses the most viable ways of delivering them.

"Extraordinary commitment to supporting students"

Jodie Gray, our chief executive, said:

"Recent closures have sent shockwaves across international education. They have brought uncertainty and distress for students and families and put considerable pressure on agents, education providers and partners.

"Our sector has shown extraordinary commitment in supporting students in immediate need. But goodwill alone is not a sustainable system of protection. We now need to bring the sector together and listen carefully to those affected. First, we need to agree what students should be able to expect when a provider closes. Then we need to find the fairest, most affordable and most reliable way of delivering that promise."

Our responsibility to lead

She added: "This cannot become an open-ended discussion. We will consult widely, test the options rigorously and move quickly towards a clear decision."

Recent large-scale closures, including EC and BSC, highlighted gaps in the current Student Emergency Support (SES) scheme. SES helps displaced students find places at other accredited centres, but does not protect prepaid accommodation or other elements of a student's package and relies on receiving schools providing replacement tuition without payment.

What will be considered?

The first stage of the review will focus on the protection students should be able to expect if an accredited provider closes. The consultation will test a small number of proposed principles, including protection for tuition that has been paid for but not delivered; protection before departure as well as after a course has started; protection regardless of whether a student books directly or through an agent; and an agreed level of protection for prepaid accommodation.

It will also seek views on whether other prepaid elements of a student's study package should be protected, such as provider-arranged transport, activities, examination fees or course materials, and whether providers accepting displaced students should be funded for the replacement tuition they deliver. The consultation will also test the principle that student protection should be compulsory for accredited providers.

The second stage will consider how the agreed protections can be delivered in a practical, affordable and financially sustainable way. The task force, supported by specialist technical advice, will consider potential approaches including insurance, funds or levies, escrow, guarantees, payment protection and hybrid models. Technical exploration will begin alongside the consultation so that the feasibility of different approaches can be understood as early as possible.

English UK will also explore the potential for common student protection principles across major study destinations, while recognising that the mechanisms used to deliver them may need to differ between countries.

Who will take part?

The task force will bring together providers, agents and student interests alongside expertise in accreditation, insurance, finance, law and consumer protection. Specialist input will be sought where necessary as different delivery options are assessed. Responses to the online consultation will be supported by targeted stakeholder engagement and the work of the representative task force, led by Jodie Gray.

Further details, including the consultation questionnaire and response arrangements, will be published as part of the English UK Student Protection Review.