Academic Bridge school, Capel Street, Dublin 1
High Court has declared new Dept of Justice regulations for language schools illegal. Rules would have forced closure of many schools.
— Mark Tighe (@marktigheST) January 13, 2015
Big headache for Frances Fitzgerald. Huge uncertainty now for international students and schools.
— Mark Tighe (@marktigheST) January 13, 2015
Two English language schools in Dublin, Academic Bridge and the National Employee Development Training Centre, had taken proceedings against the Department of Justice in the High Court after the department introduced new accreditation requirements for English language courses. This new requirements followed the closure of a number of schools that were said to be operating as “visa-factories”.
From January 1, the new laws meant that only schools with courses approved by the State body Acels would be allowed to recruit non-EU students on visas that permitted students to work.
Previously: Direct Language
Teaching English The Irish Way
Related: #collegeclosures
Pic: Academic Bridge
Finally…4 months of uncertainty over. It was absurd knee-jerk reaction to the handful of schools that abused the system, and effectively sought to punish students, teachers and schools for the fact that FOUR government bodies hadn’t been doing their jobs for years, by inspecting the schools.
So glad this nonsensical approach to reforming the sector at lightning speed has finally been shown up as the absurdity it is.
Students on unregulated courses are still vulnerable. No protection for students refused visas to be refunded.