Eastbourne MP leads Parliament debate on language schools

Caroline Ansell told MPs that the schools have seen a huge loss of income since coronavirus hit, with two of their key markets – Italy and China – now gone for the crucial summer months.

The industry is worth up to £1.6 billion to the UK and employs 34,000 people – 90 per cent of them currently furloughed.

She told the Adjournment Debate on Wednesday (July 1) that figures from trade body UK English have found around 30 per cent of UK English language testing centres will cease trading and the industry will be one of the last to rally.

Mrs Ansell said in the House of Commons, “The sector has all the challenges of the hospitality sector, but with no domestic markets to pivot toward — no staycations — and little room for diversifying, with online learning being no substitute for the experience of living the language in the country of its origin.

“Our international schools are local employers. They provide business for local transport and tourist venues, and pump-prime retail and food outlets.

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“Likewise, importantly, there is secondary income support for the several hundred host families for whom the time in the summer hosting students makes the difference.”

Mrs Ansell said the government’s support through furlough and bounce-back loans had been a great help, but she called on the government to do more.

She asked the international trade minister Graham Stuart to put forward the ‘pressing need’ to orchestrate a recovery plan to tailor bespoke support to the sector.

She also asked whether he would encourage all local councils to extend their support to include local language schools.

Mrs Ansell said, “Many ELT schools are excluded from the business rate relief scheme for retail hospitality and leisure businesses, despite providing educational holidays for more than half a million overseas visitors every year, who stay on average for two, three or four weeks.”

The Conservative MP asked if there was a possibility of extending the validity of the six and 11-month visas where course start dates have been postponed, to ensure that the UK’s ELT sector can welcome back those students who had already booked and paid for courses to begin as soon as travel restrictions allow.

In reply, the minister said, “I will, as best I can, seek to champion the sector.

“I can assure my honourable friend and other members across the house we are working closely with other departments to champion and spread understanding of the importance of the sector.

“This country is determined to be open to people from all over the world to come and be educated here.”

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