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Fingers crossed in the UK
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Language schools in the UK are cautious in forecasting a great year in 2009, what with the world still in recession and teething troubles with the new visa system. But they all acknowledge that the weakened pound has led to buoyant business in a year when many might not have expected such results. Amy Baker reports.
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Anglo-Continental has fortunately not seen the slightest dip in our business,” says Guido Schilling at Anglo-Continental in Bournemouth, referring to the impact of the new T4 visa system that launched in March this year.
He seems to be the lucky one, as many other schools do report teething troubles with the new system, which ultimately promises to be a transparent process, albeit with financial expectations that become more burdensome as the course length increases (all students have to demonstrate funds of UK£600 US$919 per month or UK£800 (US$1,225) if studying in London).
Kevin McNally at Hampstead School of English in London reports that in spring, question marks still hung over procedure. He says, “Inevitably schools in the UK will lose some business and it feels like a missed opportunity as I believe the Australian system [which T4 is modelled on] was very well received from day one.” Jane Merrick at Discovery Summer, a summer camp provider, adds that agents are reporting confusion. “Entry clearance officers in different cities and countries are demanding different visa letters due to differing interpretation of requirements,” she says.
Lucy Greaves at Study Group backs up this claim. “Currently [in April] we are hearing of backlogs in consular offices and a lack of local information and clarity in procedures,” she recounts. “Renewal documentation going from 19 pages to 50+ pages is extraordinary and is illustrative of a system that has the potential to damage the UK as a destination for international students.”
The new visa system was launched at the same time as visa fees were increased by 46 per cent and, as Greaves observes, ID cards for foreign students were rolled out. Despite all this, most schools do remain optimistic that once agents and entry clearance officers (ECOs) have adjusted to T4, the system will be easier to navigate. Mark Jones at London Study Centre acknowledges that in the rollout, “The private fear of many industry participants is that the new rules may fail to be correctly implemented by ECOs.” However, he adds, “The bottom line is that the system is based on the Australian system and hopefully will make the process more straightforward.”
Luckily for the UK, a global recession and weakened value of the pound sterling has come at the same time as new visa rules for non-EU nationals, and this financial factor, as all schools testify, is definitely helping to bolster business. “The weakened pound is undoubtedly helping the UK and comparing the performances of our operating divisions across USA and Australia, the UK is outperforming both, with the US suffering from a relatively strong dollar,” reveals Greaves, somewhat emphatically proving that the UK is one of the winners of the recession-hit climate.
Language schools operating at the cheaper end of the spectrum certainly report brisk business, indicating that price sensitivity is a client trend, even with a weakened pound assuring relative value for money. Mairead Fanning at The English Studio in London says, “We have actually doubled our income for the first three months of the year - we are busier than ever - but the English Studio has seen some big changes with a whole new look.”
Schilling also commends the UK’s price advantage but sounds a note of warning: “We are gaining market share from other countries,” he says. “However, if UK sterling weakens to stupid levels, agents’ commission reduces in value in their own currency and this could be detrimental,” he concludes.
Nationality trends
Korea is noted by a few schools as a declining market at the moment, while Turkey, Brazil and Colombia are all highlighted as growth markets. Pippa Nash at Shane Global says of Turkish clients, “We have found that they are able to take advantage of promotions and discounts much quicker than other nationalities and convert a promotion into an enrolment.”
Other education providers point to Asia, Europe and the Middle East as productive student source countries, indicating that a wide range of nationalities are contributing to international student intake across language schools in the UK.
Lucy Greaves at Study Group points to Iran, Vietnam, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan as sources of growing enrolments. Jane Dancaster at Wimbledon School of English adds, “We have had 55 nationalities in school so far this year. Europe is strong and we are getting more European students outside of the peak summer season, which I am sure is because of the weak pound.” Dan Meager at Spinnaker College in Portsmouth also asserts that Europeans and Middle Eastern students are boosting demand.
Only Mark Jones at London Study Centre notes growth from Korea (biggest student market), along with Thailand and Turkey, and he underlines that this is because of strong agent links. “We have focused time and resources on these key markets, including being represented by our agents at student events in each,” he notes.
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