In a statement released today,\u00a0EC English CEO Andrew Mangion said English teaching and\u00a0the company\u2019s\u00a0trading would cease with immediate effect, as of September 14, with a skeleton staff\u00a0available tomorrow.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognise that this is extremely difficult and disappointing news for you and your students,\u201d Mangion wrote to partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understand the trust that you place in EC when recommending us to your students, and we are deeply sorry for the uncertainty and disruption that this decision will cause.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The company told agents it was \u201cgenuinely sorry for the difficult conversations\u201d they will now have to have with students and families with existing travel and accommodation arrangements. <\/p>\n
In a public statement today, EC English announced it was commencing formal insolvency following \u201cchallenging financial conditions and the failure to secure additional investment\u201d. It said it was with \u201cprofound sadness\u201d that the group had reached this point. <\/p>\n
The news follows last week\u2019s eleventh-hour\u00a0correspondence<\/a>\u00a0informing agents that EC English schools would be unable to accept students\u00a0due to enrol in courses this week.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The details of what support will be offered to\u00a0current students\u00a0enrolled\u00a0across EC locations in the\u00a0UK, Ireland, Canada, USA, UAE,\u00a0South Africa\u00a0and Malta where it was originally founded, remain unknown.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n But the company is\u00a0understood to be working with sector bodies \u201cto establish possible relocation options to alternative schools\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0has vowed\u00a0to share further information as soon as it is able.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In the UK, English UK has activated its Student Emergency Support (SES) scheme to help around 370 students currently enrolled at EC English\u2019s four UK schools in London, Cambridge, Brighton and Manchester find replacement courses at other member centres, at no extra cost.<\/p>\n Jodie Gray, chief executive of English UK, said the organisation\u2019s \u201cimmediate priority\u201d was supporting affected students and helping them continue their studies \u201cwith as little disruption as possible\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re grateful for the offers of support from English UK member centres across the country and for how our community is pulling together,\u201d said Gray. \u201cBy coordinating the response centrally, we ensure students are matched with suitable placements in a fair, orderly and effective way.\u201d<\/p>\n English UK said students currently studying at EC\u2019s UK schools would be contacted directly with information about replacement courses and next steps, with staff also available at all four centres on Tuesday September 15.<\/p>\n \u201cEC English has been open for 35 years, and to see such an important world player close doors is a sad day for everyone,\u201d Languages Canada executive director Gonzalo Peralta told The PIE News.<\/p>\n He said the 375 students currently enrolled in EC\u2019s Toronto and Vancouver schools would be placed by Languages Canada in alternative programs to complete their study, with priority given to students completing their courses in the next two weeks. <\/p>\n Over 25 Languages Canada member schools have already offered to receive displaced students, with other offers coming in, said Peralta. <\/p>\n At its peak in 2019, EC English welcomed up to 50,000 students annually through its adult and junior programs. <\/p>\n We recognise that this is extremely difficult and disappointing news for you and your students<\/p>\n EC English Language Centres<\/p>\n For students currently in EC accommodation, the company has said it will continue to provide accommodation and support for existing students until September 19\u00a0\u201cwhile arrangements are made for their onward travel or return home\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Mangion paid tribute to the \u201cthousands\u201d of employees who have contributed to building EC from a single school in Malta to an internationally recognised education organisation.<\/p>\n \u201cEC has been much more than a business to those of us who have built it and worked within it. It has been a community of extraordinary people united by a belief in the power of education to bring people and cultures together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur team worked incredibly hard to build and sustain this company,\u201d Mangion continued, recognising the \u201cenormous efforts\u201d of shareholders, employers, partners and advisers. <\/p>\n