Quality mark will regulate language schools

An educational quality mark to be in place by the end of the year should ensure below-standard colleges for international students can no longer stay in business, the Dáil has been told.

As the fallout continues for thousands of foreign students affected by the closures of five colleges since mid-April, a task force set up by the departments of education and justice is due to deliver an interim report today. It should tell Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald the numbers involved and progress on finding them places at other colleges on English language or other courses like those in which they were participating.

Mr Quinn has previously warned that there could be other colleges in danger of closing, in addition to Kavanagh College, Eden College, Irish Business School, Millennium College in Dublin, and Allied Irish College in Cork, which was the latest to close last week.