Another English language school facing closure

Another English language college in Dublin could be facing closure after it informed students via a notice on its door it would not open for the next two weeks due to a "weak financial position".

Leinster College on Harcourt St in Dublin is mainly attended by foreign students and runs business management, English language, IT, healthcare, and travel and tourism courses. It has prompted Siptu to call an emergency meeting of the staff of language schools for 11am today at Liberty Hall.

At 11am tomorrow, students, teachers, and staff will hold a protest on Harcourt St over the closure.

Siptu education Sector organiser Louise O’Reilly said she was “concerned that a pattern was emerging in the language school sector of institutions closing with both staff and students being left owed monies”.

Dave Moore, programme and communications officer for the Irish Council for International Students, said Leinster College had been “aggressively recruiting” students and that there was “not an insubstantial number” of clients at the facility.

“We are also seeing students who wound up here having seen a previous college close on them,” said Mr Moore.

A string of colleges catering to foreign students have closed in Dublin this year, and just last month, the Government announced major reforms. These are based on new rules that come into force from January 1.

They include the introduction of a more restrictive list of education programmes eligible for student immigration purposes.