Dublin English language college closure leaves 235 to find new school

Up to 200 current and 35 prospective students are facing the prospect of finding an alternate school, and the potential loss of their course fees, after yet another English language college confirmed it would not re-open after the Easter break.

The Carlyle Institute on Dublin’s Grafton St posted a message online saying it “regretted to announce that due to adverse trading conditions we will be closing with immediate effect”.

“It was a privilege to work with so many talented staff and students and it’s our sincerest hope that everybody can be accommodated in this process,” it said in the announcement.

Current students had been informed by text on Thursday evening that the school was closing.

The Carlyle Institute is the 13th such school to close in the last 12 months.

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It said it was working with the Irish Council of International Students (ICOS) to support all affected students. ICOS is an independent organisation that has been supporting students hit by the closure of a number of private colleges.

ICOS said while there was a lot that was “familiar” about the latest closure, it did praise the institute for trying to stop the 35 students who had not yet set foot in the college but had paid fees from losing all their money.

Dave Moore of ICOS said it had spoken to the institute on Thursday and had been told those people’s money had been put into a special account rather than being merged into the school’s normal cashflow.

However, he pointed out that as the institute was going into liquidation, that money would go into a general “pot” which would be used to pay creditors.

“Carlyle made efforts to put the money aside but it still does not protect the students in this case.”

Mr Moore said in such situations monies should be put into escrow so that they would not be lost in the event of a closure.

In relation to the 35 people who had bought courses in advance but had not started with the college, ICOS said that many would be outside Ireland, adding: “It is important that anyone in this situation is in contact with us to receive appropriate information.”

Mr Moore said students in closed schools were seeing their €1,500 average course fees “going up in smoke”.

At least one student is understood to have paid as recently as last week.

ICOS confirmed that it will hold an information and advice meeting for Carlyle Institute students at 2pm on Tuesday at the Teachers’ Club, 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1.

Details will be confirmed at: collegeclosures.icosirl.ie. ICOS can be contacted at [e-mail]. A liquidator meeting will be held in the Maldron Hotel, Cardiff Lane, at 10am on April 24.

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