English language schools providing students to 'do Ireland's dirty work', Dáil committee to hear

Ireland benefitting from a 'constant supply of educated, but vulnerable' workers, 'who are less likely to know how to protect their rights or know who to complain to when things go wrong'.

A lack of adequate regulation of English language colleges in Ireland has led to the sector effectively operating as “one big visa school”, an Oireachtas committee is set to hear.

The English Language Students' Union of Ireland (ELSU) will tell the education committee on Tuesday that the refusal of many colleges to refund foreign students’ fees during the covid-19 pandemic, and the fact no Government supports were provided for those students, exposed the sector as being more concerned with having those students working in the economy than in providing them with an education.