Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015
678. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will outline key improvements and quality assurances made within the English language teaching industry within the past year. [13950/15]
View answerIreland has a strong reputation for delivery of high-quality English language tuition. Many thousands of students from the EU and around the world come to Ireland for full-time or short-term programmes. The vast majority of providers of English language training in the State operate to a high standard and are motivated by the desire to enable learners to reach their potential. However, it is evident that a minority of providers do not operate to the same standards, with serious implications for students and the reputation of the wider international education sector.
For this reason, I announced robust regulatory reforms to the international education sector together with the Minister for Justice and Equality on 2nd September 2014. These reforms include specific measures to quality assure the English language teaching industry.
A key pillar of these reforms is a strengthened and more integrated inspection regime of providers of international education including English language colleges, which entails an enhanced inspection function for the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) and the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) which will be linked to Revenue, the Department of Social Protection and the National Employment Rights Authority. A number of reforms relating to the student work concession (under which non-EEA students have access to the labour market) were introduced on 1st January 2015.
A new quality assurance process to control entry by English language providers to the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) – the list of eligible programmes for immigration purposes – is being finalised by officials from my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality and will be submitted to Government shortly for approval.
Another key pillar of the regulatory reforms is the International Education Mark (IEM) and related Code of Practice. The IEM was proposed in Ireland's International Education Strategy 2010 – 2015 as a means of enhancing the quality and promotion of international education in Ireland. The IEM confirms that a provider has demonstrated their capacity and commitment to provide a high-quality educational experience to international students. The Code of Practice includes requirements relating to the protection of enrolled learners, treatment of fees and tax compliance, and will also address other 'non-academic' issues such as recruitment, marketing and accommodation. Providers of English language training will have to demonstrate compliance with the Code before being authorised to use the Mark.
The Mark will be used both as a driver of quality assurance within institutions, including English language colleges, and as a marketing tool to underpin the promotional activities of Enterprise Ireland in seeking to attract international learners to Ireland. In addition, the Mark will be used for immigration purposes. From 2016 it will become a requirement that providers wishing to recruit English language students from outside the EEA have authorisation to use the Mark. English language providers authorised to use the Mark will also be subject to ongoing monitoring and review.
