Dublin language school apologises for unpaid wages

A language school for international students has apologised to its staff for failing to pay their wages on time, citing “financial pressure” relating to the continuing turmoil in the private college sector.

English language teachers at Modern Educational Centre (MEC) on Dublin's Harcourt Street picketed the premises this morning, complaining they were owed up to €1,000 in some cases in unpaid wages.

They said they school’s problems stemmed from an inspection late last year when it failed to meet standards set under the Accreditation and Coordination of English Language Services (ACELS) process.

Concerns had been raised about large class sizes, and the charging of fees at an unsustainably low level. Some of the teachers said they were also owed wages from its sister college the National College of Business Administration on Hatch Street.

In a statement, MEC said: “It is regrettable that the teachers’ pay is two weeks in arrears. We apologise for this and assure the teachers that this will be rectified by next week.”

The school said it was currently under some financial pressure, which is rooted in what it called the “surprise announcement” last September to overhaul the regulatory regime for the English Language Teaching (ELT) sector.

This had followed heightened concerns about private colleges being used as "visa factories" for international students who are allowed to work for part of the year in Ireland if they are attending a recognised course. Some 13 private colleges have closed in the past year as part of the clampdown.

In its statement, MEC said the reforms announced last September were introduced “without general consultation with the language schools” and had “seriously damaged” the reputation of ELT in Ireland.

The college also highlighted the fact that two private colleges in Dublin had successfully challenged the legality of the new rules in the High Court last January.

The departments of education and justice, which have joint-responsibility for regulation in the sector, have delayed the roll-out of a number of planned reforms while they examine the impact of the court ruling.

MEC said it had been "in close discussions with ACELS over the past three months, looking for support from them to overcome these problems in the market." It said it was "committed to the provision of quality English language teaching" and "determined to remain open in order to maintain education for our students and jobs for our employees".

There was some sympathy among the teachers for the college’s position. Ciaran Gallagher, who was among those on the picket line, said: “ACELS are health-and-safety and Michelin star all rolled into one, and you either pass or fail which is not fair.”

He said the accrediting agency should work with colleges to overcome any failings rather than an “all or nothing” ruling. He noted that if a college was to lose its ACELS approval word would spread fast among the student populations and applications would drop off sharply.