In one week in September, two major English language schools closed abruptly. EC English Language Centres ceased trading, affecting around 1,500 students in seven destinations, and ILAC filed for bankruptcy, affecting nearly 1,400 students in Canada. The closures are part of a wider pattern across Canada, the UK, Ireland and elsewhere, at a time when global ELT student numbers fell 10% in 2025. They have also raised difficult questions about trust and student protection. Yet the response showed the strength of the ELT community: associations, schools, agents and accommodation providers put competition aside to help affected students. In this episode, Craig Riggs is joined by Gonzalo Peralta (Languages Canada), Alexandre Argenta (BELTA) and Stephan Roussounis (Bayswater Education). They discuss: - the market pressures behind the closures, and the strategies helping some schools succeed - what the sector’s response got right and where it fell short for students, agents and partners - gaps in student protection across destinations - new ideas for rebuilding trust, from escrow to sector levies, and whether the answers lie with industry, government or both
Main topic:
Beyond the brochure: What employability really looks like for students
with
Craig Riggs (host)
Editor in Chief
ICEF Monitor
Alexandre Argenta
President
Brazilian Educational & Language Travel Association (BELTA)
Gonzalo Peralta
Executive Director
Languages Canada
Stephan Roussounis
CEO & Co-Founder
Bayswater Education