Severe impact on Scotland’s small private English language schools sector

The pandemic has had a severe impact on Scotland’s small private English language schools sector, with 7 out of 17 accredited year-round private language centres have been forced to close. This makes over forty per cent of Scotland’s year-round private language schools have closed down due to the pandemic compared to 12.5 per cent across the whole UK.

Research shows that the Scottish government’s decision to exclude language schools from the tax relief on non-domestic rates offered to the wider hospitality industry is one of the leading causes of closures, and more schools might be closing if the policy does not change.

The three Scots-owned summer school operations accredited by the British Council have far lower year-round overheads and are not yet under threat.

The same pattern is seen across the UK. Oxford, which has also not allowed rates relief to language schools, has forced four schools to close, while in Cambridge, only two schools closed as the city allowed the tax relief. The difference is that there are still more language schools in Oxford than in the whole of Scotland.

Edinburgh is the worst-hit city with five school closures, while a sixth school, Berlitz, has closed its physical premises and left the accreditation scheme to continue to teach online. The two schools in Glasgow are still operating; while in Aberdeen, the International House has gone out of business.  

Wales and Northern Ireland have not reported so far any closures of accredited language schools. The Republic of Ireland, an important English language learning destination, has seen only two of the 72 schools to close their doors.