US-based language school skips Beijing
- Source: Global Times
- [02:10 October 26 2009]
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By Li Yanhui
A large US-based language training school suddenly closed its doors, leaving hundreds of domestic and foreign students in Beijing with an uncertain future regarding classes and tuition and some teachers with no way to obtain their delayed salaries.
On Thursday, students arrived at the classrooms of Real Life English's three branches only to find a notice on the locked doors, informing people the school is temporarily closed for lack of funding but giving no specific date for reopening.
Many suspect the closing to be permanent even though the institution, a Chinese branch of US-based World Link Education, has been in operation in Beijing for more than 10 years, according to its website.
The school has about 70 foreign students learning Chinese and hundreds of Chinese students seeking to improve their English. Some foreigners pay up to $18,000 a year for the language program.
"At this point I just want my money back," said Erica, 22, a college graduate from Canada. She came to China for a two-month language program and only received classes once.
"We received an email from the CEO on Sunday, and he blamed other people for the situation," Erica said. "He said he had a plan to resolve the situation and he'd tell us next week."
Li, Tingting, a Chinese teacher at the school said the company did not want to give her a contract despite her repeated requests, and it still owes her two months salary. According to Li, many foreign teachers have the same problem.
On Saturday, more than 60 students flocked to the company's Jianwai SOHO branch in Chaoyang district to meet a school representative surnamed Amanda.
"She (Amanda) claimed that she was commissioned by her Swedish boss Anderson Johnson to sell the school due to recent financial strain," Yuan Lina, a student representative told the Global Times. She urged students to work together to safeguard their rights.
Yuan said Amanda collected the class information and promised to deliver students' demands to the people in charge and that the remainder of classes be held by the new buyer after the deal is made.
The students have turned to the Chaoyang education authority, which said that it would conduct an investigation.
Li Qian contributed to this story
