Page 10 - StudyTravel Magazine August 2018 Issue

NEwS StUdytrAvel mAgAZIne AUgUSt 2018

FURThER GROwTh FOR IRElAND’S ElT
SChOOlS IN 2017
Member schools of ELT association Marketing
English in Ireland (MEI) https://mei.ie experienced
an eight per cent rise in student numbers in 2017 to
129,290, partly driven by increases in non-EU junior
and adult students, according to data released by
the organisation.
In the annual report covering the 66 member
schools of the association (one more than last year),
MEI said that over the last fi ve years the sector
has grown by approximately 30,000 students. The
growth means that the industry is well on track to
reach a target of 132,500 English language students
by 2020, set by the government in its International Italy remained the largest source market by
Education Strategy. student numbers, but substantial growth came
The number of student weeks delivered at from Brazilian adult students: up by 52.5 per cent
MEI schools in 2017 increased by 19 per cent to to 15,717 in student numbers, and up by 60.5 per
772,684, on the back of a longer average stay cent in student weeks.
of six weeks, compared with 5.3 weeks in the There was also adult growth from Japan (35
previous year. per cent to 2,271 students), Argentina (59 per
David O’Grady (pictured), CEO of MEI, said, “The cent to 557) and China (51 per cent to 968). At
eight per cent growth in the ELT sector in Ireland in junior level, Russia, China and Argentina recorded
2017 is extremely welcome because it builds upon double-digit increases.
strong year-on-year growth in recent years.” In total, MEI schools welcomed students
The EU provided almost three quarters (74 per from 118 individual countries in 2017, an increase
cent) of all students at MEI schools in 2017, while compared with the previous year’s fi gure of 101.
19 per cent came from non-EU countries that don’t “The underlying focus for MEI in recent years
require a visa – such as Brazil, Korea and Japan – has been to grow the market for international
and the remainder travelled from non-EU countries students coming to Ireland to study English, beyond
that do require a visa, including China, Saudi Arabia the traditionally strong markets of Italy, Spain and
and Russia. France,” said David. Full report at:
bit.ly/2s7swVn
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