Page 11 - StudyTravel Magazine April 2024 Issue

EDUCATOR Q&A AGENTS ON...

IRELAND
INDUSTRY SPEAKS TURKISH STUDENTS IN

Lou McLaughlin, Executive Director of Eaquals,
recaps on achievements including recognition Eren Goker,
in Turkey and the eighth consecutive year of GKR Educational
the Eaquals Member Event Fund. Counselling, www.
gkredu.com, Turkey

“MEI and our partner schools have
invested a lot of time and money
to create a brand name in Turkey.
Unfortunately, over the last six
months, fewer students have been
enquiring about studying English in
Ireland, and some of our members
have stopped taking registrations
info@eaquals.org after the visa denials since 2022. If
www.eaquals.org this situation does not improve, the
number of students will decrease
Number of members: 156 much more in 2024. This will be a

Types of members: Accredited language centres, associate great financial loss for both schools
members, individual members and project partners and host families. We are working to

find a constructive way to address
What has Eaquals been up to over the last 12 months? the situation.”
The past 12 months have been buzzing with activity for Eaquals! We ran two
successful events: an international conference in Tallinn and a two-day
online conference. We were present at many sector events around the globe Onur Yaldizkaya,
organised by IATEFL, Gaela, ECML, ENQA, to name a few, and presented at Idealist,
some. We were finalists for two awards, one of which was the ST Star School www.idealist.com.

Association. A soft launch of the new Eaquals Brochure took place, offering tr, Turkey

valuable insights into our mission, values, and the comprehensive range
of services we provide. We ran several campaigns putting the spotlight on “As far as I understand the visa
member schools, highlighting their strengths and services and celebrated refusal rate is around 40 per cent.
those who are an inspiration to their peers and students alike. We annually As a result, the demand for Ireland

recognise a teacher for their exceptional efforts and awarded a total of has been decreasing fast. In order to
five scholarships. Another highlight was the recognition of the Eaquals apply for a long-term student visa

Accreditation Scheme by the Turkish Higher Education Council (YOKAK) which (e.g for 25+ weeks), students have
helped us expand our geographical reach. Our agreement with Macmillan to pay tuition fees in full in advance.
Education further solidified our presence. We’ve had a 10 per cent increase They must also show a minimum

in members (accredited and associate) with a substantial number still going of €10,000 in the bank and submit
through the different stages of the Eaquals Accreditation. their bank history. The source of the

funds is also very important. As you
Tell us more about the Eaquals member event fund? can see, students need to spend at
This fund is designed to provide ongoing professional development least six months for visa preparation
opportunities that extend beyond the annual Eaquals events. This marks the and at the end almost half of them
eighth consecutive year, during which a total of 10 associate and accredited still receive visa refusal.”

members have benefited from the €10,000 fund for their respective events.
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