TrustEd Ireland Quality Mark Expands to English Language Schools

## TrustEd Ireland Quality Mark Expands to English Language Schools Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) has announced the first group of English language schools to receive the TrustEd Ireland quality mark. This marks a significant expansion of the scheme, which aims to ensure the quality of education provided to international students in Ireland. The five English language schools awarded the TrustEd Ireland mark are Bridge Mills Galway Language Centre, Emerald Cultural Institute, International House Dublin, Liffey College, and Patrick’s English Academy. These schools join the 28 universities, colleges, and institutes of technology that have already received the mark. The TrustEd Ireland quality mark is more than just an official quality indicator. By the end of this year, it will also serve as a license to recruit non-EU/EEA students who require a study visa for Ireland. This means that institutions or schools without the mark will not be eligible to recruit outside of the European Union for students requiring a study visa for Ireland. The awarding of the TrustEd Ireland mark is the result of a thorough due diligence assessment, which examines areas such as financial and legal structures and business plans to establish the capacity and capability of private education providers to deliver quality assured education programmes. Providers must also have quality assurance procedures that are approved by QQI and demonstrate compliance with an associated Code of Practice. ## Replacing the ILEP The continued expansion of the TrustEd Ireland scheme has significant implications for the international student market. The TrustEd Ireland mark will shortly become the basis for determining whether or not an Irish institution or school is eligible to recruit non-EU students. This means that the current mechanism for this, the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP), will be superseded by the TrustEd Ireland scheme. The ILEP is maintained by the Department of Justice's Immigration Service Delivery, but it will be replaced by a new TrustEd Ireland Authorised Providers: List of Eligible Programmes. This new list will identify those programmes that comply with immigration requirements, enabling Immigration Service Delivery to determine applications for study visas and immigration permissions for study purposes. For education providers intending to recruit non-EU/EEA/Swiss students who require study visas or immigration residence permissions for the purpose of study, securing authorisation from QQI to use the TrustEd Ireland mark will be essential. This is a significant development for the international student market in Ireland, and it is expected to have a major impact on the recruitment of non-EU students in the coming years. The TrustEd Ireland quality mark rollout continues with awards to the first group of English-language schools, marking a new era of quality oversight and regulation for the English-language education sector in Ireland.