Czech language schools face downturn

Language teaching in the Czech Republic has been big business since the fall of Communism, with many hoping improving their language skills will increase their job prospects. Now, however, there has been a suggestion that up to 30 percent of the country’s language schools could go to the wall in the not too distant future.

Photo: archive of Radio Prague

In many big Czech cities it almost seems that every major street has its own language school. The Prague phone book alone has around 100 language schools listed. But the sector which boomed in the 1990s following the fall of the Iron Curtain and rush above all to learn English is now facing a severe crunch.

The Association of Language Schools and Agencies, one of the industry’s two main umbrella bodies, predicts that 20 to 30 percent of existing schools and businesses could close their doors within a year.

Association vice president Petr Pasek says the main factor is the squeeze put on corporate courses. He says companies faced themselves by hard times because of the economic crisis have either cut courses for their employees altogether or are forcing swinging cuts in the prices charges by schools.

“Some big Prague language schools are cutting their prices by 20 percent, which could kill smaller ones. The bigger ones can survive one year with worse prices whereas the smaller schools could have problems.”

Mr Pasek says that company training offers an easy target for cuts, even for companies that still have to feel the brunt of the downturn.

“That is either because companies are not doing very well at the moment or because they are saving money just in case. They are doing fine but they are cutting down on costs and the first and most visible cost is education for their employees.”

Some language schools rely on company training for around 80 percent of their income. And even if they were able to redirect themselves towards general courses for the public there is not much hope on that front either.

Markéta Pokorná is the owner of a mid-sized Prague language school which employs around 30 teachers. She says public courses are also feeling the pinch.

“Households are also trying to save money. From my experience the public courses are more reduced that the business courses.”

Ms Pokorná says language schools are cutting courses and teachers. While she has not heard of any school yet going bust, the harsh lessons from the economic downturn are likely to be learnt when course enrolment begins again in September.