The last year was a record year for the tourism sector, but it was not the same for a particular segment of this economic pillar – the English language schools.

Figures released by the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations of Malta last Tuesday showed that, although in 2010 there was a recovery over what was described as a “disastrous 2009”, the figures were still below those reached in 2008.

Last year, 72,695 students studied English in Malta, up from the 68,918 in 2009 but fewer than the 83,288 that came over in 2008. In all, the local EFL industry has an annual turnover of between €80 and €100 million.

Still, at 10% of total guest nights, the EFL industry plays an important part in the overall scenario, and as such it must be nurtured and taken care of well. The news that schools reported a drop in profitability should not be discarded lightly.

Over the years, the EFL industry had many obstacles to overcome, particularly complaints by host families that they were not getting a good return for providing accommodation and food for students, as well as incidents of bad behaviour by some of the students who came over.

Added to this, there is a general perception that most of the students come to Malta to have a good time, rather than to learn English. With Paceville providing so much entertainment, and with most schools and host families located within walking distance, it became apparent that most of the younger students came over not to improve their skills in English, but to meet hundreds of other youngsters and enjoy themselves.

Having said this, English language schools, in their majority, provide an excellent service to their clients. They have come to understand that they must take more responsibility of the students who join their classes, and that this does not end when schooling time is over. They have also realized that they need to improve their levels and give their contribution to the industry as a whole.

As such, the presentation of Tuesday’s report was welcome, as it gave a clear picture of what the situation is. In this way, national tourism authorities as well as the government could understand the strengths and weaknesses of this segment and act accordingly.

For one thing, it is evident that the EFL segment and the tourism industry as a whole have one common target – that of attracting more people in the shoulder and winter months. In the case of EFL, they should go for mature students, considering that many of the younger ones would be attending school in their own country in these particular months.