International House World Organisation regrets to announce the news of the closure of IH Sydney Training Services, with their schools in Sydney, Bondi, Darwin, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Adelaide.

The Australian international education sector has been impacted for over a year due to the Australian Government’s proposed legislative changes, including stricter regulations on student visa applications and caps on international student numbers. These new limitations heavily impacted the group of schools.

On Tuesday 3rd December 2024, the group announced they had gone into voluntary administration. Despite great efforts on the part of the CEO, Timothy Eckenfels, and his team, they were unable to find a solution that allowed the company to continue trading as International House. As of Monday 9th December 2024, IH Sydney Training Services has ceased trading and has officially closed. As a consequence, where possible, students have been transferred to Greenwich College or are being supported by Tuition Protection Service.

Please note that IH Brisbane – ALS remains unaffected; it is a completely separate entity.

Commenting on the challenges faced by the sector, Emma Hoyle, Managing Director of IH World, stated: “Over the past four years, our affiliates have navigated a series of significant challenges and this is the latest example. Factors such as stricter visa regulation for overseas students have collectively limited international student mobility and created hurdles for many businesses within the education sector.”

IH World operates as a membership organisation and all affiliated schools are independently owned and operated. Despite the events of the past week, other International House schools continue to function smoothly, upholding the high standards of service, teaching, and student support that their community expects. Emma Hoyle reaffirmed, “Our network of 125+ schools globally remains resilient and continues to provide exceptional educational experiences to students around the world.”

In addition, Ms Hoyle stated, “While losing these long-established affiliates is sad for all concerned, the IH network continues to grow internationally with an increase in membership in the past 12 months and new schools to be announced in January.” 

As the organisation navigates these recent developments, IH World remains committed to supporting its affiliates and fostering effective collaboration within its network. They are confident in the sustainability of the organisation and look forward to welcoming many more affiliates to the network in the future.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the IH World team.