This morning, the founder, owner, and Director of Perth International College of English (PICE), John Paxton, announced the closure of PICE after nearly 25 years of operation.
Over those 25 years, John and his team of highly dedicated ELICOS professionals have welcomed, served and taught tens of thousands of students from the world over.
Despite PICE’s exemplary reputation for quality, the increase in the student visa fee to $1,600, the record high student visa application refusal rates over the last 18 months, and the visa application processing delays have meant that PICE were unable to attract enough enrolments to be financially sustainable.
PICE was a member of English Australia for more than 20 years and John Paxton was a Board Member and Western Australia State Delegate for more than 12 of those years.
English Australia’s Board and Secretariat are deeply saddened by this news. John and the PICE team have been integral to our community and our efforts for two decades.
English Australia is working with John and the team and the TPS to support impacted students. A student information session will be held at 9am on the PICE campus.
Our thoughts are with John, the PICE team, and PICE’s students.
Our thoughts are also with all those friends and colleagues across the sector who have lost their jobs over recent months. We urge colleagues to reach out to us at English Australia and to one another to give and get support.
Sincerely,
Ian Aird
CEO
English Australia
