Disney English Closes Down, Offers Tuition Refunds

In a WeChat post addressed to parents and published on their official account this morning, Jun 22, Disney English announced the permanent suspension of their English language courses and subsequent plans to refund students’ tuition fees.

The popular school, which specializes in English language training for kids in China ages 2 to 12 using Disney characters and stories, cites a change in consumer preferences towards online learning experiences, exacerbated by pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, as the main reason for shutting down. All Disney English centers across China, including those in Beijing, have been closed since January. Since Mar 19, they have offered free online English courses to students. However, from today, all courses taught by Disney English instructors will be discontinued, indicating that they do not expect enrollment in traditional in-person teaching to return to pre-pandemic levels for a long time, if ever. 

Disney English was founded in 2008 as a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide’s Disney Learning Division. Their ‘Disney Immersive Storytelling Approach’ is designed to make learning fun for children by focussing on experiential learning and incorporating singing, interactive games, skits, and other actives to engage children with the English language.

The news of the school’s closure is also a major blow for the many English speaking foreign trainers in the city, who are employed by the school. Nevertheless, the company states that it is taking good care of every affected employee, and will be providing them with various severance compensations.

From Jun 26 to Jul 21, Disney English will begin processing tuition fee refunds. To initiate the refund process, they ask parents and guardians to book an appointment in advance with their nearest Disney English learning center by phone. Parents or guardians will need to arrive at the center with their Disney English application contract, identity documents, and the bank card they used to make the tuition fee payment. Standard social distancing and prevention measures will be put in place at their centers, such as wearing a mask and maintaining a green health code. If parents or guardians have any questions, they should contact their nearest Disney English center or call 400 820 8066.

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Image: Disney English Baidu Baike page