An English language school with over 200 international students has closed with immediate effect, bringing to 13 the number of such colleges to collapse in the past year.

The Carlyle Institute, located on Dublin’s Grafton Street, said because of “adverse trading conditions” it would be unable to reopened on Monday after the Easter break.

In a statement on its website, it said it was working with the Irish Council of International Students (ICOS) to support all affected students.

“It was a privilege to work with so many talented staff and students and it’s our sincerest hope that everybody can be accommodated in this process,” it read.

Dave Moore of ICOS said the cooperation of management was welcome as “the least worse scenario”, especially after so many colleges had closed by simply sticking “a badly written notice to the door”.

A small number of language schools recently formed a representative group, The Private College Network, calling for Government action to stabilise the English language school sector almost exactly a year after the first of the 13 closures.

It says the Minister for Justice and the Garda should move against “visa factories” which exploit provisions allowing international students to work on study visas, while also restoring “calm and certainty to the market place for the protection of jobs and the existing student body”.

The business group proposes no further colleges would be removed from the internationalisation register, which allows them to issue visas to students, until a long-promised International Education Mark (IEM) is introduced.

It also says “all colleges seeking visas should secure an approved insurance policy protecting the student from loss as a result of college closures”.

However, ICOS believes strong regulation is needed through the internationalisation register, pending the introduction of the IEM.

“It would be very easy of owners to point the finger at Government and say it’s the fault of regulation for their problems rather than a completely unsustainable business model,” said Mr Moore.

“The whole business model is based on cash flow: recruit, recruit, recruit. If they can’t keep going it’s a very convenient excuse to say it’s the Government’s fault.”

Last September, the Government announced that it would start taking applications for the IEM, as part of a tighter regulatory regime, from January 2015. However, no applications have yet been made.

An interim list of eligible programmes was due to have been introduced this year as a first step towards the implementing the IEM next year.

However, the roll-out has been delayed due to a successful High Court challenge to the new rules by two private colleges in Dublin.

Asked when the interim list would be in place, the department of education said it was working with the department of justice on the arrangements for the implementation of the planned reforms to the international education sector in a manner consistent with the High Court judgement.

“The Government is committed to maintaining Ireland’s reputation as a high quality destination for international students and will continue to implement all necessary reforms to protect that reputation,” it said.

ICOS will hold an information and advice meeting for The Carlyle Institute students at Tuesday April 14th at 2 pm, at the Teachers Club, Parnell Square.

A liquidator meeting will be held in the Maldron Hotel, Cardiff Lane on Friday 24th April at 10am.