AICHIMay 23 (News about Japan) – Aichi Central Beauty School announced its closure at the end of this month during an emergency parent meeting on May 9.
The school, known for its 100% pass rate for national certifications and small class sizes, currently has 26 on-campus students and 60 correspondence students.
Two companies that had financed the school’s management organization went bankrupt, leading to its closure.
A second-year student at Aichi Central Beauty School, Student A, said, “I couldn’t believe it. It was like, ‘What? This can’t be real,’ and I was just shocked.”
Another second-year student, Student B, added, “I wasn’t prepared for this, and when I have to decide where to go in a month, I feel like I’m being abandoned. I really hate it.”
The school explained that the bankruptcies of the financing companies were discovered in August and September last year. They delayed the announcement while they looked for another sponsor.
One parent expressed frustration, saying, โWhat do you think about the future of our children?โ Another added: โIf the companies went bankrupt in August they wouldn’t have had to accept new students this year.โ A third parent said: โIf they had told us in April that the school would close, we would have chosen a different beauty school from the start.โ
First-year students have already paid about 1 million yen in admission and tuition fees, leading to disputes over refunds.
One parent asked, โHow much is refundable?โ The school replied: โAbout 50,000 yen.โ The parent replied, “Why can’t you pay back the full amount? Because you already spent it?”
The school said it will coordinate transfers to other schools from June, but this may incur additional admission and tuition fees.
Hasegawa Yoshiaki, secretary general of the Aichi Prefectural Association of Specialized and Diverse Schools, commented: “Ideally, the school should take full responsibility. I can’t stop thinking about the students in need. I hope help as many students as possible.”
Efforts are being made to quickly find alternative schools, but so far only a few students have found a new school.
Student A also said: “My mother is a beautician, and I have always wanted to become one. I have been watching her since I was a child. I loved going to this specialized school and wanted to work with my classmates graduate and take the national exam. Now I’m worried about how this will affect my job prospects.”
Source: ANN
