1. In these conditions the following words and phrases have the meanings attributed to them hereunder:
a. “The Company” means High Schools International Limited, its Successors and Assigns;
b. “Programme” means any course (whether full-time or part-time) operated by the Company;
c. “EU/EAA Nationals” means nationals of member states of the European Union from time to time;
d. “School Tuition” means the programme of study normally available in the assigned school, and which meets the requirements of the Irish Department of Education;
e. “School Year” means the normal school year as defined from time to time by the relevant school heads and the Irish Department of Education;
2. Availability: Programmes are open to a) EU/EAA nationals between the ages of 13 and 19 years (before or during the programme year) and who have completed primary education in their respective states and b) non-EU/EAA nationals between the ages of 13 and 19 years (before or during the programme year) who satisfy all other requirements. Subject at all times to the Company’s right to refuse to accept any person into a Programme at its absolute discretion.
3. Application: Application for admittance to a Programme must be made on the Company’s application forms (or equivalent acceptable application form) and must be accompanied by all requested documentation. An Application is deemed incomplete unless it is accompanied by the Conditions of Acceptance, Agreement and Release and Medical Release duly signed and dated by the applicant and his/her parents/guardians.
4. Acceptance: Acceptance on a Programme shall be deemed to take place when a formal offer of placement of either host family or school has been made by the Company to the applicant or his/her agent and following receipt and payment of relevant fees payable to the Company for each Programme.
5. Placement: each applicant shall be placed by the Company with a secondary school within the Republic of Ireland (or elsewhere dependent on the Programme applied for) and in residential accommodation as close as possible to the said school or in residential school accommodation. The Company shall use its best endeavours to facilitate the particular requirements of each applicant, but in any event, each applicant shall not be entitled to refuse the placement (whether school or residential) assigned to him/her.
6. Alterations: The Company reserves the right to alter any arrangements (whether school or residential) for each applicant whether before or during the course of the Programme. In any event the parent, legal guardian or agent of the applicant shall be notified of any such alteration as soon as practically possible. An alteration in a Programme or in a residential accommodation of an applicant shall not entitle that applicant to any refund of fees and shall not in any way vitiate the conditions of acceptance as set out herein. In light of the experience of the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020, schools may be obliged to provide a form of blended learning, consisting of classroom time and online learning. In the event of such incidences, temporary school closures may occur. Blended learning and temporary closure or other variations as determined by government or school authorities will not result in programme termination and participants will not be entitled to compensation or refund of fees paid, or due, as a consequence
7. Behaviour: Applicants are expected to behave in a way acceptable to both school authorities, residential hosts, and to the Company. Applicants will be subject to the same disciplinary measures as students attending the schools in which they are placed. Each applicant, by the acceptance of these conditions, and by signing the HSI Code of Conduct, is deemed to accept the said disciplinary measures. Furthermore, each applicant shall be under the care and authority of the head of the boarding school in the case of residential accommodation, or the head of the host family with which he/she is placed. Each applicant shall follow the disciplinary measures (if any) imposed upon him/her in his/her accommodation. Each applicant is subject to the laws of the state in which he/she is resident for the duration of the Programme.
8. Suspension: If it should occur that an applicant is in breach of disciplinary measures imposed upon him/her by either the school, the residential supervising party, or the Company, such applicant may be suspended from a Programme following consultations between the applicant, the school or residential authority as appropriate, and the Company. Serious or persistent breaches of discipline or of the conditions of acceptance as set out herein, including failure to pay all fees and expenses due by the appropriate due dates, shall result in the applicant being suspended permanently from the programme and being returned at his/her own expense to his/her country of origin immediately. In such an event there shall be no refund or partial refund of fees payable hereunder. If it should occur that an applicant falls ill during the course of a Programme to such an extent as to be unable to continue with such Programme, the applicant shall return to his/her country of origin as soon as practically possible and at his/her own expense. In such an event no refund or partial refund of fees hereunder shall be made. Breeches to the law of the State in which the applicant is resident for the programme will result in immediate termination of the programme with no refund of fees paid or fees due.
Applicants agree that all information provided as part of the application process is accurate and complete. Information provided that is subsequently found to be inaccurate or incomplete (such as health details, level of English, academic levels etc) may result in withdrawal of an offer of placement or, if the programme has started, termination of the programme. No refund of fees paid or due will be made in these circumstances
9. Programme Dates: Participants will be notified as far in advance as possible of the start date, finish date, and holiday dates of the institution they have been enrolled in. However, the Company is dependent on the Department of Education and the individual schools to provide accurate and timely information on school calendars. Calendars are subject to change by the Department of Education and the individual schools and the Company can not be held liable for these changes or the consequences of any such changes. Participants who arrive late to the programme, who leave early from the programme or who return home for periods of time during the programme will not be entitled to any reduction in fees or refunds of fees paid.
10. Insurance: Non-Irish EU/EAA nationals may be entitled to the same health benefits as Irish nationals. Each non-Irish EU/EAA national is required to obtain evidence from his/her own state authorities of his/her entitlement to state health care services in Ireland. Where additional health care services or insurance is not provided in the chosen Programme, parents or legal guardians of applicants are advised (and may be obliged by Irish visa regulations) to arrange same prior to commencement of the Programme. All medical and health charges not specifically provided for in the insurance cover provided or provided by the Irish health authorities as a consequence of bilateral EU/EAA agreements, including all excess payments, are the responsibility of the applicant and his/her parents/legal guardian.
11.1. Holidays: The school year in the Republic of Ireland normally runs from the first week of September to the last week of May. State examinations are normally held in the first three weeks of June. Normal school holidays are Christmas, Easter, National Public Holidays, major religious holidays, and mid- term breaks. Residential accommodation shall be provided for the entire school academic year save as provided in Clause 11.3
11.2. Accommodation shall be provided from the commencement of the first term to the final day of the third term to all applicants according to their school calendars, save as provided in Clause 11.3.
Family Residential accommodation shall be provided for boarding applicants during official school holiday periods save as provided in Clause 11.3
11.3. Residential accommodation shall not be provided during the Christmas and Easter school holidays. Students sitting Irish state examinations or IB examinations will incur extra accommodation charges and examination fees. There will be no refund for unused services or accommodation (such as mid-term breaks, late arrival, early departure etc).
12.1. Fees: All fees, including all supplementary charges, and all extra expenses incurred during the Programme must be paid in full on the due days. Fees shall include those items listed from time to time in the appropriate Programmes offered by the Company. Late payment of fees, supplementary charges and expenses incurred, shall incur interest payment of 2.5% per month for each month after the due dates or pro-rata. Documentation, including validation documents for the academic year in Ireland (or other country dependent on the Programme chosen) shall be withheld by the Company until all fees, supplementary charges, expenses incurred and interest charged (if any) have been paid in full to the Company. If fees, including any supplementary charges, remain unpaid at the end a term, the Company reserves the right to terminate the student’s participation in the following term(s) programmes
12.2. Refunds: The Directors of the Company reserve the right to refund fees and issue credits.
12.3 Cancellations Charges: A schedule of cancellation charges applies for cancellations before and after arrival. Please contact your local agent for details of these.
13. Force Majeure: We shall not be liable for any delay in performing or failure to perform any obligation (including to action any alteration or cancellation) due to any circumstance beyond our reasonable control including lock-outs, strikes, shortages of personnel, labour disputes, war, riot, acts of God, civil commotion, terrorism, malicious damage, threats to safety, compliance with any law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction, accident, environmental contamination, pandemic outbreak of disease, breakdown of plant or machinery, fire, flood, storm, difficulty or increased expense in obtaining workmen, materials, goods or raw materials in connection with the performance of these Terms.
14. These conditions of acceptance have been drafted in English. Translations into other languages may be available. However, any question or doubt arising on the interpretation of these conditions shall be resolved by reference to the English text.
15. The proper Law of this contract shall be the law for the time being of the Republic of Ireland.