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EF Education First

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

EF Education First
TypePrivate
IndustryEducation
Founded1965
FounderBertil Hult
HeadquartersZurich, Switzerland
Key people
Philip Hult, Chairman
Eddie Hult, CEO
Number of employees
52,000[1]
Websitewww.ef.com

EF Education First (abbreviated as EF) is an international education company that specialises in language training, educational travels, academic degree programmes, and cultural exchanges. It was founded in 1965 by Bertil Hult in the Swedish university town of Lund. The company is privately held by the Hult family.

As of 2017, EF had approximately 52,000 employees in 116 countries.[2]

History

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1965–1979

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Bertil Hult dropped out of college to launch EF's initial product, English immersion trips to the UK for Swedish students.[3] He had struggled to learn English in school, but while interning for a shipbroker in London he found that he picked English up more easily.[4] He came to think that "learning by doing" could be as effective as traditional methods.[5]

In the 1970s, EF opened language schools in Western Europe and Asia.[5] It opened its first school in Japan in 1972, around the same time that English keyboards were introduced there.[3] It introduced its first cultural exchange programme in 1979, EF High School Exchange Year.[6]

1980–1995

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In the 1980s, EF began organising travel and immersion programmes for North America, including EF Explore America, EF Educational Tours, and EF Go Ahead Tours. These did not have a language learning component.[3][7] The company also launched an au pair programme in 1988, EF Au Pair, which is regulated by the US Department of State. It is now called Cultural Care Au Pair.[8][9]

In 1988, EF served for the first time as the official language trainer for the Seoul Olympic Games, giving free language training to judges, athletes, volunteers, and host country residents.[10] The company also did this for Beijing 2008, Sochi 2014, Rio 2016, PyeongChang 2018, Tokyo 2020, and Beijing 2022.[11][12][13][14]

In 1993, EF opened its first office in China.[15] The company's network of English language schools in China grew quickly. It marketed its international footprint and hired native English-speaking teachers from abroad to differentiate itself from competitors. It selected cities with a university, a McDonald's, and more than 1 million residents as new locations.[5]

In 1996, the company launched EF Englishtown, now EF English Live, which was among the first online English schools.[16] In 1997, EF sponsored two teams in the Whitbread Round the World Race – a men's team, EF Language, that won the competition, and the race's first fully female-helmed team, EF Education.[17]

In 2002, the Hult family purchased the Arthur D. Little School of Management, which was subsequently renamed Hult International Business School.[18] It is one of the few triple-accredited business schools in the United States.[19]

2006–2015

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EF and Hult International Business School started the Hult Prize in 2010, a challenge for young people to solve issues through social entrepreneurship. The Hult family donates US$1 million in annual seed capital to the winning team.[20]

In 2011, EF introduced the EF English Proficiency Index, an annual ranking of countries by their English skills.[21] In 2014, EF launched the EF Standard English Test – a free English test designed for non–native English speakers.[22][23] In the same year, EF partnered with Community Boating, Inc., the oldest public sailing centre in the United States, to help people with physical and cognitive disabilities learn how to sail.[24]

EF celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015 with a series of events in Boston including "A Day with World Leaders" with speakers including Bill Clinton, Gordon Brown, Steve Wozniak, and Priyanka Chopra.[25]

2016–present

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EF's stand at the Danish book fair Bogforum 2025

In 2016, EF became the educational sponsor of the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.[26]

In 2017, EF purchased the EF Education–EasyPost professional men's cycling team.[27] In 2023, EF launched a women's professional cycling team, EF Education-Cannondale,[28] which was renamed EF-Oatley-Cannondale in 2024.[29]

In 2020, following the 2015 merger of Hult International Business School with Ashridge Business School,[30] EF began offering executive training for international organisations,[31] in part through Amazon's Career Choice programme.[32] The same year, EF began working with the Mastercard Foundation and the Rwandan Development Board to help Rwandan youth improve their English to access professional opportunities and support the country's hospitality industry.[33] EF sold a majority stake in its Kids & Teens schools in China to private-equity firm Permira the same year.[34] The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to EF's travel-oriented businesses,[35] but it grew the company's online programmes.[36]

In 2022, the company opened a new campus in Pasadena, California to support enrollment growth in its private boarding school, EF Academy.[37] The following year, EF served as the Official Language Training Services Supplier for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.[38]

In the summer of 2024, EF Education First was declared an "undesirable organization" in Russia.[39] EF Education First was adopted by the São Paulo Department of Education (SEDUC-SP) as a platform of the São Paulo Media Center, called "SPeak".[40][41]

Corporate affairs

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Governance

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Following their father's retirement, two of Bertil Hult's sons took over management of EF – Philip Hult as global chairman[42] and Edward Hult as chief executive officer.[43]

Locations

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EF has offices and schools in more than 100 countries.[44] The company's hubs are in Cambridge, Massachusetts; London, England; and Zurich, Switzerland. In 2014, EF opened a new North American headquarters facility on the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[45]

Controversy

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EF has been criticised in several instances by students taking its courses.

In 2019, seven of its English teachers in Xuzhou allegedly tested positive for drugs. The case ignited discussions about EF's hiring practices, leading to its suspension from the China Association for Non-Government Education.[46]

In 2020, a former teacher of EF was charged for exploiting a previous pupil in China. The defendant, an American national, threatened to post video footage of the student's sexually explicit conduct online unless she sent him more images and a video of herself engaged in similar acts. EF said the alleged crime happened after the man returned to the US when his contract in China had already been terminated for violating the company's code of conduct; they declined to explain the specifics of the violation. The teacher pled guilty in a Missouri court to sexual exploitation of a minor and to receiving and distributing child pornography.[47]

On 17 February 2022, Claudio Mandia, an Italian student participating in the IB Diploma programme of the EF Academy in New York, took his life following his expulsion after being caught cheating repetitively.[48] The Academy of New York Thornwood responded to the accusations of Claudio's family members by saying that the young man was not confined, that the room was not locked, and that he "could have social interaction".[49]

The Italian television show "Chi l'ha visto?" has many testimonies from students who participated in the EF language study trips. Students have claimed that they were hosted by drunk parents and that one host parent had shot a neighbour.[50][51][52]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "About Us". EF Education First. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  2. ↑ Shemkus, Sarah (16 November 2017). "EF Education First named No. 1 on list of largest Mass. companies". The Boston Globe.
  3. 1 2 3 Johnston, Katie (2 February 2013). "Education First Aims to Bridge Barriers with Exchange". Boston Globe. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  4. ↑ Hill, Andrew (2 February 2020). "A billionaire with no master plan for his family business". Forbes. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Jedeur-Palmgren, Max (23 August 2018). "Meet The Billionaire College Dropout Who's Teaching The World English". Forbes. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "EF High School Exchange Year". Council on Standards for International Educational Travel. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  7. ↑ Keller, Courtney. "We are EF Go Ahead Tours". EF Go Ahead Tours. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  8. ↑ Fougere, David (5 August 2009). "Company History". Cultural Care Au Pair, Speaking from the heart. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  9. ↑ "Au Pair". BridgeUSA. US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  10. ↑ Johnston, Katie (9 April 2014). "Mass. team will help Brazil learn English for 2016 Olympics". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 19 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  11. ↑ Lapowsky, Issy (8 December 2014). "How Brazil Plans to Teach a Million People English Before the Rio Olympics". Wired. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  12. ↑ Morgan, Liam (5 November 2015). "Education First announced as sponsor of Pyeongchang 2018". Inside the Games.
  13. ↑ "Tokyo 2020 Welcomes EF Education First Japan Ltd. as an Official Partner". Around the Rings. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  14. ↑ Palmer, Dan (20 August 2019). "EF Education First become first official exclusive supplier of Beijing 2022". Inside the Games. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  15. ↑ Werdigier, Julia (9 December 2013). "Bring in People Who Are Better Than You". New York Times. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  16. ↑ "EF English Live has been helping millions of students learn English online for 25 years". EF English Live. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  17. ↑ "A racer's life: EF Education in the 1997-98 Whitbread round the world race". 18 October 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  18. ↑ Baron, Ethan (3 September 2014). "Hult: A Powerhouse Or A Pariah?". Poets&Quants. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  19. ↑ Khan, Breiknah (23 April 2018). "Here's How Hult International Business School Landed Triple Crown Accreditation". www.businessbecause.com. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  20. ↑ Bahree, Megha (1 November 2015). "A million dollars to solve the world's problems". USA TODAY. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  21. ↑ Greene, Robert Lane (5 April 2011). "Who speaks English?". The Economist. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  22. ↑ Abkowitz, Alyssa; Murphy, Colum (12 September 2014). "Upstart English-Testing Services Take Aim at Longtime Market Leaders". WSJ. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  23. ↑ Kilbanoff, Eleanor (1 October 2014). "Take A New Test Aimed At The World's English-Language Learners". NPR. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  24. ↑ Luna, Taryn Luna (29 July 2014). "Community Boating raises pinks sails in new partnership with EF Education First - The Boston Globe". Boston Globe. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  25. ↑ Shanahan, Mark (15 February 2015). "EF Education First bash draws Bill Clinton, others - The Boston Globe". Boston Globe. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  26. ↑ "Nobel Prize Museum Partners". Nobel Prize Museum. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  27. ↑ Fretz, Caley (9 September 2017). "Cannondale-Drapac secures new title sponsor EF Education First". Velo. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  28. ↑ Hurford, Molly (9 June 2023). "EF Pro Cycling Is Doubling Down, Announcing Their Own Women's WorldTour Team". Bicycling. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  29. ↑ "Oatly Announces Partnership with EF Pro Cycling". Yahoo Finance. Archived from the original on 19 October 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
  30. ↑ Bradshaw, Della (6 September 2015). "Transatlantic alliance steers smooth course". Financial Times. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  31. ↑ Dommett, Dina (25 May 2022). "Building the world's most relevant business school: The Hult Ashridge story". Global Focus Magazine.
  32. ↑ "Hult EF Corporate Education Selected by Amazon as Education Partner for Career Choice Program". Yahoo Finance. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  33. ↑ "Public-Private Partnership to boost Rwanda's Tourism & Hospitality Industry". Rwanda Development Board. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  34. ↑ Wu, Kane (28 July 2020). "Permira buys majority stake in EF's children-focused business". Reuters. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  35. ↑ "UK language trainer to use job scheme for already planned redundancies". The Financial Times. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  36. ↑ Minji, Yao; Youyang, Zhong (3 March 2020). "Education industry quickly moving online". SHINE. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  37. ↑ "EF Academy Opens 16-acre Campus, Brings Unique Global Mission and Vision to Pasadena – Pasadena Now". Pasadena Now. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  38. ↑ "EF Education First selected as official language training services supplier for Rugby World Cup France 2023 ｜ Rugby World Cup 2023". www.rugbyworldcup.com. 9 June 2021.
  39. ↑ "Немецкий Фонд имени Конрада Аденауэра и еще три организации признали «нежелательными» в России". OVD-Info (in Russian). 5 August 2024.
  40. ↑ São Paulo State Government (29 April 2024). "PLATAFORMA EDUCATION FIRST (EF) – ENGLISH – PRIMEIROS ACESSOS – ALUNOS A PARTIR DO 8º ANO (ANOS FINAIS) ATÉ 3ª SÉRIE (ENSINO MÉDIO)". Education Directory -- Central Region (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  41. ↑ São Paulo State Government; State Department of Education; Education Department -- North Region 2 (23 August 2024). "Orientações pedagógicas a partir do uso da plataforma SPEAK" (PDF). SEDUC-SP (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 6 October 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  42. ↑ EF Education First (11 February 2025). Looking back at 60 years of EF. Retrieved 2 June 2025 – via YouTube.
  43. ↑ "EF Education First | Company Overview & News". Forbes. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  44. ↑ Hill, Andrew (2 February 2020). "A billionaire with no master plan for his family business". Financial Times. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  45. ↑ Luna, Taryn. "EF Education First headquarters debuts in Cambridge - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  46. ↑ "EF Suspended From Education Association Following Teachers' Drug Offenses". Sixth Tone. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019.
  47. ↑ Chen, Qi'an (23 October 2020). "EF Under Fire After Former Teacher Admits to Sexual Blackmail". Sixth Tone.
  48. ↑ "Claudio Mandia, studente suicida a New York: i genitori denunciano la scuola". Vanity Fair Italia (in Italian). 31 October 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  49. ↑ Niro, Carmine Di (12 January 2023). "Claudio Mandia, il processo per lo studente morto suicida nel college di New York rischia di spostarsi in Svizzera". Il Riformista (in Italian). Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  50. ↑ reports, 6 News staff (17 August 2021). "Council Bluffs Police give details of foreign exchange coordinator sentencing". www.wowt.com. Retrieved 5 June 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  51. ↑ "Chi l'ha visto? 2022/23 - Claudio Mandia suicida in Usa: le testimonianze di altri studenti della "EF Academy" - 11/01/2023 - Video". RaiPlay (in Italian). Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  52. ↑ Drigo, Lorenzo (11 January 2023). "Suicidio Claudio Mandia/ Racconti contro EF Italia: "Il mio ospite sparò al vicino"". IlSussidiario.net (in Italian). Retrieved 5 June 2023.
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