Web International English
Members with english learning courses.
Web International English (WEBi) was a significant player in China's English language training sector, established in 1998 by Gao Weiyu, also known as Clark Gao. Headquartered in Shanghai, the company was among the pioneering English language center chains in the country. Before its collapse, WEBi operated an extensive network of 154 centers across 62 cities in mainland China, catering to a large student base. By July 2018, the company reported having one million students. The business model was centered on pre-paid, in-person English language courses for teens and adults. A substantial portion of its revenue model relied on consumer credit, with reports indicating that up to 80% of students financed their courses through loans from banks and online lenders.
The company's trajectory took a sharp downturn starting in 2018, facing declining performance and rising operational costs. Despite efforts to salvage the business through strategic changes and additional borrowing, the financial situation became untenable. In October 2019, the company ceased operations and effectively went bankrupt, leading to the closure of all its learning centers. The sudden shutdown left both students, who had pre-paid for courses, and employees, who were owed back pay, in a difficult position. In an open letter, founder Gao Weiyu acknowledged the company's financial failure, citing a broken capital chain. Following the closure, arrangements were made with competitor Education First to accommodate some of the displaced students.
The collapse of Web International English was a high-profile event in China's private education industry, highlighting the risks associated with business models heavily dependent on pre-paid tuition and consumer loans. The event drew scrutiny to the broader English language training market in the country. Keywords: Web International English, WEBi, Gao Weiyu, English language training China, ESL China, education bankruptcy, Shanghai education, private education China, language centers, Web Education, student loans education, China ESL market, Education First, language school closure, adult English education, teen English courses, China education industry, pre-paid tuition model, consumer credit education, Wéibó Yīngyǔ