Parents Panic ： Famous Int'l School Staff Unpaid, School Replies

Source: OT-Team(G), 九派新闻

Reports circulating online have alleged that ETU Enlighten School in Beijing's Chaoyang District has suffered a financial collapse, becoming unable to pay salaries or settle outstanding debts.

In response, on November 11, the school's co-founder Li Yinuo issued a public statement detailing the situation.

According to Li, the school's financial problems began in October 2025, when its accounts "had very little money left," making it impossible to pay teachers and staff or meet obligations to suppliers. She noted that co-founder Huazhang used his personal credit to cover half of the October payroll, and funds for November salaries were still being arranged.

Li attributed the crisis to the school's operating partner, Beijing's Enlighten School. She stated that the partner had used ETU Enlighten School's cash flow as collateral to obtain more than 50 million yuan in loans from Industrial Bank, Haier Financial Leasing, and Bank of Beijing. However, most of the borrowed funds were allegedly diverted to the partner's affiliated companies and used to pay a "severance fee" to a previous collaborator, rather than being invested in ETU Enlighten School. As a result, Li wrote, "funds intended for the school were rapidly drained," leading to severe cash-flow shortages. The school is now saddled with large bank loans, and Huazhang, as the legal representative, bears unlimited joint liability.

ETU Enlighten School currently operates campuses in Beijing and Guangzhou, serving nearly 700 students. Amid concerns about whether the financial difficulties have affected daily operations, a reporter posing as a parent contacted the Beijing campus on November 13. Staff said the school is operating normally and described the issue as "a dispute among shareholders that has nothing to do with day-to-day management." Regarding delayed salaries, they stated the matter is being handled.

For parents wishing to withdraw their children, the school confirmed that tuition refunds are processed according to the enrollment agreement. Families generally pay annual tuition; withdrawals within two months qualify for a 60% refund. Withdrawals after two months are not eligible for refunds for the current semester, though tuition for the following semester can be fully refunded.

In her statement, Li acknowledged management shortcomings: "At the end of the day, our poor management has led to this situation." She added that the school is pursuing legal action to recover the misappropriated funds. "Our bottom line is protecting children's right to education—everything else is negotiable. We hope to resolve this at the shareholder and operator level to minimize any impact on the school and its teaching."

According to ETU Education's official website, the organization originated in Silicon Valley before expanding to Beijing as an education-innovation initiative. ETU School was formally founded in Beijing in September 2016, with a mission to explore K–12 education innovation from a global perspective.

The ETU Enlighten School campus in Beijing's Central Villa District spans more than 20,000 square meters and offers a 12-year integrated program covering elementary, middle, and high school. Its elementary curriculum blends national standards with international components: Chinese-language subjects (Chinese, mathematics, science, etc.) account for 70% of instruction, while English-language courses account for 30%.