Mandate

The Council exercises independent authority in establishing, maintaining, and reviewing the standards by which English Language Teaching providers are formally accredited. Accreditation by KELTQAC constitutes documented recognition that a provider has demonstrated compliance with the Council's published standards and is suitable to deliver English language instruction to learners.

Accreditation is an institutional determination. It is not a measure of commercial performance, a ranking of providers, or an endorsement of individual staff members. It is the outcome of documented review against defined quality criteria applied uniformly across all accredited institutions.

Scope of Accreditation

Accreditation is extended to the following categories of provider:

• Language schools delivering general and specialised English language instruction to adult and young learners
• Institutions offering initial and continuing teacher education programs in English Language Teaching
• Academic and professional English programs operating within higher education partnerships
• In-country providers operating under institutional cooperation agreements with the Council in the Asia-Pacific region and other cooperating international jurisdictions

The Council does not accredit individual courses delivered outside the framework of an institutional submission, nor does it certify individual teachers.

Governance

The Council is directed by a Board comprising representatives drawn from the academic, linguistic, and institutional education communities. Members of the Board serve fixed terms and are appointed on the basis of professional standing and independence from the providers subject to review.

Operational oversight is exercised by the Council's administrative office, which conducts institutional reviews, coordinates audits, administers correspondence, and maintains the Register of Accredited Providers. All determinations of accreditation, conditional accreditation, suspension, and withdrawal are made by the Council and are not delegated.

Guiding Principles

• Independence from the providers subject to accreditation review
• Transparency of published standards, procedures, and determinations
• Uniform application of criteria across all accredited providers
• Periodic review of standards to reflect developments in English Language Teaching practice
• Accountability to learners, institutions, and cooperating education authorities

Establishment

The Council was established as an independent accreditation authority to provide a consistent institutional reference point for quality assurance in English Language Teaching across the Republic of Korea and cooperating jurisdictions. The Council is a not-for-profit institutional body and is self-funded through accreditation review fees and institutional subscriptions.

Institutional enquiries regarding accreditation eligibility may be directed to the Council.

1. Teaching Quality Requirements

Accredited providers shall deliver instruction in accordance with recognised pedagogical principles for adult and young learner English language education. Instructional practices shall reflect current developments in second language acquisition and be supported by a documented internal quality review cycle.

Providers shall maintain records of class observation, learner feedback, and remedial professional development activity. Maximum class sizes, instructional contact hours, and learner-to-teacher ratios shall be published to learners prior to enrolment. Providers shall demonstrate that learners are able to make measurable progress against defined learning outcomes within the stated duration of each program.

2. Trainer Qualifications

All teaching staff engaged in the delivery of accredited programs shall hold a recognised qualification in English language teaching. The minimum qualifications for general ELT delivery comprise:

• A Bachelor's degree awarded by an accredited higher education institution
• A recognised initial qualification in English Language Teaching of not less than 120 instructional hours, inclusive of supervised teaching practice (including but not limited to CELTA, Trinity CertTESOL, or equivalent)
• Documented evidence of ongoing professional development

Trainers delivering teacher education programs shall additionally hold a postgraduate qualification in Applied Linguistics, TESOL, or a related discipline, together with demonstrated teaching experience of not less than three years. Providers shall maintain current staff qualification records accessible to the Council on request.

3. Curriculum Standards

Curricula shall be documented, levelled against the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and subject to annual internal review. Program documentation shall include:

• Defined learning outcomes expressed against the CEFR
• Indicative content and sequence of instruction
• Minimum contact hours and total duration of study
• Assessment methodology and grading criteria
• Entry requirements and placement procedures
• Materials list and version control records

Curriculum documentation shall be made available to learners prior to enrolment and to the Council on request. Material changes to curriculum scope or sequence shall be reported to the Council in advance of implementation.

4. Assessment Requirements

Assessment practices shall be valid, reliable, and transparent to learners. Providers shall maintain documented assessment policies, internal moderation procedures, and auditable records of learner achievement. Assessment instruments shall be reviewed at intervals not exceeding twenty-four months, and results of moderation shall be retained for a minimum of five years.

Where certification is issued, it shall state the level achieved against the CEFR and shall identify the accredited provider. Certification shall not imply endorsement by the Council beyond the scope of the accredited program. The use of the KELTQAC designation on certification is permitted only for the duration of valid accreditation.

5. Compliance and Monitoring Process

Accreditation is granted for a defined period following initial institutional review. The standard term of accreditation is three years. During this period, accredited providers are subject to:

• Annual compliance reporting to the Council
• Periodic institutional review by the Council at intervals determined at the time of accreditation
• Unannounced audit visits where the Council considers them necessary
• Notification requirements in respect of material changes to governance, premises, ownership, or program delivery

The Council reserves the authority to issue conditional accreditation, suspend accreditation, or withdraw accreditation where evidence indicates non-compliance with the published standards. Determinations of the Council are published on the Register of Accredited Providers and communicated directly to the provider. Providers may request review of a determination within thirty days of notification, in accordance with the Council's review procedures.

These standards are subject to periodic review by the Council. Amendments are issued with a minimum of ninety days' notice to accredited providers.