School that helped people in Hamilton learn English for 28 years closes its doors

When Gus Andrikopoulos started teaching English at a small school in downtown Hamilton, it was to earn a steady paycheque. But he soon fell in love with the job.

"As corny as it sounds, seeing [my students] progress and learn the language" was what sealed the deal, he said. "Gratifying isn't a strong enough word."

Andrikopoulos has worked at Metropolitan College on 146 James St. S. for over 15 years.

On April 25, the school closed its doors for good, largely due to the cap the federal government imposed on the number of international students last year, he said.

"To say I'm devastated would be an understatement. For nearly two decades, Metropolitan College has been my second family and my home," he wrote on Facebook, announcing the closure. 

Founded in 1997, the school has taken pride in its small class sizes, lighthearted and enthusiastic teachers and lessons that included music and field trips.  

During his last day of teaching on April 23, Andrikopoulos was his usual lively self, cracking jokes and trying to "be in the moment."

He doesn't remember the lesson material that day, he said, "but very happily, I will always remember how much fun we were having."

Student numbers began dropping at Metropolitan College in early 2024, Andrikopoulos said, and there was a big dip in August. By December, he said some days he was sitting in an empty classroom.

The federal government first announced in January 2024 it was capping the number of permits for international students, stating its goal was to target institutional "bad actors" — and amid concern about the impact international students were having on the housing market.

Andrikopoulos blames government policy for the school's lack of students, but said he doesn't hold any bitterness.

"I really wish they had done something a little bit more surgical," he said. "Everybody that came to our school was self-supported … there was no drain on the system."

Andrikopoulos had gotten more than a hundred messages from past students since the closure was announced, thanking him for all the lessons.

"[My students] expanded my world in ways I couldn't ever have dreamed of," he told CBC Hamilton.