(Yicai Global) June 22 -- The Covid-19 pandemic is forcing The Walt Disney Company to close the 26 Disney English learning centers currently operating in the Chinese mainland. Students who have not completed their courses will receive a full refund of the remainder of their courses, the company announced today.

“Over the past few years, we have noticed a shift in consumer preferences toward online learning experiences and this trend has been accelerated by the global pandemic as families are hesitant to resume in-person supplemental learning classes. After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to not reopen the centers,” said Mahesh Samat, executive vice president of consumer product commercialization for the Asia Pacific region.

Disney English has 26 direct-operated learning institutions in China, including 10 in Shanghai, six in Beijing, five in Guangzhou, two in Chengdu, two in Nanjing, and one in Shenzhen.

The company shuttered all its Chinese English learning centers in January due to the epidemic and has not reopened them since.

Disney English learning centers will provide parents with refunds and other services from June 26 to July 21. Its free online courses for students starting on March 19 will stop today, according to a letter to students and parents the firm released on its account on Tencent Holding’s popular WeChat messaging app today.

The firm’s Disney English division developed English learning products and services for children aged two to 12 in China. It has provided programs to over 100,000 students since opening its first center in Shanghai in 2008, according to the company.

The company's two theme parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong reopened on May 11 and June 18, respectively, as China’s work and production resume per epidemic prevention and control protocols,.

Covid-19 slashed Los Angeles-based Disney's net profit by 93 percent to USD460 million in the second fiscal quarter that ended March 28.

Editor: Ben Armour