Evaluating International Qualifications and Combating

Evaluating International Qualifications
and Combating Education Fraud
Simon Potter
qualifications are better understood
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Session Overview
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UK NARIC
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Evaluating qualifications
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What is education fraud?
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What’s on offer
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What documents to request
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Fake documents
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Degree mills
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English language
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Where to find help
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UK NARIC
UK NARIC is the National Agency responsible for providing
information, advice and expert opinion on vocational, academic and
professional skills and qualifications from overseas.
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recognition of international qualifications
comprehensive and up-to-date information on the education
systems of other countries
developing and maintaining systems to help members to compare
international qualifications
identifying fraudulent documents
research services offering more in-depth analysis and benchmarking
comparisons
assistance in the immigration and managed migration process
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International Cooperation
ENIC–NARIC Network
Comprises 54 recognitionThematic
centres
Steering
linking European countries,
Australasia, North AmericaGroups
FE and HE
institutions
Professional
Bodies
Quality
Standards
Group
Core
Services
Monitoring
Group
Quality
Assurance
Bodies
•Recognition of foreign
qualifications
UK NARIC
Government
ENICNARIC
Network
Sharing and providing information
on:
•Education systems internationally
and in the centre’s own country to
other recognition centres,
institutions, employers and other
relevant stakeholders
•Best practice in recognition
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Evaluation Criteria – what should you assess
• Entrance / Admission Requirements
• Duration of Study
• Course Content and Structure
• Examination Methods
• Research Elements / Thesis
• Title of Final Qualification
• Learning outcomes
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UK NARIC Evaluation Criteria
•Methodology based upon the key principles of credential evaluation
•Comparisons derived using the NARIC Band Framework as a
reference point
•One criterion does not dominate in the assessment procedure
•Considers the needs of the national system in question
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UK NARIC Band Framework
• Serves as a reference point
• Designed to ensure accuracy and consistency of comparability
statements
• Designed to represent all different types of international
qualification and provide meaningful linkages to the most similar
UK awards
• The term Band is used to reflect the broad grouping of international
qualifications that may be categorised together
• Accommodates and reflects value comparisons of a wide range of
international awards and transferable skills
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Qualification Comparison
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Education Fraud
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How do you know whether a qualification is legitimate?
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Who should you consult?
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What is education fraud?
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Education Fraud
No developed country is safe from the risk of falling victim
to fake credentials unless they have the knowledge and
skills to combat education fraud and safeguard genuine
and good quality education
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Who commits fraud?
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Education fraud falls into two areas:
– By an individual
– By an institution
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Individuals wishing to ‘improve’ themselves through claiming to
have qualifications
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They believe they are doing no harm; it is merely in order to gain
access to jobs, education or entry to countries
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Who commits fraud?
In fact they are committing a crime;
‘…if a person applies for an advertised job which demands that the
applicant holds a particular degree, they commit the offence of
obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception if they dishonestly
obtain the job as a result of a deception that they have the degree…’
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Working with bogus qualifications
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Education fraud can affect us all
It is important that regulated professions are protected by increasing
awareness of bogus qualifications and how to combat them
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Gene Morrison
Bogus forensic detective
(UK) – 30 yrs
Bought degree on the web
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Abdul Pirzada
Fake doctor jailed over CV lies
Claimed to have Pakistani
qualifications
Stein Bagger
Danish Entrepreneur of the Year
Held fake qualifications - 'San
Francisco Technical University'
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Fraud Worldwide
Corruption is a
major problem in
Russia, facilitating
educational fraud
USA: Varying state
legislation means
that degree mills
can often freely
operate
Many Caribbean
islands do not have
fully accredited
programmes;
particularly medical
universities
China: Fake
documents
widely available
e.g. Back Alley
Press
Nigeria and
Cameroon suffer
from an endemic
traffic in
fraudulent
documents
Both India and
Pakistan have
extensive lists of
fake universities
operating
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Easy access
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Accredited programs
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What documents to request
Documents that you should request include:
• Final Certificate
• Transcripts / Academic Records
• Diploma Supplement (Bologna degrees)
• Certified translations if the documents are not in English / Malay
• Evidence of name changes if appropriate
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Translations
What to request:
• Certified translation
• Copy of original language documents
Words of warning:
• Has the degree title been translated into Bachelor or Master?
• Use of the word Doctor
• University, Institute, School, College and Academy
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Document Appearance
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The variety of fonts used
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Lack of official stamps
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Paper quality
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Misalignment
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Size and shape
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Handwriting
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Scanned signatures
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Linguistic features and other possible signs
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Informal language
Unlikely degree titles
Spelling errors
Inconsistent terminology
Incorrect translations into English
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Discordant dates and duration
Awarding bodies
Logos incorrect or in the wrong position
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What documents to request: Iraq
Scientific or Literature
Subjects appropriate
to stream
First course – first
attempt
Second course – second
attempt
After this, students must
repeat the year
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What documents to request - WAEC
Perforated paper
Hologram
Candidate number
Stamp
Certificate
number
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What documents to request - WAEC
Statement number
Certified Statement
Hologram
Watermark
Background
pattern
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What documents to request - Pakistan
Is the board
recognised?
Certificate number
Which group?
Compulsory
subjects
Identification
mark
Electives
Date
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What documents to request - India
Board emblem
Is the board
recognised?
Index number
<Name>
<No.>
Background
pattern
Watermark
Grading
information
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Genuine or fake?
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Genuine or fake?
Two titles
Poor quality image
Scanned
photograph
A rosette?
This certificate should
be bilingual: English
and Arabic
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Is there anything strange about this
certificate?
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That’s not right
If a document is
original then
there is no need
to state it
Crest is incorrect
and misaligned
Cape of Good
Hope (Hoop is
Afrikaans)
Generally there
are too many
fonts
Signatures
scanned in
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Pakistan
Name
Name
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Nigeria
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When in doubt…
• Ask for
– original certificates in the original language
– previous qualifications (especially the entry qualification)
• Establish internal image bank
– quick way to familiarise oneself with the format of documents
– effective reference point
• Request transcripts/other relevant documents
– in sealed envelopes
– posted to your offices directly from the institution concerned
– or contact the institution directly yourself
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Degree Mills
“Diploma Mill: An Institution of Higher education operating
without supervision of a state or professional agency and
granting diplomas which are either fraudulent or because of
the lack of proper standards worthless.”
Webster’s Third New International Dictionary
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Degree Mills
The following are common features to be on the look out for:
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Strong emphasis on fee levels and payment plans
Often very low prices
Short duration of courses – days or weeks
Long list of accreditation agencies and affiliated bodies
Offer to accredit life experience
Links such as “Order Now” and “free evaluation forms” are often found at the
lower end of the market
Unlikely degree titles
No contact address
Contact details that differ from claimed location of the institution
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Examples of Degree Mills
The brochure
The reality
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Examples of Degree Mills
http://www.superiorfakedegrees.com/
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Examples of Degree Mills – what do they offer
Degree or Diploma Certificate – $230.00 (includes two copies of degree certificate)
Degree or Diploma Transcripts – $250.00 (includes two copies of degree
transcripts)
Degree Certificate and Transcripts Package – $380.00 (includes 2 copies of degree
or diploma certificate along with 2 copies of transcripts) You Save Over 20%!
2 Degrees + 2 Transcripts (2 different degrees, corresponding transcripts) –
$600.00
3 Degrees + 3 Transcripts (3 different degrees, corresponding transcripts) –
$850.00
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Examples of Degree Mills – what do they offer
Birth, Marriage or Death Certificate
Premium/Platinum Package
$120.00
$2500.00
(includes Passport, valid citizenship (your choice of 8 countries), birth, and marriage certificates, Visa or
MasterCard, Utility Bills, Lease agreement(s) and Bank Account)
Gold Package
$1500.00
(includes citizenship – your choice of 3 countries, passport, birth, and marriage certificates, utility bills,
lease agreement(s), MasterCard and Bank Account)
Silver Package
$1000.00
(Includes citizenship – your choice of 3 countries, passport, birth and marriage certificates)
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Degree Mills - Accreditation
In order to operate as a successful degree mill, accreditation
is necessary. Reputable accreditation agencies and
ministries of education cannot be approached, leaving the
prospective degree mill with 4 choices:
• Lie
• Pay bribes
• Gain accreditation from a body that does not provide
accreditation
• Invent an accreditation agency
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Degree Mills - Institutions
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Degree Mills - Institutions
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Degree Mills - Institutions
*As identified by the
Oregon State Department
of Education
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How UK NARIC members confirm an HE Institution
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Certificate example
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Where to find help
•UK NARIC*
•The Institution
•The Agent
*Many of UK NARIC’s members are using the counter fraud service to compile their own
database of genuine certificates (creating their own White / Black lists)
62% increase in the number of assessments that UK NARIC is undertaking
Links to relevant websites with list of diploma mills/unaccredited institutions
•Oregon List of Diploma Mills: http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/diploma_mill.html
•Maine List of unaccredited institutions:
http://www.maine.gov/education/highered/Non-Accredited/a-am.htm
•List of bogus accrediting agencies : http://www.degree.net/resources/accreditation/fakeaccrediting-agencies_200911122319.html
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Useful Sources of Information
Country specific sources for verifying documents
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Bangladesh: Secondary and higher secondary examination results
http://www.educationboardresults.gov.bd/
China: http://www.vetassess.com.au/migrate_to_australia/verify_chinese_documents.cfm
Gambia: (WAEC) http://www.waecgambia.org/resultchecker/
Ghana: (WAEC) http://ghana.waecdirect.org/
India: http://www.cbse.nic.in/
http://www.indiaresults.com/
Kenya: (KNEC) http://www.examscouncil.or.ke/index.php
Nigeria: (WAEC) http://www.waecdirect.org/
(NECO): http://www.neconigeria.org/
Pakistan:
– Secondary and Intermediate Examination results can be verified via the relevant examining boards’
website
– Degree verification: http://www.hec.gov.pk/insidehec/divisions/QALI/DegreeAttestationEquivalence/
DegreeAttestationServices/Pages/Default.aspx
– Verification for the University of the Punjab: http://www.pu.edu.pk/results/
Romania: http://www.ebacalaureat.ro/rezultate/
Sierra Leone: (WAEC) http://www.waecsierra-leone.org/
South Africa: Matric Results section of www.education.gov.za
http://www.nqf.org.za/pls/cms/page?s=3263,8281,0,0,177,348127,How_do_I_verify_learner_achieve
ments_of_qualifications
Sweden: Some universities issue transcripts with a code that can be checked on the universities’ website
Tanzania: ACSE results can be viewed on the Tanzania Examinations Council website www.necta.go.tz
Moldova: http://www.acte.edu.md/
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Ukraine: http://www.osvita.net
Fighting Fraud
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Training and awareness
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Contact the institutions
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Request as many documents as you can
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Increased security measures
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Verification systems
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Task
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Task
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UK NARIC - Services for Organisations
A range of
databases,
tools,
calculators,
converters and
training are
offered to
varied client
groups on
international
qualifications
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UK NARIC Training Programme
UK NARIC Training Provision
Bespoke and scheduled training sessions available including:
General Courses
Specialised, Advanced Courses
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Using UK NARIC’s Online Databases
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Education in China
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Evaluating International Qualifications
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Education in Eastern EU Member States
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Degrees of Deception – Combating Education •
Fraud
Education in English Speaking Africa
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Evaluating International Secondary
Qualifications
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Education in India, Pakistan and
Bangladesh
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Education in the Middle East
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Education in the UK
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Understanding the Bologna Process
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UK NARIC - Services for Organisations
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UK NARIC – Member Statistics
27%
• INTERNATIONAL
95%
• RENEWAL RATE
845
• MEMBERS
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