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Evaluating International Qualifications and Combating Education Fraud

Simon Potter

qualifications are better understood

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Session Overview

• UK NARIC

• Evaluating qualifications

• What is education fraud?

• What’s on offer

• What documents to request

• Fake documents

• Degree mills

• English language

• 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.

• 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

Professional Bodies

Thematic Steering GroupsFE and HE

institutions

Quality Standards

Group

Core Services

Monitoring Group

UK NARIC

Quality Assurance

Bodies

ENIC-NARIC

Network

ENIC–NARIC Network

Comprises 54 recognition centres linking European countries, Australasia, North America

Sharing and providing information on:

•Recognition of foreign qualifications

•Education systems internationally and in the centre’s own country to other recognition centres, institutions, employers and other relevant stakeholders

•Best practice in recognition

Government

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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

• How do you know whether a qualification is legitimate?

• Who should you consult?

• 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?

• Education fraud falls into two areas:– By an individual– By an institution

• Individuals wishing to ‘improve’ themselves through claiming to have qualifications

• 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

• 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

• Gene Morrison• Bogus forensic detective

(UK) – 30 yrs• Bought degree on the web

• Stein Bagger• Danish Entrepreneur of the Year• Held fake qualifications - 'San

Francisco Technical University'

• Abdul Pirzada• Fake doctor jailed over CV lies• Claimed to have Pakistani

qualifications

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Fraud Worldwide

China: Fake documents widely available e.g. Back Alley Press

USA: Varying state legislation means that degree mills can often freely operate

Both India and Pakistan have extensive lists of fake universities operating

Corruption is a major problem in Russia, facilitating educational fraud

Nigeria and Cameroon suffer from an endemic traffic in fraudulent documents

Many Caribbean islands do not have fully accredited programmes; particularly medical universities

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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

• The variety of fonts used

• Lack of official stamps

• Paper quality

• Misalignment

• Size and shape

• Handwriting

• Scanned signatures

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Linguistic features and other possible signs

• Informal language• Unlikely degree titles• Spelling errors• Inconsistent terminology• Incorrect translations into English

• 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 attemptSecond course – second attemptAfter this, students must repeat the year

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What documents to request - WAEC

Perforated paper

Candidate number

Certificate number

Hologram

Stamp

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What documents to request - WAEC

Hologram

Statement number

Certified Statement

Watermark

Background pattern

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What documents to request - Pakistan

Is the board recognised?

Which group?

Certificate number

Identification mark

Compulsory subjects

Electives

Date

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What documents to request - India

<Name> <No.>

Is the board recognised?

Grading information

Board emblem

Index number

Watermark

Background pattern

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Genuine or fake?

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Genuine or fake?

Two titles

Scanned photograph

Poor quality image

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

Signatures scanned in

Cape of Good Hope (Hoop is Afrikaans)

If a document is original then there is no need to state it

Crest is incorrect and misaligned

Generally there are too many fonts

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Pakistan

NameName

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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:

• 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 $120.00

Premium/Platinum Package $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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*As identified by the Oregon State Department of Education

Degree Mills - Institutions

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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 undertakingLinks 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/fake-accrediting-agencies_200911122319.html

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Useful Sources of Information

Country specific sources for verifying documents

• 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/• Ukraine: http://www.osvita.net

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Fighting Fraud

• Training and awareness

• Contact the institutions

• Request as many documents as you can

• Increased security measures

• 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 ProvisionBespoke and scheduled training sessions available including:

General Courses Specialised, Advanced Courses

• Using UK NARIC’s Online Databases • Education in China

• Evaluating International Qualifications • Education in Eastern EU Member States

• Degrees of Deception – Combating Education Fraud

• Education in English Speaking Africa

• Evaluating International Secondary Qualifications

• Education in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

• Education in the Middle East

• Education in the UK

• Understanding the Bologna Process

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UK NARIC - Services for Organisations

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UK NARIC – Member Statistics

• INTERNATIONAL27%

• RENEWAL RATE95%

• MEMBERS845