Search Page

Examination fraud remains the main challenge for the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), especially amongst parents who constantly ask for their children to receive favorable treatment, regardless of whether they meet requirements. JAMB is also fighting corruption in higher education institutions that admit students outside of the guidelines of the Ministry of Education.

A former administrator from Houston Independent School District was sentenced to one year of probation for her involvement in the admission scandal that ensnared wealthy parents across the country. She was accused of taking bribes from the admission consultant at the center of the scheme in exchange for allowing someone to sit exams on behalf of their clients ‘children or correct their answers. 50 more people were arrested last year in the scheme, in which authorities say undeserving kids were admitted to top universities with bogus athletic credentials or fake test scores.

Private universities in Yemen charge tuition fees in US dollars and create their own currency exchange rates, causing many students to drop out of school. Until 2017, the Central Bank of Yemen in Sanaa set the price of the dollar at 250 Yemeni rials. However, private universities in Taiz set the exchange rate at 400 rials for a dollar and the universities of Aden at 500. Other private universities require students in Aden to pay in dollars and do not accept rials. This forces students to resort to the black market, with an exchange rate of 820 rials per dollar.

Despite the growth of academic institutions in Nigeria, the Federal and State Governments have failed to meet the increasing demand for university and polytechnic education, resulting in the adoption of a quota system. This practice, structured on favouritism towards indigenes of a particular state over others, has led many denied admission seekers to commit fraud. Meanwhile, federal institutions in some areas are under-enrolled and others over-crowded, resulting in misuse and over-use of resources.

Many Indian students fall prey to unscrupulous middlemen and end up being admitted to fake or sub-standard universities after spending substantial amounts of money. In order to help students authenticate courses and institutions in America and prevent fraud, the United States Embassy in India is launching a specially designed app. The US app developed as a pilot project in partnership with an Indian visa and immigration consultancy firm will provide guidance from trained advisories and information on scholarships.

Fees for manipulating entrance test scores are between $80 to $20 000 for the most popular programs, such as computer science, medicine or engineering. Many feel the only way to clean up the system is to expand educational opportunities.