Search Page

Thirty-five former school officials have been implicated in a test cheating scandal, and have been given a deadline to surrender to authorities in the state of Georgia. The accused in the city of Atlanta face counts of racketeering, making false statements and conspiring to improve test scores to win cash bonuses.

The State Board of Higher Education is working to tighten admission policies for international students after an audit found some Chinese student transcripts submitted to Dickinson State University were fakes.

The government of Lower California wrongfully assigned 91.5 million pesos from federal funds to cover the wages of people working for the national union of education workers (SNTE) , instead of channelling it into activities of direct benefit to schools and teachers, as laid down by the contribution fund for basic education and teacher training (FAEB).

Last year, the ombudsman for Andalusia received 150 complaints over the enrolment process, according to the 2008 report just published. This is why he favours harsher penalties for fraudulent applications as there are no clear-cut punitive measures that set an example. However, the province's education ministry maintains that punishment is not the best response, so no sanctions will be taken.

Le directeur provincial de l'éducation confirme que le principal d'une école du soir, au nord de Quito, fait l'objet d'une enquête suite à des soupçons de détournement de fonds et de harcèlement sexuel. Le principal, à la tête de l'école depuis 23 ans, a demandé aux étudiants d'acheter des uniformes et des joggings exclusivement à l'école ; en outre, il a embauché deux de ses proches en tant qu'enseignants alors que l'un d'entre eux n'avait jamais enseigné.

Teaching positions are for sale in Mexico, and have been for decades. Although seldom discussed, the practice—established by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) to reward party loyalists—is apparently widespread. The going price for a teaching position in a public primary school is reported to be between $5,000 and $12,000, depending on locale. Teachers who resign can either sell their positions or pass them on to their children. In at least some cases, local governments and the teachers' union supervise the buying and selling process. However, a recent reform effort—the "Alliance for Education Quality" (ACE)—signed by the government and the national teachers' union in May, would base new teacher appointments on merit, via an examination administered by an independent body. Not surprisingly, it has generated a vociferous response at the grass-roots level. Teachers have gone on strike in many states, marching on government offices, closing schools and blocking streets.