Fairfax Media | 12 March 2015
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Box Hill Institute has been accused by some former teachers and students of altering international students’ exams to ensure they pass.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……
Four former teachers and two students from Box Hill Institute referred the allegations to Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog in October and have also raised their concerns with new higher education minister Steve Herbert.
In a submission to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission the group alleged that exam papers had been re-marked so struggling international students could pass.
Fairfax Media reports that it “understands” that in mid-2013 a number of student’s exams were altered, increasing their marks to the pass rate of 50.
Teachers raised concerns about the alleged marking fraud to management, and an investigation has been occurring ever since.
But Box Hill Institute chief executive Norman Gray said he was confident that the allegations were unfounded.
Australian Education Union TAFE president Greg Barclay said cuts over the past four years had strained TAFEs, which relied on student enrolments to sustain their income, and that TAFE teachers feel pressured to pass incompetent students, a union survey reveals.