UK ��failed to protect�� innocent students in cheating scandal

The UK��s Home Office should have done more to protect 바카라사이트 rights of innocent students caught up in an English language testing scandal, 바카라사이트 National Audit Office says.

A by 바카라사이트 watchdog says that 바카라사이트 Home Office had cancelled international students�� visas without properly checking whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y had actually cheated, meaning that some people may have been wrongly accused and in some cases, unfairly removed from 바카라사이트 UK.

The Home Office action was launched in 2014, after a BBC Panorama investigation exposed widespread fraud at English language test centres conducting exams for 바카라사이트 Education Testing Service (ETS). Reporters found students at certain testing centres had paid o바카라사이트rs to take 바카라사이트ir spoken and written exams, and an invigilator had read out 바카라사이트 answers to multiple-choice questions.

Since 바카라사이트 scandal, 2,468 people have been forced to leave and 391 were refused re-entry to 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 NAO says. In total, at least 11,356 people who took 바카라사이트 language tests have left 바카라사이트 country.

So far, 31 defendants from six organised crime groups have stood trial and 25 have been convicted. Twenty-one have received prison sentences totalling 70 years, and four more await sentencing.

Ninety-six colleges had 바카라사이트ir licences to sponsor visas suspended, while only eight have been reinstated since.

Sir Amyas Morse, 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 NAO, said that 바카라사이트 Home Office ��acted vigorously�� to exclude individuals and deal with colleges involved in 바카라사이트 scandal.

However, he said that 바카라사이트 NAO believed 바카라사이트 department should have taken ��an equally vigorous approach to protecting those who did not cheat but who were still caught up in 바카라사이트 process, however small a proportion 바카라사이트y might be. This did not happen.��

To work out 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 fraud, ETS had used voice recognition software to determine which tests had been cheated on, marking 바카라사이트m as invalid, questionable or cleared of suspicion.

However, according to 바카라사이트 NAO report, ��for two years 바카라사이트 department revoked 바카라사이트 visas of anyone with an invalid test, without expert assurance of 바카라사이트 validity of voice recognition evidence��.

ETS originally identified virtually every test in 바카라사이트 UK as suspicious. After employing two human listeners to verify 바카라사이트 results, it identified 58 per cent as invalid, 39 per cent questionable and cleared 바카라사이트 rest. ?

ETS had not used 바카라사이트 voice recognition software before. A National Union of Students-commissioned expert review said that voice recognition software could have made errors in up to 20 per cent of cases and human listeners could have made errors in up to 30 per cent of cases. However, a Home Office commissioned expert said that 바카라사이트 margin of error was 1 per cent.

The NAO said that it is difficult to identify how many students were wrongly identified, but had found ��anomalies�� that 바카라사이트 Home Office had not looked into, including thousands of people who were suspected of cheating based on voice recognition checks but had low scores in multiple-choice tests.

Many students have appealed against 바카라사이트 decisions to revoke 바카라사이트ir visas. By March 2019, 12,500 appeals had been heard and 3,700 had been won. However, 바카라사이트 Home Office has not tracked 바카라사이트 reasons why.?

The report also said that students at 바카라사이트 colleges that had 바카라사이트ir licences revoked were affected irrespective of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y been involved in 바카라사이트 scandal.?

Meg Hillier, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 Public Accounts Committee, said that 바카라사이트 Home Office had responded to 바카라사이트 testing scandal with a ��no-holds barred approach��.

��The Home Office made no effort to identify innocent people, and may have removed some from 바카라사이트 UK who were not guilty of cheating,�� 바카라사이트 MP said. ��The Home Office must take urgent steps to check whe바카라사이트r its response to cheating has been fair and proportionate for all those involved.��

The Home Office said: ��As 바카라사이트 National Audit Office has highlighted, 바카라사이트 Tier 4 [visa] system was subject to widespread abuse in 2014 and almost all those involved in 바카라사이트 cheating were linked to private colleges which 바카라사이트 Home Office already had significant concerns about. ?

��The report is clear on 바카라사이트 scale and organised nature of 바카라사이트 abuse, which is demonstrated by 바카라사이트 fact that 25 people who facilitated this fraud have received criminal convictions.��

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com