Who are these unregistered educational institutions?

Fri, Jun 20, 2014

It would appear from the frequency and intensity of the appeals being made by the National Accreditation Board (NAB) for Vincentians to be vigilant, that a significant number of our people are falling prey to educational scams.{{more}}

There is, at present, a very positive atmosphere in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), which is prompting people at all stages of life and educational achievement to attempt to improve their circumstances by acquiring more advanced certification.

Unfortunately, some people, through ignorance, naivety, or both, have been signing up for programmes which promise advanced certification in diverse areas, in a time frame which is much shorter than the norm. The persons behind these scams seduce their victims by playing on their ignorance of the academic rigour required at different levels and by using flattery. The fraudsters convince the applicants that their life experiences are equivalent to dozens of academic courses at the university level, and by taking just a few more courses, and of course, paying a hefty fee, they could have a master’s degree in a few months time.

On Tuesday this week, the NAB held a one-day symposium as part of a drive they are spearheading to prevent people from wasting their money on worthless academic courses. The mantra of the NAB over the past year or so has been consistent – there are schools out there that are only interested in taking your money, stay away from them.

The NAB and officials from the Ministry of Education need to go a step further. While our local officials have no control over fraudsters operating from overseas, is there nothing we can do about those operating from here in SVG?

So far, the NAB and the Ministry have been unwilling to provide the names of institutions operating in this country that they do not recognize, but we think it is time that they do. Why don’t they just say which schools are not registered? Or better yet, if they have proof that these organizations are defrauding members of the public, shut them down!

No matter how much public awareness is done by the NAB and the Ministry of Education, once these organizations exist, our people will fall victim. Let’s name them!