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Archives August 2010

  • Aug, Sat, 2010

Asian immigrants in cash-for-qualifications “scam”

Investigations led to the discovery of colleges that were allegedly selling English language qualifications. The examination watchdog, Ofqual, found that certificates were being issued with “virtually no training or learning taking place and with insufficient rigour in the assessment process”.

According to The Times, one such college — grandly named Oxford College of Management Sciences — is being investigated after it was alleged that it was selling English language certificates for between £250 to £450. The newspaper said a 38-year-old UK-based Pakistani citizen Rizwan Ahmed Kiyani, who runs the college with another fellow Pakistani was being investigated by the U.K. Border Agency which was “actively seeking to remove both men from the country”.

To Read More Click Here
  • Aug, Thu, 2010

New Tier 4 English Requirements from Today

UK Immigration has already made a number of significant changes to the UK tier 4 visa scheme for students including changes to the English language requirements:

If you wish apply for student visas under Tier 4 (General) from Today or after 12 August 2010 for courses below NQF Level 6 you must be with English language ability at a minimum of level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). This excludes Foundation Degree courses or an English language course.

This implies Courses at NQF level 6 and above need not have the above English requirement but universities might ask such students to provide an evidence of their proficiency in English Language, popularly the IELTS

You can download a list of approved test providers from here

  • Aug, Thu, 2010

Fraudulent Tactics Lure Students to For-Profit Colleges

I find below article is in harmony with this site theme, it is US context, still many lessons are universal, it is not a master piece of research, it is just some sort of insight and news yet it is worth to read and ponder – Rushdy Razak

It sounds like an oxymoron, or at the least, a very bad idea. But ‘for-profit’ colleges, run by private corporations and often charging far more than their public counterparts, are spreading faster than you can say “massive debt” or “the next bubble to burst.” click here to read more

  • Aug, Wed, 2010

Thames Valley University to become the ‘University of West London’

The TVU which was granted university status in 1992, has been granted permission by Privy Council to officially change its name to the ‘University of West London’.The university website reports that the new name will be introduced across the University this October accompanied by a new brand and logo. This will coincide with the installation of a new Chancellor and a celebration of a 150 year milestone for education in Ealing. Current Thames Valley University students and applicants will not be required to take any action and a new UCAS code will be introduced for those applying to study in 2011.
Brunel unsuccessfully had a legal battle with the TVU for the name, last week the BPP, the popular Accountancy and Law training provider and training materials publisher became University College amid University funding and job cuts universities are competitively working to to build up reputation and generate extra revenue sources, having “London” in the name of the University is a strategic branding move but the university has insisted that it was a strategic move saying its operations moved in to west London locations, Ealing and Brentford campuses
It is noted that TVU has come up top in league tables from other modern London Universities such as East London
We wish it is not mere re branding, we wish as its mission it shall shed strong focus on employer engagement, in particular, vocational and professional education in a variety of national and international arenas. 

Rushdy Razak