British Council's IELTS Service upgraded

We’ve had occasion to blog about IELTS before, and have had many reports of concerns about examination security, and even of the legal status of IELTS examiners in certain countries. There is a serious problem of audit. But today we learn that not only does the British Council audit itself (or not – our correspondent uncovered a centre which had not been audited at all in 15 years), but the British Council’s own employees are now alleged to be taking money to sit the exam for others. The report from the Punjab will make unhappy reading for the organisation, and probably won’t go down too well in Canberra and Cambridge.

Thus we have a true one-stop solution from the British Council. Knock on the right door and the organisation can help you take the exam, can help you pass the exam, can help you find a place in a university (as long as that university pays them), and then help you get a visa to go to Britain. They probably do airline tickets as well. All it takes is money. And happily there are no outside busybodies / inspectors / committees / professionals checking up on them who might spoil the party.

 

Unless of course someone gets caught (British Council employees getting caught taking IELTS? And nobody noticed?)

 

The police chief in the Punjab says “There is a possibility of involvement of more British Council employees in this racket”. More than a possibility I’d say. 

EDIT: More in today's Telegraph

 

Comments

[Ian]

Reading this makes me so cross.

Unfortunately the reports cited don't provide a lot of information. Nevertheless, the Telegraph does add to the Thaindia News report. We learn that the British Council Co-ordinator detected the "fake candidates" but that these imposters had already taken the exam five times earlier! Just how careful are the British Council's ID and security checks? Clearly not careful enough!

There is so much more I'd like to know about this. Why did British Council employees, who are usually better paid than their peers, succumb to this temptation? Is this simply a matter of British Council employees having better English language ability or were they recruited for their 'inside knowledge'? If this is an organised gang and more British Council employees are thought to be involved, just how deep does this go?

For all the hype that "the security and integrity of IELTS are paramount", this is yet another example of the British Council's failure to provide just that. The British Council are milking this cash cow for all it is worth - at the expense of its "security and integrity". IELTS, like Topsy, has 'just growed' and has now 'outgrowed' the British Council's ability to control it.

Until IELTS loses its virtual monopoly there will be no incentive to improve. This monopoly exists because of the British Council's priviledged position. How can other businesses compete with an organisation that is already in place in many countries around the world, thanks to the British taxpayer? Technology may be the answer and we can only hope that this might help future competitors, such as Pearson's new test (PTE Academic).

[David]

More again today: http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/20692/38/
Interesting that 3 BC employees were arrested and a fourth one got away, so we have a BC employee on the run from the police in India. (I wonder if he/she has a visa to come to Britain...)

[Bounce]

Has there been any more on this one? The Telegraph link doesn't work, leaving three local sites that come up through Google, but not much information.
I did a bit of digging and none of the names mentioned in the article on thaindian.com seem to be employees, unless all trace of them has been removed from the system in the last few days. If you know the BC, I think you'd agree that the level of organisational efficiency required to do that within the timeframe is far beyond our capabilities. Nor is there a BC office in Chandigarh, apart from a partner library, although I suppose people from other offices could be coming in to run exams there.
Interestingly, I heard on the internal grapevine that it was actually local staff of the 'other provider' of IELTS in Chandigarh who were involved, but it was reported as BC because it's the best known of the IELTS partner organisations. This could, of course, just be my colleagues in Exams covering their backs with misinformation(a practice not unknown in BC circles).
Anyway, what I'm angling at is that I don't think this story in its current form is solid enough to run - the fact that the Telegraph seem to have taken down the story suggests they may also feel it isn't strong (unless you think the BC have nobbled them, which would surely be to hilariously overstate its power and reach).
Your recap on the Education UK debacle, on the other hand - great. That's why I read the blog.