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Certificate scam
A TERTIARY institution has been warned to
watch out for students using “fake” certificates to enroll at the
college.
The Balob Teachers College has already caught one person trying to use
another person’s name to enroll, and will launch a full investigation
next week after registration of new intakes are completed.
An education official from the Enga province claimed yesterday that many
Grade 10 “drop-outs” were buying Grade 12 certificates from other
students to enroll at tertiary institutions around the country.
Education Secretary for Gutnius Lutheran Church in Enga Mark Beto told
The National in Mt Hagen yesterday that he had just returned from Lae’s
Balob Teachers’ College, where he saw 11 Grade 10 drop-outs from Enga
province lining up with other students to enroll at the college on
Monday.
Mr Beto said he learnt that they were trying to enroll as self-sponsored
students.
He said he checked a list of 128 names of students who would be
self-sponsored and the names of these 11 students were not on the list.
He said he believed they would enrolling under different names, using
certificates they bought from Grade 12 students either currently
employed or studying at other institutions around the country.
He said he was very concerned because the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Papua New Guinea and Gut Nius Lutheran Church operated the college.
Mr Beto, who is also a council member of the college, said he had
already raised the matter with Balob Teachers College administrators
while in Lae.
He said he would help identify the students once an investigation is
launched.
He said some of the Grade 10 drop-outs he saw at Balob were in their
villages in Enga for the last five years, and never upgraded their marks
at the College of Distance Education.
Mr Beto named a teacher in his village, whom he knew dropped out of
Grade 10 in 1999 but somehow obtained a Grade 12 certificate to enroll
at the college and was now a teacher.
He believed this fraudulent activity was not only happening at Balob
Teachers’ College but also in other tertiary institutions around the
country, and a tough screening process was required during enrolment.
Balob Teachers College deputy principle Mulung Kumend said while they
were aware of the allegations, they would allow registration to be
completed this week before double checking certificates and their
credibility.
He said one student from the Bugandi Secondary School in Lae was caught
trying to use someone else’s name to enroll yesterday morning.
He added that the school was enrolling students basing on the acceptance
list tendered by the Office of Higher Education on the Grade 12,
matriculations and self-sponsor students for this year and there was no
other list.
Mr Kumend said students involved in forging certificates, using false
names and other people’s name will be dealt with when found because it
is a crime.
“We will have students who use false pretence to enter the college
arrested next week when we do individual checks on students,” he added.
 
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