Countering Education Fraud

For a quality education free of fraud and corruption – a new Recommendation adopted by the Committee of Ministers. Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)18 on countering education fraud addresses the need for a common European approach to ethics, integrity and transparency in education. It makes recommendations for four areas related to education fraud: prevention, prosecution, international cooperation and monitoring. Education is understood in its broader scope, with all measures contained in the text applying to access to, and all levels and forms of, education, offline and online, from pre- primary to higher education, including vocational education and lifelong learning. The Recommendation and explanatory memorandum include definitions of education fraud, plagiarism and different types of providers of fraudulent documents such as diploma, accreditation and visa “mills”, as well as essay banks.

Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)18 on countering education fraud addresses the need for a common European approach to ethics, integrity and transparency in education. It makes recommendations for four areas related to education fraud: prevention, prosecution, international cooperation and monitoring. Education is understood in its broader scope, with all measures contained in the text applying to access to, and all levels and forms of, education, offline and online, from pre-primary to higher education, including vocational education and lifelong learning. The Recommendation and explanatory memorandum include definitions of education fraud, plagiarism and different types of providers of fraudulent documents such as diploma, accreditation and visa "mills", as well as essay banks

In July 2022, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)18 aimed at assisting its member states in combating fraud in the field of education. The recommendation followed four years of work in the framework of the ETINED platform of the Council of Europe on ethics, integrity and transparency in education, and addresses the need for a common European approach in this field. This new international standard is structured in four dimensions: prevention, prosecution, international co-operation and monitoring. The text makes six main recommendations to member states of the Council of Europe: to promote high-quality education by eliminating education fraud; to protect pupils, students, researchers and staff at all levels of education from organisations and individuals engaged in selling (and advertising) fraudulent services; to provide support for the implementation of preventive and protective measures, as well as a culture of equality of opportunity at all levels and in all sectors of education and training, and in the transition between these sectors; to monitor technological developments that could support new forms of fraud; to facilitate international co-operation in the field; to support wide dissemination of the recommendation. The research studies in this book analyse the situation in countering education fraud in some member states at the time when the recommendation was adopted and give suggestions for consistent implementation of it in the future.

Fraud and Education gives an informative overview of cheating in examinations in the U.S. and foreign countries and of the current state of fraud in education and research. It differs however, from many popular treatises on the same subject, in that it is not intended as a blanket condemnation of American (or foreign) education. Instead of assigning blame for the prevalence of fraud, the authors point to such factors as growth in the number of persons engaged in education and research, pressures on individuals to succeed, improvements in communications (especially the Internet and e-mail), and in techniques of document reproduction.

This book addresses an important topic in higher education: credential fraud. This includes, but is not limited to, fake degrees, diploma mills, admissions fraud, and cheating on standardized admissions tests. The book directly addresses fake and fraudulent credentials in higher education. It explores transcript tampering and fraud in varsity athletics and discusses lazy practices in the higher education hiring processes that open the door for professors without proper credentials to get jobs in post-secondary institutions. The book also discusses how technology is being used to stop the proliferation of fake and fraudulent credentials in a variety of ways, including blockchain technology.

Substantially reduce the largely hidden cost of fraud, and reap a new competitive advantage. As the title suggests, Countering Fraud for Competitive Advantage presents a compelling business case for investing in anti-fraud measures to counter financial crime. It looks at the ways of reaping a new competitive advantage by substantially reducing the hidden cost of fraud. Aimed at a wide business community and based on solid research, it is the only book to put forward an evidence-based model for combating corporate fraud and financial crime. Despite its increase and capture of the news headlines, corporate fraud is largely ignored by most organizations. Fraud is responsible for losses of up to nine percent of revenues—sometimes more. Yet, most organizations don't believe they have a problem and don't always measure fraud losses. This highlights an area for capturing a competitive advantage—with the right counter-fraud strategy, massive losses due to the cost of fraud can be reduced for a fraction of the return. Advocates a new model for tackling fraud and illustrates theories with best practice examples from around the world The authors have close links with the Counter Fraud Professional Accreditation Board: Jim Gee is a world–renowned expert in the field, and has advised private companies and governments from more than 35 countries. Mark Button is Director of the leading Centre for Counter Fraud Studies, Portsmouth University, U.K. Organizations are losing millions of dollars to fraud. This book outlines a comprehensive approach to reducing financial crime and helping return some of the revenue lost to the cost of fraud.

A basis to consolidate the definitions of terms related to ethics and integrity in education This glossary has been prepared within the framework of the Council of Europe Platform on Ethics, Transparency and Integrity in Education (ETINED). Based on Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)18 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on countering education fraud, the glossary includes 135 definitions which aim to provide clarity on 76 key terms related to ethics and integrity in education. Methodologically, the glossary integrates terms from various Council of Europe recommendations, spanning from 1998 to 2022, along with insights from reputable glossaries. Terms such as ethics, transparency and integrity are meticulously explained, with attention being paid to differences in interpretation in order to aid understanding in diverse educational contexts. Readers are also encouraged to explore related glossaries for a broader understanding of nuanced concepts. For users, including stakeholders engaged in promoting ethics across educational levels, this glossary offers invaluable insights. It not only defines terms but also highlights their potential implications and provides additional explanations, thereby enhancing comprehension and applicability, and encouraging informed discourse as well as action within educational communities.

This edited volume—the first book devoted to the topic of contract cheating—brings together the perspectives of leading scholars presenting novel research. Contract cheating describes the outsourcing of students’ assessments to third parties such that the assignments or exams students submit are not their own work. While research in this area has grown over the past five years, the phenomenon has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Themes addressed in this book include the definition of contract cheating, its prevalence in higher education, and what motivates students to engage in it. Chapter authors also consider various interventions that can be used to address contract cheating’s threat to academic integrity in higher education including: assessment practice, education, detection strategies, policy design, and legal interventions.

School Corruption: Betrayal of Children and the Public Trust is an exposé of corruption in public schools and related agencies. It shatters the complacency and silence of the pervasive corruption found in school districts throughout the Nation. Dr. Armand A. Fusco provides a detailed look at the rationale for the three levels of corrupt acts: cheating and deceit, waste and mismanagement, and fraud and stealing. Find out how and where shameful and deplorable corrupt acts have been committed in each state and school district as Fusco delves into some tough questions: Why does corruption and 'political correctness" lead to poor student achievement, disgraceful school outcomes, and failing schools? How does inept school governance allow corruption to flourish with such ease? What is the most important question that is never asked of an applicant for superintendent of schools? The harsh reality is that corruption has become a natural part of the educational landscape, but it's hidden from view by walls of denial and self-protection. Only by accepting the challenge of a new beginning can trust be restored so that the devastating impact of corrupt acts on the education of children, and the violation of the public trust, will become a thing of the past.