Fake university degrees
have always been part of the dark side of the professional
and academic world. In the field of teaching English as
a foreign language (TEFL) in Japan, there are some who
claim false academic or professional qualifications in
order to obtain well paid teaching or administraive positions
in commercial language schools, regular schools or tertiary
institutions.
It is a given of
the teaching profession, in most of the world including
Japan, that teachers be university graduates or have received
teacher training. The field of TEFL, throughout Asia,
not just Japan, has often been an exception. One reason
for this is the fact that until recently, there were more
teaching jobs than there were people willing to fill them
and so there was little incentive for Japanese employers
to check out prospective teacher's qualifications. Another
reason is that until the development of professional courses
in the teaching of EFL, there was little relationship
between simply having a university degree and being an
EFL teacher.
Fake degrees are
reprehensible for two reasons: The students have a right
to be taught by qualified teachers. Those who lie about
their backgrounds are being employed under false pretenses,
and have from the first day to the last day of their employment
been "living a lie."
There are two main
ways to fake a degree. The easiest way is to simply claim
graduation, by adding it to a resume for example. This
has been compared with putting a "time-bomb"
in one's resume. The other is to actually forge a legal
document. The fact that the Immigration Department demands
copies of degree certificates creates a demand for fake
certificates, often obtained from printers in Seoul or
Bangkok or even the convienence store colour copier. This
leads to traffic in actual fake certificates, and colour
photocopies of other peoples' degrees with the original
name whited out and a new one inserted.
The heavy reliance
on the "personal introduction system" in Japan
means that a person is often likely to be recommended
for a position, even at a university, on the basis of
a personal relationship with someone with an "in"
at that institution. Given the personal nature of such
relationships, it is unlikely that verbal claims for a
degree will be checked.
There have been cases
where degree frauds have been exposed, much to the embarrassment
of both the institution and the person who made the introduction.
Ironically, having a fake degree can lead to a promotion.
Far from being a good thing for the con, it may well put
him or her in contact with professionals who are genuinely
qualified. Not having done the academic work, the readings,
the examinations the con just "doesn't make sense"
when talking over a curriculum problem or whatever. From
there, it's only a matter of time before the sudden departure
of a school's director or a head teacher, to "take
care of a sick mother." Most institutions do everything
they can to cover up such scandals once they come to light
because the damage the prestige and reputaion of the school.
Many institutions
now require their new teachers to submit documents - such
as original transcripts issued directly by the institution
graduation is claimed from - before their positions are
confirmed. Others simply pick up the phone or fax the
institution. Most universities consider the names, dates
of attendance and degrees awarded (if any) - but not the
student's grades - to be public information. They are
quite willing to confirm these facts over the phone.
The phone or fax
number and probably the email addresses of foreign universities
can usually be obtained from the embassy of the country
it is in. Try the education officer or the librarian.
Considering the damage a fake degree scandal do to an
education institution, the price of a phone call or fax
is cheap insurance indeed.
As there have been
several such frauds at large Japanese teaching institutions,
the better ones are beginning introduce new procedures
for vetting their existing staff and their new-hires.
This trend will likely accelerate as the economy continues
to deteriorate and TEFL employers try to upgrade the quality
of their existing etaff while looking for ways of getting
rid of undesirable staffers. Since lying to obtain a position
is usually considered sufficient ground for instant dismissal,
appeals from former employees caught red-faced tend to
fall on the deaf ears of both goverment and union officials.
It's a cheap way to get rid of redundant staff too. As
the famous educationalist Dr.John Bear says: If your're
up for degree fraud, you better hope your lawyer's qualifications
are real!
Another form of fraud
is to exaggerate positions held. Thus someone with say,
two part-time jobs at the same college or university who
goes around billing himself as a "full-time"
ie "tenured" professor is looking for trouble.
This is more than "gilding the lily."
It is inevitable
that as more qualified teachers enter the market place
in Japan, and as Japanese employers become more skillful
at identifying and hiring suitable teachers, degree-fakers
and con artists will find themselves in a difficult situation.
