This is the title of an editorial piece that appeared in the “Talk Around Town” section of Việt Nam News the a few days ago.  It’s about the booming business in fake certificates and the broader issue of corruption in the Vietnam’s educational system…  Who reads Việt Nam News?  Mostly foreigners

I discuss the issue of corruption in two posts from April and October 2010:

“Shady education practices corrupt young minds”  and

“Fighting corruption in education sector an uphill battle”

Dennis McCornac, a US professor who’s quoted in the above Việt Nam News article, wrote an essay in 2008 entitled Corruption in Vietnamese Higher Education (PDF), which appeared in the International Higher Education, the quarterly newsletter of the Boston College Center for International Higher Education (CIHE).
Let Me Count the Ways

Below is a partial list of examples of educational corruption:

• cheating during exams
• “rent-a-student” services
• fraudulent research and plagiarism
• bribery for entry/admission
• use of fraudulent credentials (e.g., degrees, certificates)
• bribery related to the recruitment and promotion of teachers
• extra (illegal) fees for teaching
• theft of materials from construction projects
• kickbacks for the purchase of  supplies/equipment

There are many ways to skin a cat, as the expression goes.

Finally, here is a link to a very informative report from a UNESCO/IIEP on corruption in education in Vietnam held from 11-13 October 2010.

MAA