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UK English test scandal: Foreign students launch legal action against Home Office

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UK English test scandal: Foreign students launch legal action against Home Office

A group of international students, including many from India and Pakistan, have initiated legal action against the UK Home Office for being wrongly accused of cheating in English language tests.

The students are seeking compensation for unlawful detention, false imprisonment, loss of earnings, and mental health damage, according to ITV News. The students, represented by Bindmans law firm, are also pursuing a blanket compensation scheme for all affected individuals.

The legal proceedings come after the Home Office abruptly terminated the visas of 35,000 international students a decade ago, rendering their stay in the country illegal overnight.

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The law firm has filed 23 claims between October 2020 and March 2022, with only one case being settled so far. The accusation of organized cheating at UK language testing centers for international students was initially reported in a 2014 BBC documentary.

The testing centers were run by third parties on behalf of the US-based test provider, Educational Testing Service (ETS). Then-Home Secretary Theresa May instructed ETS to investigate, leading to the revelation that 97 percent of English tests taken in the UK between 2011 and 2014 were found to be suspicious.

In response to the accusations, a Home Office spokesperson acknowledged the fraudulent activities but maintained that there was a large-scale problem with cheating. The students had previously presented a petition to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last year, seeking assistance in clearing their names. The petition called for a simple, free mechanism for students to apply for a decision or reconsideration of their cases.

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The legal proceedings and pursuit of compensation by the affected international students highlight the enduring impact of the false cheating accusations. The students’ efforts to seek justice and exoneration from the accusations reflect the ongoing repercussions of the Home Office’s actions a decade ago, which abruptly disrupted the lives and education of thousands of international students.

London, Feb 20 (IANS) A group of international students, who were falsely accused of cheating in English language tests in the UK, have launched legal proceedings against the Home Office.

The students, many of them from countries like India and Pakistan, are now seeking compensation for unlawful detention false imprisonment, loss of earnings, and damage to their mental health, ITV News reported.

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Bindmans, a law firm representing 23 students who have already won immigration appeals and had their visas returned, is now working to obtain a blanket compensation scheme for them.

Between October 2020 and March 2022, the firm issued 23 claims with only one case being settled so far.

The move comes 10 years after the Home Office abruptly terminated the visas of 35,000 international students, making their stay in the country illegal overnight.

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A 2014 BBC documentary reported “organized cheating” at two of the UK’s language testing centers for international students, run by third parties on behalf of US-based test provider, Educational Testing Service (ETS).

After the BBC report, then Home Secretary Theresa May asked ETS to investigate, which found that 97 percent of its English tests taken in the UK between 2011 and 2014 were in some way suspicious.

A 2019 report by the Public Accounts Committee said the Home Office “rushed to penalise overseas students, and did not bother to find out whether ETS was involved in fraud or if it had reliable evidence”.

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“Given the scale of fraud it is impossible to say that nobody was wrongly affected and we acknowledge several appeals have succeeded. However, we continue to believe there was a large-scale problem with cheating,” a Home Office spokesperson told ITV News.

The students had also approached and presented a petition to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March last year, seeking his help to clear their names.

In their petition to the Prime Minister, the students called for a simple, free mechanism to apply for a decision or reconsideration of their case.

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IANS, established in 1986, is India's largest independent news service, offering 24x7 news from India and South Asia, and a preferred source for diverse content across six business verticals.

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Bank of America Associate Dies with Acute Coronary Artery Thrombus

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Bank of America Associate Dies with Acute Coronary Artery Thrombus

Bank of America (BAC. N) announced on Monday that an investment banker at the organization met his/her ultimate demise. 

While the netizens are searching and speculating about the reason behind a Bank of America employee’s death, it is unveiled that the deceased passed away of natural causes, reported Reuters.

The details were confirmed by the Chief Medical Examiner of the New York Office when he was asked about decoding the possible reasons for the employees’ deaths. An email from the New York Office confirmed this. 

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The organization announced that the person “died of acute coronary artery thrombus.” The alleged disease “causes the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel of the heart.”

In the wake of this, the employer organization, Bank of America, announced that it would extend support to the deceased’s family. It further added, “our focus is on doing whatever we can to support the family and our team, who are devastated.”

Identity of the Individual 

Until now, Bank of America hasn’t disclosed the individual’s identity, age or name. 

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Even the deceased’s relatives have not shared the identity of the person, while they continue to grieve about his/her death.

The deceased employee was an important part of the FIG or financial institutions group. The work of FIG is to provide advices to bank clients regarding deals. 

A source familiar with the deceased employee of Bank of America revealed that the employee was to also be “a former member of the U.S. Green Beret special forces.”

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As per another person associated with this matter, the Bank of America employee met his/her ultimate demise on Thursday. 

According to Nairametrics, this tragic death incident follows certain complaints by junior banking colleagues. The complaints comprise working hours of employees being more than 100 hours a week during 2020 and beyond.

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New-Age Cheating Explained as IB Paper Leak Got 45K+ Downloads 

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New-Age Cheating Explained as IB Paper Leak Got 45K+ Downloads 

New-age cheating has currently dominated the of media headlines and social media platforms.

In this, students who sat for Class XII board exams for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) reportedly learned the question in on a Mathematics paper.

Later, they shared the questions online on social media. Moreover, they assisted students in different time zones who were yet to sit for the exam. 

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According to TOI, on May 1 and 2, the Math exam for two hours was conducted. However, reportedly on May 3, paper leaked news was discovered. 

These annual exams are conducted by IB in three time zones. 

IB has acknowledged the question leak situation due to difference in time zones. However, the country of origin of the leak hasn’t been made public yet. 

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Reportedly, principals in Mumbai alleged that the part was leaked from Turkey. 

Due to the time zone difference, the paper leak is more likely to benefit students in the Americas, Europe, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Moreover, it is less likely to benefit Indian students. 

The highlights of the report added that this is probably the first instance of a paper leak. The Switzerland-based board witnessed this scenario for the first time in its 55-year history, adds FirstPost.

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On Sunday, IB stated that there was no concrete evidence of the spread of the “time zone cheating.” However, they did discover a number of students who were involved in the practice. 

SCMP reported that “the materials were downloaded more than 45,000 times.”

What is the International Baccalaureate (IB)?

International Baccalaureate (IB) is a Switzerland-based board for providing education to students. It was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. 

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Its curriculum is divided into 4 programmes for students from 3–19 years. 

1. Primary Years Programme (3-12 years)

2. Middle Years Programme (11-16 years)

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3. Diploma Programme (16-19 years)

4. Career-Related Programme (16-19 years)

India has a total of 210 IB World schools. Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi have the larger concentrations of schools in India.

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Also Read: Mastermind of Rajasthan JEN paper leak case nabbed after three years

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North Braddock Church Shooting: Bernard Polite Threatened Pastor, Got Arrested

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North Braddock Church Shooting: Bernard Polite Threatened Pastor, Got Arrested

A church service in North Braddock, Pennsylvania was agitatedly disturbed on Sunday. 

A 26-year-old man, who was identified as Bernard Polite, is said to be behind the shooting that took place at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church. 

Bernard Polite allegedly brandished a firearm during his sermon targeting Pastor Glenn Germany. 

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The shooting incident at North Braddock Church occurred shortly after 1 p.m.  NBC reported that Pennsylvania State Police charged the 26-year-old. 

Video Footage Obtained 

A video clip was obtained by the church’s deacon. Pastor Glenn Germany shared the footage online. In the clip, an alarming moment can be spotted when “the pastor was confronted by Polite, with the firearm visibly aimed in his direction.”

Pastor Germany said, “I was like, this is not happening” to CBS. 

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In the video, Deacon Clarence McCallister could also be spotted rushing towards the 26-year-old and throwing him to the ground. Deacon revealed that it was his stimulus that worked, as his mind reacted promptly to the pandemonium. 

Prior to this shooting incident, congregants had accumulated at the Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church to participate in the religious proceedings. Pastor Glenn Germany was guiding everyone. 

However, the peace of the surroundings broke out when police entered the church wielding a firearm with alleged intent.

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The attack on Pastor Glenn Germany is a lesson for the world to understand the importance of having strong security measures at in church. The safety of parishioners and clergy personnel should not be avoided at any cost. 

Many houses of worship are equipped with increased security. However, prompt readiness and alertness needs to be emphasized. 

According to TimesNow, congregations and religious leaders were advised by the authorities to continue being proactive and watchful while resolving any potential threats approaching.

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