Would you expose someone with fake qualifications?
Would you expose someone with fake qualifications?
There are a lot of strange people around and I’m sure we’ve all worked with people where we’ve thought, “How did they ever get certified?â€
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overseasvet2
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 10:50 pm
interesting moral dilemma
I guess the best way I can respond to your query is with some additional questions:
What would be your purpose in exposing this person? If it's just your sense of unfairness, how would this be weighed against damage to this person's family, students and the school climate and/or reputation in general?
Are you absolutely sure the school doesn't already know? Many overseas schools have people on staff who are not certified - for a whole host of reasons. In the end, is it possible it would be a non-issue for the school and then you are left simply as the whistleblower?
If the person is lousy at their job or bad for kids, I'd say absolutely expose them. If they are doing a good job and students are benefitting from their work, then it's a much more difficult question. I look forward to seeing how others respond.
What would be your purpose in exposing this person? If it's just your sense of unfairness, how would this be weighed against damage to this person's family, students and the school climate and/or reputation in general?
Are you absolutely sure the school doesn't already know? Many overseas schools have people on staff who are not certified - for a whole host of reasons. In the end, is it possible it would be a non-issue for the school and then you are left simply as the whistleblower?
If the person is lousy at their job or bad for kids, I'd say absolutely expose them. If they are doing a good job and students are benefitting from their work, then it's a much more difficult question. I look forward to seeing how others respond.
Two views
I guess i have two views of that. One admin and one teacher. As an admin now, its actually an easier answer as ive had to do it. I document my investigation, and report my findings to the principal, and municipal authority.
As a teacher, thats a lot tougher. Well first id ask how do you know they are fake and how do you know that administration doesnt already know? All that aside though assuming it was true and they were fake, the real question is what outcome do you want?
1) You want a clean conscious or you feel some moral/ethical obligation to the profession?
Id report it to my head/principal, along with whatever evidence i had. Then its up to them. Dont be surprised if no one trusts you any more after that.
2) You want something from them? Maybe they are a jerk or have some other character flaw you want them to clean up. Maybe they are this huge suck up, or theyve been their longer and make more then you, whatever.
Id go by their desk, room, apartment and hand them a copy of the documentation I had, and give them a "suggestion", about whatever the problem was. This could be VERY dangerous for you though.
3) You want them gone (doesnt really matter the reason)?
Id send a copy of the documentation with a letter of explanation (anonymous if you want) to the municipal authority (Ministry of Labor/Immigration/Education/etc), PTA, head/principal, and a media outlet (they love scandal, especially when it involves children). If your feeling merciful you can give them a heads up (anonymous again if you want), give them a chance to resign, and leave since when the SHTF, they may find themselves arrested and charged criminally. Otherwise they will be gone very quickly.
If the school was aware and approved dont be surprised if they start a witch hunt, as they more then likely will do a review of EVERYONES qualifications.
Ok thats the technical answer, the real question is your cause noble, just and honorable or is it for fortune and glory? In every case ive seen and heard when you dig deep enough, its ALWAYS the latter.
As a teacher, thats a lot tougher. Well first id ask how do you know they are fake and how do you know that administration doesnt already know? All that aside though assuming it was true and they were fake, the real question is what outcome do you want?
1) You want a clean conscious or you feel some moral/ethical obligation to the profession?
Id report it to my head/principal, along with whatever evidence i had. Then its up to them. Dont be surprised if no one trusts you any more after that.
2) You want something from them? Maybe they are a jerk or have some other character flaw you want them to clean up. Maybe they are this huge suck up, or theyve been their longer and make more then you, whatever.
Id go by their desk, room, apartment and hand them a copy of the documentation I had, and give them a "suggestion", about whatever the problem was. This could be VERY dangerous for you though.
3) You want them gone (doesnt really matter the reason)?
Id send a copy of the documentation with a letter of explanation (anonymous if you want) to the municipal authority (Ministry of Labor/Immigration/Education/etc), PTA, head/principal, and a media outlet (they love scandal, especially when it involves children). If your feeling merciful you can give them a heads up (anonymous again if you want), give them a chance to resign, and leave since when the SHTF, they may find themselves arrested and charged criminally. Otherwise they will be gone very quickly.
If the school was aware and approved dont be surprised if they start a witch hunt, as they more then likely will do a review of EVERYONES qualifications.
Ok thats the technical answer, the real question is your cause noble, just and honorable or is it for fortune and glory? In every case ive seen and heard when you dig deep enough, its ALWAYS the latter.
been there!!
I've been in a situation where I know someone was not qualified to teach the classes they were assigned, problem was the school couldn't find anyone with the right credentials. This happens in the US public schools more than they'd like to let you know. They go through the charade of giving them a "temporary certificate" with a 3 year period to get the right credentials. What then happens is the teacher then changes posts and gets replaced with another unqualified teacher. Certain posts, esp in inner city schools, become merry-go rounds of unqualified teachers.
To answer your question. As a teacher, it is none of my bees wax to question or verify the credentials of another teacher. Personnel and school administrators should have verified all that when hiring. The only time I would intervene is if I had knowledge that a teachers certification had been revoked due to a child protection issue. Then I would speak up.
To answer your question. As a teacher, it is none of my bees wax to question or verify the credentials of another teacher. Personnel and school administrators should have verified all that when hiring. The only time I would intervene is if I had knowledge that a teachers certification had been revoked due to a child protection issue. Then I would speak up.
Tdaley hit the nail on the head. Unless this person somehow genuinely impacts your own job in a negative way (and I don't mean the nebulous "brings down the whole staff" or some such), it's a management issue and I would stay out of it. Would you really want to triumphantly and superciliously present your findings to admin, only to discover they already knew about it or didn't care? That only makes you look like a tattletale.
Regarding unqualified teachers, I personally have no problem with that at all, or anyone who the school employs on an honest basis. The school know what they are paying for and if that person has fought for their spot, been convincing during the interview and is happy with their place on the pay scale then fair enough.
The reason I couldn’t expose someone using fakes is because of the effect it could have on the person’s family. However, if someone was trying to climb the ladder using fake qualifications then I’d probably be a bit upset, and get in the persons face a bit and tell them how I feel about it. Admittedly it’s a personal thing that I can’t stand the idea of someone using a fake masters or doctorate to go into an admin position when others have worked so hard for their higher qualifications.
The reason I couldn’t expose someone using fakes is because of the effect it could have on the person’s family. However, if someone was trying to climb the ladder using fake qualifications then I’d probably be a bit upset, and get in the persons face a bit and tell them how I feel about it. Admittedly it’s a personal thing that I can’t stand the idea of someone using a fake masters or doctorate to go into an admin position when others have worked so hard for their higher qualifications.
Issue
I see an issue here though that whats good for the school and admins may not be for the students. Just because the school approves about the teachers lack of qualifications doesnt mean they arent informing the parents that they are using unqualified teachers, or even worse are representing that all their teachers are qualified when in actuality they arent.
I firmly believe the presumption of parents, and students, is that a schools teachers are all qualified. If they arent then the school has a duty to explicitly inform parents of that before they take their tuition money.
If you were going to the doctor, wouldnt you want to know if the medical professional you were seeing was an actual doctor or a nurse/nurse practitioner? Second, how would you feel if that doctor even if they knew what they were doing and did a fine job, discovered their degrees and qualifications were all fake? Would you continue to use that doctor, and wouldnt you feel cheated about having used them in the past?
I firmly believe the presumption of parents, and students, is that a schools teachers are all qualified. If they arent then the school has a duty to explicitly inform parents of that before they take their tuition money.
If you were going to the doctor, wouldnt you want to know if the medical professional you were seeing was an actual doctor or a nurse/nurse practitioner? Second, how would you feel if that doctor even if they knew what they were doing and did a fine job, discovered their degrees and qualifications were all fake? Would you continue to use that doctor, and wouldnt you feel cheated about having used them in the past?
Last edited by PsyGuy on Tue Mar 27, 2012 5:58 am, edited 2 times in total.
I would have no hesitation in reporting someone who had faked their qualifications
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 749417.cms
This character was in Cairo several years ago and was a complete Walter Mitty (I'll probably get an email about that!! :-) )
He claimed to be an Olympic swimmer, had been in the SAS, had been a plastic surgeon in Yemen (but couldn't name the city never mind the hospital) etc
He used one name when he was a teacher (sorry, headmaster [that was a lie as well]) and another when trying to con (sorry ask for a contribution for charity) money out of the British community in Cairo
He claimed that he had a Phd when he was in Cairo and yet he now claims he bought it just before going to India
So as far as reporting a person who fakes their qualifications over protecting the children from someone wanted by the police in the UK, Interpol, Thailand and now India, it's a no brainer
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 749417.cms
This character was in Cairo several years ago and was a complete Walter Mitty (I'll probably get an email about that!! :-) )
He claimed to be an Olympic swimmer, had been in the SAS, had been a plastic surgeon in Yemen (but couldn't name the city never mind the hospital) etc
He used one name when he was a teacher (sorry, headmaster [that was a lie as well]) and another when trying to con (sorry ask for a contribution for charity) money out of the British community in Cairo
He claimed that he had a Phd when he was in Cairo and yet he now claims he bought it just before going to India
So as far as reporting a person who fakes their qualifications over protecting the children from someone wanted by the police in the UK, Interpol, Thailand and now India, it's a no brainer