English test scandal: students renew fight to clear names after 10 years

Source: The Guardian

English test scandal: students renew fight to clear names after 10 years

Exclusive: Push follows new evidence that raises questions over Home Office’s cheating accusations against 35,000 international students

Amelia Gentleman
@ameliagentleman
Sun 11 Feb 2024 17.00 GMT
Last modified on Sun 11 Feb 2024 17.01 GMT

International students accused of cheating at English-language tests are planning a fresh push to clear their names 10 years on, with thousands thought to have been victims of a gross miscarriage of justice.

Important new evidence has recently been presented in court raising fresh questions over the Home Office’s decision to make a blanket accusation of cheating against more than 35,000 students, which led to thousands being thrown off their courses and forced out of the country.

The case has drawn parallels with the Post Office Horizon scandal, in which hundreds of post office operators were prosecuted for stealing money on the basis of incorrect information provided by a computer system managed by a large international firm.

A decade ago this weekend, the BBC broadcast a Panorama investigation, which uncovered widespread cheating in Home Office-approved test centres offering English-language tests that international students were required to pass as part of their visa renewal process.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/feb/11/english-test-scandal-students-renew-fight-to-clear-names-after-10-years