Masters-for-money Scandal in Marocco

Zimbabwean President suspends University of Zimbabwe vice-chancellor for awarding former First Lady Grace Mugabe a PhD degree 

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has decided to suspend vice chancellor Levi Nyagura for his decision to award the former First Lady Grace Mugabe a PhD degree in Philosophy, reports My Zimambwe. Mnangagawa’s decision was revealed by Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda who said:  “Please, be advised that his Excellency the President and Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe, being the appointing authority in terms of section 8 of the University of Zimbabwe Act, (Chapter 25:16), hereby suspends Professor Levi Nyagura as the vice-chancellor, pending the finalisation of his alleged charges of criminal abuse of office.” Allegedly, Nyagura single-handedly approved Grace Mugabe’s application without the knowledge of faculty of higher degrees committee and the departmental board, and later her degree was awarded under controversial circumstances. 

Masters-for-money scandal in Marocco

In the wake of allegations that students were asked to pay $4,000 to guarantee a place on a university masters course in Morocco, one person has been arrested and another one suspended, reports University World News. After the circulation of a voice recording on social media in which the entire procedure to a potential applicant is explained, an investigation was launched. This voice recording is a telephone call between a student who wanted to obtain a Masters of Public Disputes law degree at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University in Fez and a “mediator” who asked for the money. According to this recording, 35 students already entered the masters programme by paying the bribe. The student in the recording was also promised “success in written and oral examinations and the broker said that this was already done multiple times with students from different areas. 

The number of students receiving the top GCSE grades rose

Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their GCSE results after major exam reforms, reports Independent. For first time in seven years the number of students who received top GCSE grades rose. The number of entries that scored C (or 4 in a new grading system) and above increased by 0.5 per cent. There were many concerns that the new grading system sends a “demoralising message” to students. Malcolm Trobe,   The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) deputy general secretary stated:  “Our concern, however, is over those pupils at the other end of the scale who are taking exams which are harder than their predecessors and who have been told by the Government that a grade 4 is a ‘standard pass’ and a grade 5 is a ‘strong pass’. That is a very demoralising message to those who achieve grades 1, 2 and 3, and the new system does not work very well for them at all.”

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