Nanjing’s millions of students are afforded a well deserved break when the city’s hottest months settle in. But for some there is no rest for the wicked. Any ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher will testify to the massive influx of students during the summer period. However, it is not all extra-curricular piano and English lessons that occupy the youngsters; local fake schools are cashing in on “education” too.
The recent exposure of an illegal education group in Nanjing claiming to be a vocational school highlights large gaps in the system that still allows for such organisations to exist. Jiangsu’s recent crackdown on illegal ESL schools and teachers certainly has such individuals involved thinking twice about engaging further in such activities. It seems the ESL industry is not alone when it comes to battling to uphold its reputation.
A recent investigation into an education group alleged to have been posing as a vocational school that not only offered a plethora of skill diplomas, but promised parents job outcomes after graduation. Functioning much like a school with four campuses across the city, New Leading Education Group came under fire when it was revealed that the school neither had certification nor proper approval from the government to be operating as a legitimate school.
With over 10,000 students enrolled at the school; studying anything from nursing to mechanical engineering and home economics; sleeping in dormitories and paying upwards of ¥10,000 per year, spotting it as a fake would indeed take some digging. After parents began to sniff around and discover multiple discrepancies, they informed local newspapers and authorities.
After shoveling mountains of dirt on the school, local reporters from the Yangtze Evening Post have unearthed the truth about this illegitimate institution. A sign that read Nanjing New Pilot Vocational Education sat above teachers claiming to reporters that as long as students can get a diploma, the school is responsible for employment, claiming internship cooperation with various institutions around the city such as Taiwanese Hospital BenQ. The school is under investigation by the government who says the school will be punished.
