International Academy business students face exam resit after NZQA investigation

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(file)

More than 300 students will be forced to resit their exams following an investigation into their Auckland international school.

International Academy of New Zealand (IANZ) has sold up and handed over its students after the qualifications authority threatened to shut it down.

Earlier this year, two staff members of IANZ told Newshub they were instructed to prepare more than 250 fake English language entry tests. Staff were also told to mark the students high enough in these tests to ensure they passed.

Former employee Jaswinder Kaur told Newshub in April she was instructed to fake the tests or face losing her job.

"I was told to put five or higher scores... to make sure the student passed and we complied with NZQA requirement," she said.

She also raised concerns about Level Six students being given test answers.

NZQA and Immigration New Zealand started investigating and found the assessment practices were "not satisfactory".

That means 380 students - more than half of the entire roll at IANZ - will now have to resit their exams.

"Those students will need to undertake a reassessment exercise before their current credits can be validated," says Grant Klinkum, deputy chief executive at NZQA Quality Assurance.

Not only will they have to be reassessed, all 650 IANZ students will have to be transferred to a new college, Edenz Colleges Auckland.

If it had not have acted, it could have been shut down.

"NZQA would have considered all options, including possible deregistration of IANZ as a provider," Mr Klinkum says.

And NZQA isn't the only agency with concerns about IANZ.

"Our Union is also investigating cases of exploitation, workers being short-paid by non-compliance of their employment agreement," says First Union's Dennis Maga.

Newshub wanted to get comment from IANZ to see how they would assist in the transition, but when we went to their offices at Queen St we were told they can't talk about it.

Edenz says it's possible it will take on some IANZ staff - but not all.

Do you have more info, or are you a student at IANZ ? Contact Michael Morrah here: michaelmorrah@mediaworks.co.nz

Newshub.