Authorities of the Tamale Polytechnic have taken disciplinary measures against 23 past and present students after it was uncovered that they used fake result slips to gain admission to the institution. While the past students would not be awarded their certificates although they had completed their studies, those in school have been dismissed. The Public Relations Officer of the polytechnic, Mr. Mohammed Aziz, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said the dismissals were the appropriate punishment for such offences, because these students do not merit their status. He said the decision followed a series of verification from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and other examination bodies, which exposed the students’ malpractices. He said it took long to verify some of the documents because the process was cumbersome which put pressure on the institution’s capacity to verify documents. Mr. Aziz indicated that the records of some of the affected students showed that they were admitted during the 2006-2007 academic year and had therefore completed their studies. “As a result, the polytechnic has informed the National Board for Professional and Technical Examination (NABTEX) not to award certificates to any of these culprits,” he stated. He said the polytechnic had resolved to publish the names of the affected students to serve as a deterrent to others who might be contemplating doing so. Meanwhile, the polytechnic is verifying the results of students who have been offered admission to the first year and the PRO insists that students who will be found to possess fake documents would suffer the same fate as their predecessors. “Our polytechnic is a serious one and therefore we cannot compromise on standards, which are the guiding principles for providing quality education,” he noted, adding that relaxing the rules could dent the credibility of the polytechnic. Source: Daily Graphic