School faces criminal prosecution for allegedly falsifying student records

The NZ Qualifications Authority has started New Zealand's first criminal prosecution of a school alleged to have filed false student achievement records. Photo / File

An international business school is facing the first criminal prosecution in New Zealand for allegedly falsifying student records.

The International College of New Zealand Ltd (ICNZ), and its director Chirag Solanki, each face fines of up to $10,000 on each of 21 charges for breaching Section 292C of the Education Act, which makes it a criminal offence to falsify a student's record of achievement.

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), which has filed the criminal prosecution in the Auckland District Court, said it was the first time any company had been prosecuted under that section.

NZQA cancelled the college's accreditation to provide the National Diploma in Business (Level 5), National Diploma in Business (Level 6), Diploma in Business Management (Level 7) and Diploma in Homeopathy (Level 7) last July.

"Monitoring by NZQA identified significant concerns about assessment capability and practice at ICNZ," the agency said.

Action was needed to make sure the New Zealand Qualifications Framework maintained its integrity, it said, and that New Zealand qualifications are "robust, credible, and internationally recognised"

The agency is also prosecuting another private training establishment, whose name has been suppressed, on 33 counts under other sections of the law.

A spokeswoman said the authority also prosecuted a private training establishment several years ago for illegally enrolling international students.