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17.08.2018 Feature Article

Why Educational Certificates From Africa Are Given Less Recognition In Europe?

Why Educational Certificates From Africa Are Given Less Recognition In Europe?
17.08.2018 LISTEN

If Africa's development is very slow, doesn't mean that the continent hasn't any qualified doctors, engineers, pilots etc. Our educational and professional institutes are filled up with qualified teachers, personnel, but because of many fake certificates used to apply for jobs in Africa, our education and diploma are given a second look in Europe.

Educational institutions in Europe and America and the media follow and record events taking place in Africa's educational sector. If the African media has nothing negative to say about Europe and America's education, they have a lot to say against Africa because it's in a continent deemed as a third world.

Things that are not possible in Europe and America are always possible in Africa. For example, before the computer came into existence it's impossible to reduce age in Europe or America, let alone this modern age of advancement in technology. Yet, Europe and America know that some Africans are involved in reducing age which is a crime.

"About 600 from 12,000 graduates from Makerere University, Uganda, didn't meet minimum requirements," reports BBC Africa, on February 11, 2015. William Tayeebwa, the head of Makerere's journalism department, told the BBC that one student had failed an exam with 44%, only to have her mark altered to 71%.

Imagine if ‘The Mail & Guardian’ newspaper in Britain could publish an article, “Why do SouthAfrican children perform worse than those in poorer countries” then what will Europeans think about Africa’s education?

How do we expect Europeans to view our certificates and diplomas when foreign embassies in Africa in the past have detected false credentials in visa applications? Investigation reveals that it is very easy to purchase any professional certificate or diploma you are looking for on the streets in Africa and also in India.

An African can’t get a qualified job with his certificate in Belgium unless you follow a similar education or training of what you have studied in Africa, because Belgium is one of the European countries that consider Africa’s educational system very weak and shows much concern to fake certificates circulating in many African countries.

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The educational institutions in Europe, including Belgium, make money from foreign students, including Africans studying in Belgium. But an African diploma can't give you an employment in Belgium. An African with a welding certificate from Africa can never get employment in Belgium immediately until he undergoes another training as a welder for a recognized welder’s certificate.

In many African countries, it's very sad that some leaders and heads serving respectable institutions have been caught for using fake certificates or diplomas to apply for those vacancies. Fake certificate scandals have taken over in many countries, including Nigeria, Uganda, India, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya etc.

The Tanzanian President John Magufuli sacked nearly 10,000 civil servants for having fake education certificates. In Nigeria, the forging of education certificates is a disturbing issue which impact has affected even politicians.

We don't have to complain if Europeans treat Africans in a bad way because we have given them the permission to treat us that way. We are not serious about anything including our education. There is corruption everywhere including our educational sectors.

In my native country, there is a proverb which says “If you wash your hands well, you will end up eating with the king,” therefore, if Africa wants to be respected as a continent, they must force to break this cycle of underestimation and different treatment, and aspire to greater developments.

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