Short-cuts lead training centres into big trouble

Five computer training centres had their accreditation revoked after a watchdog group discovered they cut corners on the International Computer Driving Licence syllabus.

Some centres reduced training hours and used pirated materials to save money, said Jamil Ezzo, director-general of the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) GCC Foundation.

Short-cuts were discovered after the group noticed "students were not up to par" at ICDL exams, overseen by the foundation, Ezzo said.

"Some failure rates were also unacceptable," he said.

"The centres were deviating from the ICDL syllabus," he said, and described it as a "copyright and quality issue".

The ICDL is an internationally recognised course that covers basic computer knowledge and awareness.

Training centres offering the course must be accredited with the ICDL-GCC Foundation in the Gulf and may only use materials approved by that body.

To deal with the problem, Ezzo said the foundation announced a new syllabus and new regulations in November during GITEX (the Middle East's information technology showcase).

Soon after, he said five training centres were denied accreditation. Ezzo declined to name the five training centres in Dubai.