Education or Exploitation ? The Truth Behind the Human Trafficking Charges at The British College

Kathmandu : The Thapathali-based The British College (TBC) is at the moment in a state of unsettled affairs. The students are protesting against the college management, claiming that they were coerced into giving money under false terms and then shipped off to Dubai to work as laborers for the purpose of completing an internship.

As the controversy heightened, the student unions involved also took part, which led to acts of vandalism. Feeling that justice had not been served between them and the government, the students even resorted to activist Durga Prasai for help, as well as submitting petitions to the Ministry of Education. Yet the controversy has become even more intricate rather than resolved.

The students have taken to social media platforms to express their concern about what they refer to as "fraud in the name of education." There are also constant protests being held in proximity to the college. The Ministry of Education has also set up a committee to look into the matter.

An issue between students and the administration has escalated into a large-scale scandal regarding the licensing of education, internships abroad, as well as the future of students. Here is an Ukera Explainer on how it all started and what has happened so far.

1. The Origin: “Consultancy Disguised as Education
The controversy involves the Bachelor of Hospitality Management (BHM) course. Although the college advertised it as an actual degree course, seemingly it adopted a "pathway" delivery method. These are amongst the areas in contention:

-Misuse of Permits: The Ministry of Education states that all that the college is permitted to offer is a Non-Credit Foundation Course, which lasts for a year, and that these are not credited towards a bachelor’s degree. The college is, however, alleged to have used these as part of a degree as they charged millions.
-Illegal Dubai Transfers: As per Nepali regulations, educational organizations lack the official right to function as consultancies to transfer students to other countries. But TBC has already been transferring students to Dubai for two years after they have studied in Kathmandu for one year, which is illegal, according to what the Ministry has stated to be “unauthorized transfers.”

2. The Mystery of “The Woolwich Institute” in Dubai
"The students asserted that the largest betrayal is with the Dubai-based institution to which they are to be sent. Findings indicate it to be a training institution for employment rather than a place of learning," it said.
-Conflict of Interest: Rajan Kandel, the Executive Chairman of The British College in Nepal, is also the CEO of The Woolwich Institute in Dubai. He is also the head of the Kandel Group, which is based in the same building as TBC in Nepal.
-University or a Training Center : TBC asserts that the institute in Dubai is an autonomous academic institution. But it has been found that it delivers only "Vocational Certificates." Moreover, the Higher National Diploma (HND) delivered there does not hold any academic value as a degree.
-Official Reports: According to a 2024 report by the Ministry of Education regarding foreign-affiliated institutions, there is no operating permit for TBC with any of the UAE-based institutions. It is only accredited with two colleges from the UK.
-Nepali Teachers, Foreign Fees: Why are parents being charged overly high foreign fees, especially since it is claimed that the college has been sending Nepali teachers to Dubai to teach Nepali school kids in Dubai.

3. Student Experiences: “Human Trafficking in the Name of Internship”
The environment in which the students in Dubai are learning has made it a human rights issue.

-Labor Exploitation: Students claimed to be forced to work for 10 to 12 hours a day doing dishes and cleaning floors in the hotel. The amount they earned was only between 700 to 1,000 Dirham (approximately NPR 25,000 to 35,000) per month, which was hardly sufficient for living in Dubai.
-Visa Cancellations: There is evidence of at least one visa cancellation as a result of working on a student visa, which is illegal.
-"Academic Ruin": It was discovered that many students had their certificates stamped "fake" or "unrecognized" by other universities within Australia or Nepal, thus casting their future studies or careers in uncertainty.

4. Defense of the College
The British College made a statement justifying its stand, though without any basis:

-Planned Attacks: The college termed the charge of "human trafficking" or "exploitation" as false and defamatory, linking the damage to "outside infiltrators."
-Student Satisfaction: According to TBC, despite having a total of 51 students, only 9 are dissatisfied, as the remaining are all continuing their studies.
-Transparency: They argue that everything related to housing, intern programs, and curriculum was made known to students prior to enrollment.

5. Government Investigation
the public outcry, an investigation committee was formed by the Ministry of Education.

-Minister's Position: The Education Minister invited victims of fraud perpetrated by foreign-related colleges to come forward with evidence, considering that many colleges are delivering poor-quality education based on fraudulent credentials.
-Preliminary Findings: According to findings from the Ministry, it was evident that the college overstepped its jurisdiction by taking its students abroad.

-Current Developments: The fifteen students who returned from Dubai, along with the new intake, are pursuing their protest actions for a refund and legal action against the operators of the college.