Exams bosses cut off tyrants
SQA ends deals with nations linked to human rights abuse
Scotland’s exam body has cut ties with countries linked to human rights abuse.
The Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) has ended its relationship with Saudi Arabia in a policy review.
It comes amid fears the regime was using an SQA computer course to train government workers involved in a proxy war with Iran in Yemen which has killed more than 200,000 people.
The quango has also terminated business with Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
Chief executive Fiona Robertson announced new human rights rules.
The SQA said it will now examine “its international business partners’ approach to human rights, including any records of human rights breaches” before agreeing to provide consultancy services or qualifications.
Its courses had been offered at universities in Myanmar, where a military junta is facing claims of violence and genocide.
The SQA – named a diversity champion for LGBT rights by charity Stone wall–was also selling IT qualifications to a college with links to Sultan Hassana l Bolkiah in Brunei.
The dictator had previously tried to introduce anti- gay laws that would have seen members of the gay community there stoned to death.
International work has been a booming industry for the SQA in recent years. Latest accounts show it made £8.6million outside of its Scottishcore exam work.
Greens MSP Ross Greer, who has campaigned against the quango’s deals with oppressive regimes, said: “For years the SQA insisted to me that there was nothing wrong with their work in countries like Saudi Arabia. That was despite the Greens providing no shortage of evidence showing the appalling human rights records of these regimes.
“We have campaigned for years for the SQA to clean up its act, so I’m celebrating this as a win today. Every public body in Scotland should be a human rights defender, not an enabler of regimes which behead their own citizens, oppress women and engage in vicious bombing campaigns against schools and hospitals in neighbouring nations.” NaomiMc Au li ffe, Amnesty International’s Scotland programme director, said: “We have repeatedly called on the SQA to consider the human rights implications of their international engagement and welcome the commitment to implementing human rights impact assessments.
“It’s very significant that the SQA has decided to step back from business relationships with Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka – nations with disturbing track records of human rights violations.
“The world is watching in horror as people in Myanmar are being killed in cold blood in the streets – crimes against humanity committed by troops seeking to quash peaceful protests.
“International deals and partnerships are never politics free.”
The SQA said: “We review al l commercial arrangements on a regular basis. Last year we committed to embed human rights in to our due diligence process which informs our international engagement alongside other considerations.”