The Lao Education Ministry has turned up 100 students with fake secondary school diplomas used to pursue higher education, and vowed Thursday to get tough on those using the counterfeit documents.
The finding was in a report on a random inspection at five private colleges in Vientiane. The report was forwarded to the education and sports ministry during the past two weeks.
Sengthong Sisavanthong, deputy director-general of the ministry's Inspection Department told The Vientiane Times the entire course taken by 100 students had been cancelled.
Students allegedly used the fake diplomas to continue their studies after failing the final exams of Grade 7, the last year of secondary school in Laos.
Mr Sengthong said teachers, government officials and members of the public were all found to be involved in the illegal activity and the ministry will take legal action against them.
Another private college and two state colleges and a faculty of the National University of Laos will be investigated next, according to Mr Sengthong.