It is good news that the Department of Education is investigating the qualifications of Ministry official Abdallah Ahad.

The investigation, sparked by a story in The Bermuda Sun which threw doubt on his claims that he had studied at a series of American colleges including Harvard University, is important for two reasons.

If ? and it is important to note that nothing has been proven yet ? Mr. Ahad's qualifications turn out to be false or exaggerated, it raises serious questions about how much screening both his former employer the Bermuda College and his current employer the Ministry of Education did before hiring him.

The story also throws doubt on and whether he is qualified to design a computer curriculum.

The second concern centres on Mr. Ahad's credibility. Mr. Ahad secretly recorded a conversation between three Bermuda College lecturers and one of them, Dr. Shaun O'Connell, was subsequently dismissed. He denies the allegations made against him and is attempting to appeal his dismissal.

If Mr. Ahad ? and again nothing has been proven yet ? either exaggerated or falsified his resume, then it could reduce his credibility in the case of Dr. O'Connell and could be sufficient grounds for the Dr. O'Connell's case to be re-opened.