In the media

Ghana is preparing to recruit 1,200 new university lecturers and 7,000 teachers to address staffing shortages, but the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission now requires all applicants to have their qualifications verified to prevent the use of fake degrees. This follows growing concerns about fraudulent and unaccredited certificates, which threaten education quality and credibility. UTAG stresses the need for stronger enforcement and legal action against academic fraud.

A new Transparency International report titled Leaving No Learner Behind reveals widespread corruption in education systems across Africa, based on research in five countries: DRC, Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. The study finds that practices such as ghost teachers, payroll fraud, cheating, exam bribery, and sexual exploitation are undermining education quality and access, particularly for vulnerable learners.

The 2025 report by the Special Commissioner for Investigations (SCI) of the New York City School District highlights widespread cases of professional misconduct within the country’s largest school system. Last year, the SCI received nearly 12,000 complaints regarding fraud, abuse and financial misconduct, opening 471 investigations and closing 393. The report estimates that the Department of Education and the city’s pension schemes suffered losses of nearly $2 million.

The Zimbabwean Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education warned that teachers who charge students for extra lessons face disciplinary consequences, as they are already paid by the Government to teach. He urged parents to report such practices through official complaint channels, starting with the class teacher, then the school head, district, provincial offices, and finally the ministry’s head office or courts. He also condemned schools forcing parents to buy uniforms from them, calling the practice illegal.

Senators urged the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to closely monitor diploma mills offering unaccredited graduate programs after around 100 teachers in Palawan reportedly paid for online courses that were later not recognized. The school involved allegedly offered an unauthorized extension program and is now under investigation. Officials encouraged teachers to verify programs through the Philippine Teacher Education Registry (PhilTER) database, while CHED also acknowledged staffing shortages in regional offices that make monitoring difficult.

The Benue State Education Quality Assurance Board (BEQAEB) rejected claims of fraud, stating that all regulatory actions are backed by law. Its Executive Secretary emphasized efforts to strengthen school monitoring, accreditation, and enforcement. The state enabled major investments in education, including new school buildings, renovations, and the recruitment of over 9,000 teachers, with the sector receiving over 15% of the 2025 budget and 25.29% in 2026. Scepticism emerges from exorbitant charges by certain schools to the BEQAEB.

A new Transparency International policy brief warns that corruption in African education systems disproportionately harms women, girls, marginalised groups and learners with disabilities. Bribery, sextortion, payroll fraud and mismanagement of resources remain widespread at the service delivery level. Country findings show high bribery in school admissions in the DRC (56%) and Zimbabwe (72%), payroll fraud in Ghana, exclusion of disabled learners in Madagascar, and integrity risks in Rwanda’s grading and school programmes. Weak oversight and accountability mechanisms are identified as key drivers of persistent corruption.

The South African government has identified 8,854 high-risk cases in its effort to eliminate ghost work in the public sector. In its process to verify all its employees, the highlighted cases were identified to show payment irregularities that need to be clarified in an outstanding audit. As part of the efforts to address this issue, the Education Labour Relations Council is undertaking physical verification of teachers and learners in order to identify possible ghost teachers and ensure spending efficiency.

Transparency International has published a report outlining the reality of sexual corruption in Rwanda’s education system. It outlines how sexual demands are used, especially in higher education, in return for favours such as grade allocation, class access and exam participation. As women only account for 34% of the student population in higher education and 25% of academic staff, the system remains vulnerable to gender-based violence.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has identified 55 offices in Kerala, India, that are suspected of corruption. Officials are suspected of having collected bribes from teacher candidates to then redistribute them among official staff. The case includes the artificial increase of student numbers to maintain teacher positions, and the appointment of staff without following disability reservation norms.