In the media

In its fight against forged certificates and corruption, Kuwait ordered all public and private sector employees to verify their academic certificates via the Sahel e-government app. The Civil Service Commission highlighted penalties of imprisonment and fines for using forged certificates. The move falls within ongoing efforts to combat forged certificates in both the public and private sectors to ensure academic integrity, equality and justice.

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.

The Department of Education (DepEd), in its continued efforts to promote better transparency in the education sector, rolled out its open data initiative named Project Bukas that discloses datasets on assessment results and school characteristics. Representatives from the public and private sectors and civil society conveyed their support for Project Bukas, highlighting the value of accessible data in better understanding assessment data and informing educational policies and reforms.

The Federal Government has unveiled a landmark initiative aimed at entrenching transparency, accountability, and efficiency in Nigeria’s tertiary education system with the official launch of the Federal Government Tertiary Institution Governance and Transparency Platform (FTIGTP). The initiative will serve as a unified digital platform providing real-time access to accurate data and financial information across all tertiary institutions in Nigeria. The platform aims not only to strengthen public confidence but also improve efficiency in the management of educational resources and foster innovation.

The Paraguayan Education Ministry (MEC) suspended a nationwide teacher recruitment exam after more than 13,000 applicants reported widespread fraud in the previous test. Evidence presented by the National Directors’ Union (Sinadi) indicated that proctors and Ministry staff showed favoritism by assisting specific candidates in completing the exam, prompting calls for stricter oversight and accountability in recruitment practices.

The Philippine Department of Education launched the Paaralang Bukas Dashboard, an open data portal providing public access to school-level information on performance, resources, and needs. Designed to enhance transparency and accountability, the initiative empowers parents, teachers, and local governments to monitor education investments and outcomes.

Eight publicly funded Hong Kong universities have signed three-year accountability agreements with the government, increasing oversight of budgets and university operations. Experts warn that, while the agreements aim to improve transparency and performance indicators, they may also reduce university autonomy by pressuring institutions to align with government priorities.

The Thai government has suspended two major cloud and IT procurement projects worth over 41 billion Baht (approx. 1.1 billion USD) for the Ministries of Education and Higher Education due to concerns over unfair tender processes and potential corruption. Triggered by a complaint from the Anti-Corruption Network Foundation, the suspension targets projects with allegedly restrictive specifications that may favor a single vendor and breach the government's “Cloud-First Policy”.

In Rawalpindi, Pakistan, two education officials were remanded in a corruption case involving nearly Rs 10 million (about $45,000) meant for school supplies. They created fake purchase documents without proper tendering and approved payments without delivering any goods. Charges were filed under anti-corruption laws and the Pakistan Penal Code.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) of Kenya has arrested five individuals from key public institutions for fraudulently securing public sector jobs or benefits using forged academic documents. The Commission will pursue criminal charges and civil recovery of illegally earned salaries. They also urged public institutions to strengthen credential verification to prevent fake qualifications.