In the media

Stakeholders in Ghana’s education sector have stressed the need for a collective effort to find immediate solutions to risks in the sector that may engender corruption. While the risks are well known and have been documented, it is important to address the root causes so as to curb them from escalating into cases of corruption in the sector. The Transparency International Regional Coordinator for West Africa said there could be no talk of sustainable development of any country without a good educational system, thus the need to address corruption and risks of corruption in the sector.

European Commission officials are expected to hold talks with government representatives in Bulgaria over the alleged mismanagement of funds in the operational programme Science and Education for Smart Growth in the European Union budget. Bulgaria has received funding for 116 agreements totalling BGN324 million (€165 million or US$174 million), and of these, eight projects have reportedly been found to be mismanaged, with a total budget of BGN180 million (€92 million or US$97 million).

As Liberia enters its second decade of peace, its music industry continues to gain popularity. The Accountability Lab, an OSIWA partner, has been working with hip co (a Liberian urban music genre) musicians in Liberia to promote integrity and combat corruption. A recent performance at the University of Liberia (UL) highlighted the challenges faced by Liberian students in order to register for classes.

The Association of African Universities (AAU) has identified corruption and threats to officials of accreditation bodies as some of the issues affecting the quality of some higher education institutions across the continent. “Because of corruption, some universities that are owned by ‘the rich and famous’ as well as politicians just get opened without the minimum requirements. Some accreditation bodies also face threats if they refuse to open unbefitting institutions,”. The AAU is preparing to implement the regional recognition of higher education qualifications across Africa .

As another school year begins in Afghanistan, the country continues to face insecurity, an epidemic of corruption within its education system and old customs that keep many students and qualified teachers away from classrooms. Violence and corruption are problems that can hardly be solved on grassroots level only. Increased violence forced more than 1,000 schools to shut their doors since 2016 and according to a report compiled by the country’s independent corruption monitor, corruption is “devastating” the education system and the country.

A recent report by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has unearthed the rot in many of Nigeria’s higher institutions, highlighting an intricate collusion among staff, students and other stakeholders. In the report titled, ‘Stealing the future: How federal universities in Nigeria have been stripped apart by corruption’, SERAP claimed that many allegations of corruption in federal universities – such as unfair allocation of grades; contract inflation; truncation of staff’s salary on the payroll; employment of unqualified staff; examination malpractice; sexual harassment; and issuance of results for expelled student to graduate have not been thoroughly investigated.

Educating school children and young adults on the subject of corruption on the Seychelles’ three main islands is the aim of a joint project between Transparency Initiative Seychelles (TIS) and the Anti-Corruption Commission Seychelles (ACCS). Other than educating students and pupils, key activities under the project consist of revising the existing Anti-Corruption Act, reinforcing the capacity of the Transparency Initiatives Seychelles and to improve the latter’s advocacy through technical assistance and equipment.

The Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) has suggested that the Ministry of Education (MoE) introduce anti-corruption education under religious and moral education subjects. The senior vice-chairman stressed that ‘’the most appropriate and effective way to prevent corruption is to start with the schools as it could help bring up a young generation of Malaysians who hate and reject corruption in all forms”. A study of students in 2016 showed that 16% of the respondents from local universities are willing to accept bribes and 18.5% would accept a bribe if they did not have to face any action.

Corruption is part of the daily life of Tanzanians. Teachers accept bribes for letting their students pass their exams and even for enrolling children in school. Moreover, they pay bribes to get a promotion or to be transferred to a more comfortable place. The “United for Our Rights” project implemented by the European Union and two Tanzanian non-governmental organizations aims to empower citizens to better understand their rights and how to address corruptions and governance issues.

According to Transparency International, 66 per cent of the money Nigerian governments allocate to education is stolen by corrupt officials. Resource misallocation, corrupt procurement, exchange of sex for grades, examination malpractices, fake qualifications, teacher absenteeism, and corrupt recruitment practices are just some examples of the challenges the education systems is facing. This affects the quality of education, inclusion and learning outcomes with devastating consequences for national economic growth.