Search Page

The Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) and the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) recently united to combat corruption and drug abuse in educational institutions. They signed a pact titled "Eliminate Corruption and Illicit Drugs in Schools and Higher Learning Institutions" in Dodoma. The Memorandum focuses on exchanging information to prevent these vices and aims to discourage youth involvement in corruption and drug abuse. The PCCB has established 7,000 anti-corruption clubs across schools and higher learning institutions in the country.

Education authorities in N'Zérékoré are organizing a meeting to follow up on suspicions of embezzlement linked to the purchase of desks for Parents' Associations. The National Agency for the Fight against Corruption and Good Governance has announced the creation of a toll-free number to report cases of corruption. School officials and parent-teacher associations were sensitized to the notion of corruption and inappropriate practices. The prefect urged them to avoid manipulating associations to collect money from parents, stressing that those involved would have to answer to the law.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) has established strategic command centers across the nation to address various issues plaguing schools. These include actions like dismissing students over unpaid fees, offering paid extra lessons, discriminatory enrollment practices, corporal punishment, imposing unapproved fees, and other misconduct. The MoPSE's communications and advocacy director urged stakeholders to utilize designated contacts to report any malpractices. The goal is to ensure that every school-going child receives a quality, fair, and comprehensive primary, and secondary education.

Two teachers were arrested for allegedly engaging in examination malpractices during the ongoing Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at Dunkwa Secondary Technical Centre in Ghana's Central Region. The suspects, tutors at different schools, were caught attempting to smuggle answered exam questions into the hall. Police recovered two mobile phones and answered papers from them. Last year, 12 individuals were arrested at two examination centers for similar malpractices.

The quality of education in Pakistan is extremely poor by world standards. Children study the same books as their parents did, or probably their grandparents. In Sindh, students who don't sit exams end up passing them. In Lahore, at the main examination centres located next to the board office, bribing and cheating are common practices. Professors are absent from classes and concentrate on maintaining their relations with influential individuals. Examination staff close the examination rooms to those who refuse to abide by the routine.

Two secondary schools that debated the theme "Students are essential in the fight against corruption" have been rewarded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Through integrity clubs organized in schools, the EFCC aims to instil the values of hard work, integrity, probity and responsibility, and to encourage young students to start fighting corruption at its roots.

The video raises concerns about the use of the code of ethics for teachers, as this year 269 cases of sexual harassment have been registered in schools, as well as hundreds of disputes between teachers and parents of pupils. It suggests that relying solely on a code of ethics may not be sufficient, emphasizing the need for a cultural reform within the public education system. This reform should include the involvement of psychologists and counselors, in collaboration with various educational sectors, to address these issues effectively.

In collaboration with the UNODC and UNESCO, the Agence de prévention et de lutte contre la corruption (APLC) has organised integrity training for teacher trainers in nursery, primary, secondary, and vocational education. As the leading national authority in the fight against corruption, the APLC aims to take far-reaching action and provide concrete responses through the development of a prevention strategy designed to curb this scourge.