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The Quality Council for General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) is concerned about the allegations of cheating involving candidates and teachers. According to the reports, the candidates in question paid teachers to have access to the answers posted on a WhatsApp group during toilet breaks while the examinations were in session. While an investigation is conducted by the Department of Basic Education, the CEO of Umalusi reassured the public that rigorous and robust quality assurance mechanisms will be used to safeguard the integrity and credibility of the National Senior Certificate.

An investigation is being conducted by The Teachers' Service Commission (TSC) after complaints that teachers' committees at the district level had promoted teachers that did not meet the criteria under the influence of bribes. A government official called on the TSC to establish a digital system for keeping teachers' information and offer a Customer Service Center for teachers whenever they encounter challenges in implementing their duties.

Authorities at the national examination body Uneb accused teachers of orchestrating a grand scheme in schools, that pushed pupils to cheat on the 2020 primary leaving exams. The board withheld the results of 2,220 candidates pending completion of investigations into malpractices. Cheating occurs in a number of ways, including parents, in some of the top schools being asked to commit to paying a fee in order for their children to receive good results in the primary leaving exam.

Examination standards are virtually impossible to reinforce in a distance-learning environment where hundreds of students are simultaneously online. The Dean of the University of Crete’s literature department reports that it is easy for students to Google exam answers even under the eye of supervisors on camera. A 20- year-old student said that one of her friends gave 100 euros to a teacher to sit for her math exam. Similarly, a 20-year-old psychology student took exams on behalf of 2 of her friends and nobody realized.

A former administrator from Houston Independent School District was sentenced to one year of probation for her involvement in the admission scandal that ensnared wealthy parents across the country. She was accused of taking bribes from the admission consultant at the center of the scheme in exchange for allowing someone to sit exams on behalf of their clients ‘children or correct their answers. 50 more people were arrested last year in the scheme, in which authorities say undeserving kids were admitted to top universities with bogus athletic credentials or fake test scores.

A report conducted by the Global Corruption Barometer Asia found that nearly 50 per cent of those who paid bribes were asked to, while 32 per cent of those who used personal connections said they would not receive the service otherwise. With the highest bribery rate in the region, (39 per cent) India also has the highest rate of people using personal connections to access public services (46 per cent). 63 per cent of citizens think that if they report corruption, they will suffer retaliation. The daily practice of corruption and bribery remains extremely high, with almost one in five citizens paying a bribe to access key public services, such as health care or education.