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A mass exodus of teaching staff is looming at Likhubula Primary School in Chilomoni Township, Blantyre after 28 teachers asked for postings from the school following a stand-off that has arisen between the teachers and the surrounding community. In a letter, the teachers say they do not feel safe at their current workplace after the community openly accused them of misusing the school’s funds. The Chilomoni Ward Councilor accused the teachers of corruption when collecting funds from pupils and when handling other projects at the school.

Lecturers in universities and colleges as well as teachers in public and private schools who are found guilty of abusing students risk having their degrees and diplomas cancelled by the Government to curb rampant abuse, especially of female learners. The Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development said there was an urgent need to curb the surge in sexual abuse of learners in schools, colleges and universities. Punishments such as imprisonment or expulsion from work was not enough since perpetrators always ended up teaching elsewhere using their diplomas or degrees.

The Education Cabinet Secretary has vowed to ensure that people using fake university degree papers are unearthed. Addressing principals at All Saints Cathedral Anglican in Nairobi, the education CS lashed out at those who want to assume leadership roles by irregularly acquiring academic qualifications, saying the ministry will rein in on academic miscreants in an effort to promote integrity. He urged the principals to be at the forefront in instilling virtues and challenged them to take responsibility for failures in their institutions.

A large number of universities, colleges and schools organised walks, seminars and debating competition to raise awareness among students, faculty and other staff. The Student Affairs Director at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), speaking on the occasion of a debating competition organised to mark the day, said that zero tolerance would be shown against corruption and malpractices.

In South Africa, an incident at a school in Soweto revived the debate over false teacher qualifications. This week, a former primary school teacher stabbed a director who had suspended him. The teacher was dismissed after the school discovered, following a complaint from parents, that he had lied about his qualifications and had no diploma. According to the South African Council of Educators, dozens or even hundreds of teachers lie about their qualifications.

When the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) released the exam timetables on Monday, it also addressed a troubling question: how to stem the rampant examination malpractices. In a statement, Uneb urged all candidates to report directly to the board any invigilator, teacher or head teacher and other candidates involved in examination malpractice. The Uneb executive secretary stated that “The board reserves the right to declare publicly names of centres, candidates or anyone else who will have involved themselves in examination malpractice”.

The Eastern Cape Education Department has concluded its investigation into 'ghost pupils', but it still faces the 'ghost teachers' scandal. The wife of a former African National Congress (ANC) Chief Whip faces 16 counts of fraud and 10 counts of money laundering after allegedly pocketing more than R1 million by processing several fake applications for Grade R teaching posts.