Political interference in Africa’s universities is not new. Universities’ governance was seen as ‘captured’ for narrow political rather than academic ends during the 1980s and 1990s. The continent’s universities started changing from the middle of the 1990s. Strong governance structures were prioritised. Governments promised to help steady institutions so they could focus on their academic missions. But studies funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and conducted by CODESRIA, suggest that not much has changed. The same tensions and crises associated with the old political order – student disturbances, harassment of academic staff and widespread academic corruption – persist.

A number of students in a law school were caught cheating in exams; one student was found writing answers already copied in a smart watch. The student either programmed answer sheets or recorded course materials into the device. One practicing lawyer in Abuja said such attitude may have long-term effects on those involved; it had undermined the integrity and independence of the graduands and could possibly increase the likelihood of the abuse of the attorney-client privilege as well as create weak industry-wide anti-corruption standards.

As part of his duties, a clerical officer at the ministry has seen the suspension and even the dismissal of a number of teachers found to have committed wrong in their schools either by abusing their pupils or by embezzling funds. He is now under the microscope himself, accused of holding fraudulent qualifications.

The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) today launched the corruption risks report in the education sector in Liberia. The report highlights the serious nature of corruption in the education sector in Liberia, especially Montserrado County where the study was done. The study revealed that 36 percent of students pay bribes for grades, while 27 percent pay bribes for promotion to higher grades and 23 percent pay bribes for exams.