Training

Successful completion of IIEP’s online course on corruption in education

IIEP successfully concluded its online course on ‘Transparency, accountability and accountability measures’ held from 21 September to 6 November 2020. The objective of the course was to strengthen the skills of participants in assessing corruption risks in the education sector and designing adequate tools and strategies to address such risks.

The seven-week course brought together 77 participants from 13 countries, namely: Afghanistan, Bahrein, Cook Islands, Kenya, Eswatini, Myanmar, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Tanzania, USA, and Uzbekistan. It was structured into three learning modules on the following topics: mapping corruption risks in the education sector, tools to diagnose corrupt practices in the education sector, and strategies to improve transparency and accountability in education. Resources, such as module readers and animated presentations, were available on the online course platform to facilitate individual learning.

 

Participants were also encouraged to actively contribute to the online discussion forums, where they exchanged experiences and learnt from one another as they worked through the course.

The set-up of the learning programme was aligned from task to task. Relevant and interesting resources, the inclusion of various forms of information sharing was excellent. A great example for all. ~ Participant from Cook Islands

 The modules were very informative and there were online discussions which brought a lot of interactions between and among participants and course coordinators...~ Participant from the Philippines

 Discussion forums were very educative as we learned a lot from the rest of the world. ~ Participant from Kenya

The major outcome of the course was a ‘Country Project’, where participants worked in teams to assess and provide recommendations on a particular domain of their country’s education system. The Country Project built on the practical application of each successive course module, thereby providing an activity-based learning experience. Topics considered for Projects included reducing corruption when procuring school equipment; improving transparency in teacher recruitment; or fighting against plagiarism and academic fraud at the university level. Altogether, Country Projects provided participants with a strong framework to introduce future corruption-risk assessments and anticorruption reforms in education:

 I will use the knowledge acquired to sensitize members of my organization and if possible implement the proposal” ~ Participant from Kenya

At the end of the course, participants shared their feedback on the online course and outlined how this learning experience has benefitted them in their professional pursuits.

This course gave me a deeper understanding of corruption and gave me ideas on good practices from other countries which can be used as a guide in policy formulation in the Department of education in my country. ~ Participant from the Philippines

I will incorporate the skills that I have gained after the completion of the program in my work place, especially during planning and allocation of the Ministry's resources. ~ Participant from Tanzania

IIEP has been conducting extensive research and training activities in the area of corruption in education for about 20 years. Over this period, IIEP has trained more than 2,683 people in all regions of the world to improve national capacities on issues related to transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption in education.

For more information on our training offer, please visit our website or contact us at etico@iiep.unesco.org.