Corruption still remains as one of the major factors impeding progress in low and middle income countries worldwide. Experiences from all over the developing world were included as part of Transparency International’s “Global Corruption Report: Education”.
Released last week, the report consists of more than 70 articles commissioned from experts in the fields of corruption and education, from universities, think-tanks, businesses, civil society and international organisations. The aim is to show governments and civil society across the globe that corruption in education – from the primary school level to university – affects schooling at every level and in multiple ways.
In Vietnam, a recent online poll of almost 20,000 respondents conducted by Dan Tri Online Newspaper, found 62 per cent of parents admitted to being involved in some form of corruption – either by calling on connections or paying money – to register their children in their school of choice. Bribes to secure a spot can reach as much as $3,000 for a seat in a prestigious primary school. These practices only serve to make education less equal and contribute to rising inequality. In response, the government has targeted corruption in admission procedures and demanded that the number of spaces for enrollment by each age group be made public.
When resources that are publicly allocated to schools are in fact siphoned off for private use, this corruption has a significantly negative impact on the state of education in that country. It not only reduces the availability of learning for the children affected, but it also undercuts the quality of educational inputs such as learning facilities and materials to teachers and administrators.
Corruption acts as an added tax on the poor who are forced to adhere to demands for illicit fees and bribes, from primary to university level. The authors of a large study commissioned by the International Monetary Fundfound corruption is consistently related to greater cost and lower quality of education.
Some have argued that a human-rights based approach to education and development commitments must be adopted by governments if they wish to ensure that equal access to education is available for their children. They have a duty to create correct incentives for school administrators and teachers to not engage in corruption, and create better working conditions so that teachers feel proud of their work and teaching environment. For Greater transparency is the key, and to achieve this aim they must increase information to communities, which includes changes such as clear details about school fees and examinations.
Governments must ensure that they can be better held accountable by ensuring that funds are reaching their intended destination and disbursement levels are heading in the right direction. They need to establish oversight bodies, such as parents’ committees in the management of schools, to help prevent and detect corruption. Civil society must be encouraged to demand governments provide universal education for their children as a fulfillment of their human rights.
Examples of how to achieve these obligations include: Using existing mechanisms to bring relevant information on corruption to these global bodies’ attention; creating greater awareness on the part of parents and students about the negative impacts of corruption, particularly bribing one’s way into a more prestigious school or paying to pass an exam; targeting anti-corruption outreach to specific groups who make decisions about schooling in a household, such as mothers; getting the media – whether print, television, radio or social channels – to play an important role in shifting public opinion about bribery.
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