SHAPING THE FUTURE:
COMBATING CORRUPTION IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR
On Monday 7th April 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports with support from GTZ and DFID started a three day workshop on “Enhancing Transparency and Accountability in the Education sector in Sierra Leone.” The workshop is the first in a series of measures the Commission is undertaking to promote transparency and accountability in various sectors in Sierra Leone.
It is no surprise that the first workshop is on the education sector. It is crystal clear that our education system is characterized by colossal complexities and challenges. In the Centre for Economic and Social Policy Analysis’ Service Delivery and Perception Survey (March 2006), it was noted that “the Government of Sierra Leone’s policy that government and government-assisted schools should not charge school fees is apparently not being put into effect in many areas of the country…. Over 37 percent of households with children in government and government-assisted schools claimed to pay for textbooks….Sixty-seven percent of parents were required to pay for results at an average amount of Le 1500, with Tonkolili reporting the highest incidence at nearly 90 percent.”
In the Public Expenditure Tracking Survey (PETS) report for the 2005 financial year, it was noted that there was a transfer discrepancy of Le 103.3 million in the distribution of teaching and learning materials to schools. “Overall, out of the Le 2.07 billion worth of teaching and learning materials distributed by the Inspectors of School to all primary schools nationwide, an estimated Le 1.13 billion worth of these materials were received by all primary schools nationwide. This resulted to an Overall Integrity Index of 73.3 percent for the distribution of teaching and learning materials.” The PETS report concluded that the “persistent occurrence of transfer discrepancy indicates that poor record keeping remain a major challenge in public financial management. Poor records management and weak internal controls continue to be the major findings of the PETS.”
Other constraints the education sector has to grapple with include problems in the appointment, deployment and payment of teachers, ghost teachers and school, the disbursement and management of fees subsidy allocations, the distribution and utilization of teaching and learning materials, production and distribution of text books, deplorable records management system, leakages, low salaries of teachers, conflict of interest, the building of sub-standard schools, the procurement of second-rate materials and the demand for bribes for scholarships and before admission.
These problems need to be urgently addressed. Promoting accountability and transparency in the sector is a key way to address this problem. Accountability requires a clear specification of who is accountable to whom, for what and with what consequence. Systems are required to check that the rules have been properly complied with and to investigation and punish potential violations. Transparency requires clear information that is easy to understand and simple to access by all stakeholders on all flows of education resources right down to the end users. Transparency is defined as meaning clearness, honesty and openness. It is the principle that those affected by administrative decisions should be informed and the duty of civil servants, managers and trustees to act visibly, predictably and understandably. It improves resource allocation, enhances efficiency, minimizes or eliminates corruption and increases growth prospects.
The lack of accountability and transparency in the education sector fosters corruption in this sector. It threatens the achievement of the goal of education for all by 2015, reduces the resources available for education, adulterates the quality of education, increases social inequalities and limits access to education for the poor, the vulnerable and marginalized. Above all, it sends the wrong signals to the students that cheating and bribery is an acceptable way to advance their career.
Government has long signaled its commitment to provide educational facilities, to expand access and to improve quality through the supply of quality teaching and learning materials. The Constitution of Sierra Leone which is the supreme law of the land provides that the government shall ensure that there are equal rights and adequate educational opportunities for all citizens at all levels. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) recognized the need for the education sector to ensure the provision of basic education for all Sierra Leonean and to support the manpower development of other productive sector.
In a bid to ensure that Government meets all its laudable commitments, accountability and transparency must gain increasing importance in the education sector. It is now well established that these tenets are fundamentally critical to the growth of the democratic state of Sierra Leone. The Anti-Corruption Commission in Sierra Leone is using a three-pronged approach of education, prevention and investigation to fight corruption. Preventing corruption in the educational system plays a significant part in the fight against corruption. Measures to prevent corruption in the field of education are geared to enhancing the quantity, quality and efficiency of the educational system and improving access to education. We have to ensure hat the poor, the vulnerable and marginalised benefit directly from the education available in order to improve their situation. Education is a precondition for people to "make their voices heard", to practice democratic rules and to help ensure good governance.
There is an urgent need for an overall strategy to tackle corruption in the educational sector. This strategy must taking into account a number of measures. On the prevention side there is a need to improve transparency in the appointment, promotion, and remuneration system; putting in place proper financial and procurement systems and conducting regular audits; more participation and transparency in the admission procedures; strengthening of inspectorates and facilitation of proper certification; establishment of transparent administrative structures and measures to promote greater participation of parents, teachers, citizens and civil society organisations in the reform of the education systems and the introduction of a code of conduct for students and teaching staff.
On the public education front, corruption-prevention needs to be integrated in the formal school curriculum to be a mandatory part of education. The “culture of corruption” in Sierra Leone needs to be addressed by education. Children and young persons need to learn at an early age about values like integrity, honesty and responsibility. We have no better way to secure our country’s future than to ensure that Sierra Leone is once again the “Athens of West Africa”.