Corruption in the education sector continues to rob millions of African children
Corruption in the education sector continues to rob millions of African children of quality learning, with Ghana emerging as one of the most affected countries on the continent.
This was the alarming reality brought to light during a recent X Spaces discussion hosted by the Youth Against Corruption (YAC) initiative under the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
The virtual conversation, themed “Unravelling Corruption–Education Nexus,” brought together youth leaders, university students, representatives from the African Union Advisory Board against Corruption, and the general public to explore how corruption is crippling access to education and undermining national development.
According to the African Union’s “Stolen Futures: The Impact of Corruption on Children in Africa report”, at least 25 million primary school children in Africa are affected by corruption, manifesting in teacher absenteeism, the collection of illegal fees, and other unethical practices.
The report further emphasized that these acts diminish the quality of public services and reduce productivity.
Participants at the YAC-led discussion raised urgent concerns about how deeply embedded corruption is within Ghana’s education system.
Edem Senanu, Board Member at the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption noted that in the report, teacher absenteeism and bribes for grades were cited as common practices that erode trust and lower educational standards.
Francisca Enchill, 2021 Investigative Journalist of the Year, Francisca stressed that mismanagement of government education budgets continues to deprive schools of infrastructure and essential learning resources.
“The prevailing culture of silence around corruption stifles investigations and weakens efforts toward systemic reform.” she added.
Touching on the continuous need for awareness raising, Prince Agyei, Anti- Corruption Champion acknowledged a significant knowledge gap on corruption, calling for improved education and engagement.
As part of calls for anti-corruption education, youth empowerment, and stronger accountability measures, participants further called on the Ministry of Education to embed anti-corruption content in the national curriculum to instill values of integrity and accountability in school children.
Youth participants emphasized that young people must not only be beneficiaries of anti-corruption efforts but also active leaders in driving change.
The Youth Against Corruption initiative reaffirmed its commitment to working with national and regional stakeholders to build a generation of young people who are aware, informed, and empowered to challenge corruption in all its forms.
