Education Issue Brief

Education Issue Brief

ISSUE BRIEFS

Education Issue Brief

Transparency International’s Global Corruption Report: Education (2013) reinforces the notion that corruption inhibits social and economic development and may even jeopardize stability of a nation’s education system. Opportunity for corruption exists all along the education continuum. The “roots of corrupt practices lie in a lack of transparency and accountability.” (p. xiii) The experience gained through implementation of PTF education projects corresponds with TI findings.

In the 12 years that PTF provided small grant assistance for good governance projects, about 10 percent (about 22) were directed to the education sector. The projects addressed problems of governance, poor transparency and corruption in four main areas: (i) use of school resources; (ii) school construction; (iii) procurement and delivery of textbooks and other school supplies; and (iv) professional misconduct related to student admissions, examinations and teacher hiring.

Approximately 70 percent were carried out in two regions, Africa and East Asia; 17 focused on the primary/secondary levels of education, and five on the tertiary level. A PTF intern, Cosi Schreiber, prepared an analysis of PTF’s education projects in March 2012. Our report builds on Schreiber’s analysis but is not intended to duplicate her work. Instead, this report seeks to zero in on what makes for a successful anti-corruption projects in the education sector and to present some suggestions for future activity by PTF …