Education system is the cause of corruption in Ghana

The education system is the cause of corruption in Ghana

The cause of corruption in Ghana is multi-facet. However, many people consider the Education system in the country as the root cause of corruption in Ghana.

Corruption is a behavior that people exhibit for their gain. People put out such behavior in different forms. Some of the mechanisms people use for their parochial interest include; dishonesty and criminal activity.

The classic example of corruption includes taking and receiving bribes, lies, cronyism and favoritism, theft and embezzlements, etc.

Structure of the educational system in Ghana

The structure of Ghana’s educational system comprises three main levels. The educational levels are basic level, second cycle, and tertiary education. Loosely attached is the national service scheme after tertiary education. All the levels contribute to the cause of corruption in Ghana

Corruption at each level

1. Entering and continuing the basic level

Basic education in Ghana starts from Kindergarten. Though nursery schools house children below age four. Pupils must be a minimum of age four (4) to enter the kindergarten. But a lot of children are entering kindergarten when they are not up to the age of four (4).

Children who are not aged four are asked by their parents to mention they are age four. Coaching the child to lie about their age is the first step in grooming the child to tell lies to favor their cause.

Parents also coach children to lie about their age to enable jump classes in new schools whenever they take a transfer.

The regulation of the Ghana Education Service allows step-jumping children to meet their academic needs. However, the service did not provide any clear standard guidelines to jump performing-children.

Ghana Education Service must provide a standard guideline to jump children. Age and a guideline are not enough to properly regulate attempts to jump children.

In all, parents coaching children to be dishonest with their age is a cause of corruption in Ghana

2. Exiting the basic level

Additionally, examination malpractice by students and teachers during BECE is an indoctrinatory character. Reports have been made about examination malpractice when candidates are writing Basic Education Certificate Examination.

The opportunity for students to cheat is behavior that makes the learners feel entitled. Also, the students inculcate the idea that the end justifies the means whether morally right or not.

Students must be held responsible for their stay in school through the examination they write. Students will therefore understand cheating is not the appropriate approach to obtaining what they deserve. Candidates engaging in examination malpractice is Ghana’s first glaring cause of corruption.

3. Corruption during school placement

Candidates who successfully passed their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) are placed in Senior High School (SHS). Candidates select a number of their preferred senior high schools before placement.

The Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) is responsible for placing candidates in their preferred second-cycle school. The placement is required to be changed.

But some parents can change their schools. Candidates change their schools through payment of bribes.

Students can change their boarding status through acts of corruption, especially changes not endorsed by the placement regulation.

Students at the age of thirteen (13) to fifteen (15) become convinced that bribing and corruption achieve results.

Parents initiating children to bribing is a cause of corruption in Ghana

See also: Dear Nana, please do not target the free SHS policy

4. Corruption at the second cycle level

Candidates involved in examination malpractice at the second cycle level are the major source of grooming citizens for corruption. Cartels leaking examinations are very common. Though the majority of them are fake.

However, some of the cartels provide accurate examination papers. The people who leak the examination papers are hard to trace. However, major stakeholders believe the source of the leakage is from within.

Teachers and invigilators at examination centers are the major reason for examination malpractice. Many examination invigilators and teachers have been caught by the law in the past.

Students are indoctrinated to believe that cheating is their right. And they are not doing anything wrong. Rather, they are getting what they deserve from the system.

Corruption will be seen as a bad endeavor when examination malpractices during BECE and WASSCE are tackled completely.

Interestingly, teachers and supervisors who encourage students to cheat complain about the corruption of national politicians. Such teachers must rather focus on grooming future generations to save the future. The students, teachers, and supervisors are at the forefront of the cause of corruption in Ghana

5. Corruption at the tertiary level

Ghana’s tertiary level has relatively a minimum level of corruption. However, the student leaders have the opportunity to abuse students’ dues.

The student body accuses student leaders annually of abusing students’ funds. Unfortunately, the general student body does not hold the students’ leaders accountable for their corrupt activities.

The leaders are not held accountable for unknown reasons. Upcoming leaders can sue the university or union bodies. But the same students do not sue former leaders for any form of embezzlement or corrupt activity.

Student leadership is a cause of corruption in Ghana because corrupt leaders are hardly held accountable

6. National service scheme

The national service scheme provides the last opportunity for Ghana’s educational system to groom citizens for corruption. Students must perform a mandatory national service after completing school.

Graduates are posted electronically to various institutions. But graduates are not expected to change their institution after posting unless the receiving institution rejects the graduate for whatever reason.

Graduates who are not rejected by their institutions also try to change the institutions they are posted to. And the graduates must adopt illegal means to change their institutions since their action is not sanctioned.

Furthermore, some cartels can change institutions for graduates on demand. Graduates need to pay bribes ranging from Ghc250 to Ghc1,000. Anyone who can pay will have his or her institution changed.

In all, the National service posting scheme processes contribute to the cause of corruption in Ghana