Concept Paper for Anti-Corruption Week 2006

Corruption in Primary Education

This years Anti-Corruption Week will focus on corruption in Universal Primary Education, one of the most corrupt sectors in Uganda. The week kicks off 30th of October and runs untill 5th November. Processions, schoold debates, forum teatre and an extended media campaign are all part of the activities.

23. October 2006

Tackling Corruption in Universal Primary Education (UPE) is the theme for this year’s Anti-Corruption Week, which will run from 30^th October to the 5^th November.

Education fights poverty

The goal of achieving Universal Primary Education (UPE) has been on the international agenda since the universal declaration of human rights affirmed, in 1948, that elementary education was to be made freely and compulsorily available for all children in all nations. In Uganda, the UPE ranks high on the priority areas of the PEAP, an overarching frame work to guide public action to eradicate poverty. Universal Primary Education is encompassed in pillar four of the PEAP-improving the quality of life of the poor. Government introduced UPE in 1997 and by 2004; nearly 7.4 million children were enrolled in primary schools, up from about 3 million in 1996.

Too many dropouts
To contend to the soaring number of pupils the amount of money committed to the UPE has increased markedly. Official statistics show that in 2003/04, education took up 24 percent of the national budget, compared to about 7 percent in 1990. For 2006/07 Financial Year, it is projected at 18.3% of Uganda Government expenditure which represents 708.4 billion; an increase from 635.6 billion of 2005/06. While there are tremendous achievements, few pupils reach primary seven (many dropouts), and the quality of education is so poor compared to the previous periods and currently that of private schools.

Ghost teachers and shoddy constructions 
Transparency and objective decision-making are very important factors in determining the success and effectiveness of resource allocation for sustainable development. Corruption in UPE manifests itself in many forms like ghost teachers and pupils, false accountability, forgery, embezzlement, abuse of office, influence peddling in the procurement process of scholastic materials, shoddy construction of school facilities Grant buildings and bribery among others and the corruption have left the country saddled with low quality education, substandard infrastructure and excessive debt.

A weak mandate

ACCU has, after conducting research and consulting key stakeholders, identified gaps in monitoring, weak law enforcement and follow-up of cases as key obstacles to ending the above mentioned practices. The public institutions in charge of investigating corrupt practices and ensuring quality of UPE such as the Inspectorate of Government, the district inspectors and the Education Standards Agency (ESA) are underfinanced, understaffed and/or with a weak mandate.

Steamline the Education Standards Agency

The Education Standards Agency (ESA), a semi autonomous body, was set up in 2001 by recommendations from Cabinet to monitor the quality and standards of education. The Agency has however very little enforcement and sanctioning powers. It simply refers cases to the district authorities with recommendations; however the recommendations are largely being ignored. The strategic objective of this years campaign is to give the Agency powers to sanction and enforce the teachers code of conduct, ensure that the Agency gets a better funding scope and enable it to build strong alliances in general with other inspection bodies and in particular with the district inspectors. ACCU is strongly convinced that that anchoring ESA into a piece of legislation like the upcoming Education bill will strengthen the mandate of the Agency. Streamlining the mandate of ESA will go a long way in ameliorating the problems that has bedevilled UPE.     

Civic action

ACCU has furthermore identified the need for civil action and better monitoring on the ground. School Management Committees (SMCs) are statutory bodies that are empowered by the law to monitor primary schools. The SMCs are mandated to guide and monitor the implementation of the educational policies in order to help improve the quality of primary education. The SMCs are formed by representations of the District Education Committee, the parents, foundation body, old boys/girls, teachers as well as the Head Teacher who is the Secretary to the Committee. The SMCs are given an important role under the law as the governing bodies of a primary school. However Members of the Committee such as parents are not always aware of their roles and responsibilities and they are consequently easily manipulated and intimidated by the Headteachers. There is therefore a need to empower Members of the Committees in order for them to better execute their mandate as monitors. 

The overall objective of this year’s anti-corruption week:

Improve quality and management of Universal Primary Education (UPE)

The specific objectives to be achieved by Anti Corruption Week 2006 include:

To lobby the Parliament and the Ministry of Education to expedite the process of passing the Education Bill in order to strengthen the mandate of the Education Standards Agency (ESA) so as to make its operations more effective
To empower and strengthen Members of the School Management Committees in order to ensure continuous monitoring in each Universal Primary School   

Examples of activities for this years Anti-Corruption Week:

Consultative workshop with Members of Parliament
Anti Corruption Bus  
Petition to Parliament
School Debates
Processions
Forum teatre (Kampala, Kokobo, Gulu, Hoima, Mbarara)
Media Campaign (including call-in hotline for complainants)  
Anti Corruption Activists Award
Letters/drawings/poems from Children (to be brought to Parliament, to be published)