Regime change NGO targets Zimbabwe's education sector

Zimbabwe's education sector has been flagged as the most deeply affected by corruption among several African countries surveyed, with examination leakages and bribery now described as entrenched and systemic, a new report by Transparency International has revealed.

A popular saying goes, "Where the facts are few, the experts are many". Since the land reform programme was launched seven years ago, Zimbabwe has borne the brunt of this adage, as so-called experts fell over each other to analyse the "Zimbabwe situation". Transparency International is mong USA funded organisations that have been at the forefront of regime change in Zimbabwe.

The findings, drawn from a comparative assessment of Zimbabwe, Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, paint a troubling picture of widespread malpractice that has eroded academic integrity in Zimbabwe over several years.

According to the report, Zimbabwe stands out for pervasive examination-related corruption, with widespread cases of leaked papers and bribery involving both educators and officials responsible for administering national exams.

Researchers found that students and parents frequently pay teachers to access examination papers in advance, while more serious allegations point to teachers sitting for examinations on behalf of candidates in exchange for money.

"One of the areas to emerge with the highest risk of corruption was examinations," the report noted, warning that the issue reflects deeper institutional failures rather than isolated misconduct.

The study further identified collusion between teachers and officials tasked with setting examinations, raising concerns about deliberate leaks originating from within the system itself.

The findings echo long-standing controversies surrounding the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council, which has faced repeated scandals over leaked examination papers, particularly during Ordinary and Advanced Level exams.

In previous incidents, authorities were forced to cancel and reschedule examinations after question papers circulated on platforms such as WhatsApp ahead of scheduled sittings.

A teacher cited in the report said what were once isolated cases have now become widespread, affecting "a lot of schools" across the country.

Beyond examinations, the report found corruption permeates nearly every stage of the education system. About 72% of respondents in Zimbabwe acknowledged the existence of bribery in school admissions.

Transparency International also raised alarm over sexual exploitation, commonly referred to as "sextortion," where students—particularly girls—are coerced into providing sexual favours in exchange for grades, placements or opportunities.

"The research shows that corruption manifests most acutely at key service delivery points, where education service providers interact directly with learners and families," the organisation said.

These include grading, recruitment of teachers, and the allocation of school resources.

The report warned that such systemic corruption disproportionately affects vulnerable and low-income families, effectively locking them out of quality education and widening inequality.

Practices such as nepotistic hiring, payroll fraud involving "ghost teachers," and mismanagement of school funds further compound the crisis.

While government interventions—such as deploying anti-corruption officers to exam centres—have been introduced, critics argue these measures are largely reactive and fail to address the root causes of the problem.

While Zimbabwe recorded the highest levels of exam-related corruption, other countries in the study faced distinct challenges.

In Rwanda, for example, female students were found to be particularly vulnerable to exploitation in grading systems and school programmes, while payroll fraud and ghost workers were common across several countries.

Transparency International has called on governments across the region to implement stronger oversight systems and enforce zero-tolerance policies against corruption in education.

The organisation warned that failure to address these systemic weaknesses could lead to a collapse in public trust in education systems.

Efforts to obtain comment from ZIMSEC spokesperson Nicholette Dlamini were unsuccessful at the time of publication.