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Education Sector Corruption in Ethiopia 81
could occur if, under pressure from private universities, their examinations
were to be exempted from the full scope of external moderation
applicable within the rest of the sector.
Survey responses received during this study indicate that a strong
majority of both central officials and public officials considered policies
and regulations to be strictly defined, and a strong majority considered
them to be both useful and easy to understand. A slimmer majority considered
them to be stable, not too onerous, and well supervised.
According to ESDP projections, the private sector is expected to play
an increasingly important role in the provision of educational services in
Ethiopia. A reduction in private sector enrollments in grades 1–4 is
expected to be accompanied by a doubling of enrollments in grades 5–8
and sevenfold or higher increases for grades 9–10 and 11–12, albeit from
relatively low levels. These projections continue a trend that has in recent
years seen a marked but geographically patchy increase in private education.
In Addis Ababa, the rate of increase in private schools has exceeded
that of government schools, though the overall percentage figures have
not changed significantly, as government schools generally cater to larger
numbers.
Although the current risks of regulatory capture appear to be low,
broader general concerns among survey respondents and international
observers about the absence of a level playing field within the sector suggest
that, left unchecked, the risk could increase as the private sector
plays a more prominent role in some regions where there is currently little
or no nonstate provision.
Bribery or extortion over licensing or permits—risk: low. This form of bribery
can occur in any situation where official licenses or permits are required
to provide goods or services in the sector. Possible scenarios range from
an FBO needing to obtain or renew a license to operate a private school,
to a construction company needing a permit to draw water from a local
supply when building a new university. In either case, the responsible
official may abuse his or her discretionary power and threaten to block
or delay approval unless a facilitation payment is made. Alternatively, the
initiative may come from the applicant, seeking to bribe the official to
speed up the process or to overlook certain areas of noncompliance.
Survey responses received during this study did not directly address
this question but did indirectly suggest, on the one hand, that corruption
risks exist at the level of procurement of goods and services and, on the
other hand, that outright bribery is rare.