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Education Sector Corruption in Ethiopia 71
• “Other Study Findings” presents findings of indirect relevance to the
framework, including a brief review of accountability mechanisms.
General perceptions of corruption are discussed in its various aspects,
including levels of corruption; what constitutes corruption; where corruption
occurs and who initiates it; and the role of discretionary powers.
A range of accountability systems are in place in the sector, both on
the supply side (government and its donor partners) and on the demand
side (users and civil society). However, these systems are not always
mutually supportive, and the various systems and their dynamics are
also explained in this section.
• “Summary and Conclusions” and the final section, “Recommendations,”
wrap up the analysis. Several actions are recommended for consideration
by the Ministry of Education (MOE).
Analytical Framework
Perceptions of corruption among the different stakeholders—be they
government officials involved in education, staff employed within the
sector, or parents and students receiving the service—tend to be specific,
narrow, and often highly subjective. This subjectivity and diversity of
perspective can make it difficult to develop a comprehensive understanding
of corruption issues and related corrective action. To date, the international
debate about corruption in the education sector has tended to
focus on two specific teacher issues (absenteeism and ghost workers) and
on financial issues such as fiscal transfers. As a result, many other forms
of corruption risks have been overlooked, as has the need to address the
potential links between them.
Establishing a robust and inclusive strategy for anticorruption action in
the education sector requires consideration of the whole array of corrupt
practices. A key feature of this broader approach is that it potentially
identifies where corruption risks lie and where they do not. A number of
frameworks have been developed for corruption, including corruption in
the education sector (Patrinos and Kagia 2007), but none has considered
corruption risks in different settings, taking due account of who is
involved and at what stage of the service delivery chain. Ultimately, the
goal of such an exercise is to provide a robust framework that is relevant
and applicable to the sector, integrates project-level and cross-cutting
governance diagnostics, and can be used as a tool for understanding and
promoting change. 4