A new report by Transparency International has revealed widespread corruption across education systems in several African countries.
The report exposes how bribery, payroll fraud, ghost teachers, examination malpractice and sexual exploitation are denying millions of learners access to quality education.
The report, Leaving No Learner Behind: Tackling Corruption and Discrimination in Education Across Africa, examined education systems in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. It found that corruption has become deeply embedded throughout the delivery of education services, affecting learners, teachers and public institutions alike.
The findings come as several African governments continue to strengthen oversight of education spending. In Kenya, concerns over similar weaknesses emerged after the Auditor General uncovered ghost schools and non-existent learners, prompting a nationwide verification exercise and raising questions over billions of shillings lost through fraudulent education funding.
The continental study, Leaving No Learner Behind: Tackling Corruption and Discrimination in Education Across Africa, examined education systems in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
It found corruption had become deeply entrenched at every stage of education service delivery.
Researchers surveyed more than 5,000 students, parents, teachers, education officials and oversight agencies to establish how corruption affects access to education.
Among the most striking findings is that 56 per cent of respondents in the DRC reported paying or witnessing bribes to secure school admission.
In Madagascar, more than 60 per cent of parents of children with disabilities said their children had been excluded from school because of illegal charges or discriminatory practices.
Zimbabwe recorded some of the highest levels of corruption, with 72 per cent of respondents acknowledging bribery during school admissions alongside widespread reports of sexual coercion.
In Ghana, payroll fraud and ghost workers continue to drain resources from schools, while Rwanda was found to face integrity risks in examination grading, internship placements and school feeding programmes, with female learners particularly vulnerable to sextortion.
Although Kenya was not among the countries covered in the study, the findings mirror concerns that have emerged locally following the government’s nationwide verification of schools and learners.
A special audit by the Auditor General in 2025 uncovered widespread irregularities in the disbursement of capitation funds to public schools between the 2020/21 and 2023/24 financial years. The findings point to billions of shillings paid to non-existent schools, inflated student enrolment figures and weaknesses in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
The audit found that KSh3.7 billion in capitation was disbursed to 33 schools that did not exist. The payments were made over four financial years despite the institutions having no physical presence.
According to the audit, 354 secondary schools were overfunded by a combined KSh3.5 billion after the number of learners recorded in government systems exceeded the actual enrolment in the institutions.
Transparency International calls for stronger accountability
The Transparency International report warns that such weaknesses create fertile ground for corruption.
It identifies ghost workers, nepotistic recruitment, payroll fraud, procurement irregularities, diversion of school resources and examination malpractice as some of the most common forms of corruption affecting education systems across Africa.
The report also cites theft of learning materials, hidden school charges and favouritism in teacher recruitment as practices that continue to undermine learning outcomes.
“Corruption in education is not a victimless administrative failure, it is a direct assault on human rights and social justice,” Paul Banoba, Africa Regional Advisor at Transparency International, said.
Report highlights sextortion and discrimination in education
The report identifies sextortion as one of the fastest-growing but least reported forms of corruption within education systems.
Female learners are reportedly pressured into exchanging sexual favours for grades, school admission, scholarships and internship opportunities, with many choosing not to report the abuse because of fear, stigma and weak protection mechanisms.
Children with disabilities and learners from poor households are also disproportionately affected by informal fees, inaccessible infrastructure and discriminatory practices that make education unaffordable or inaccessible.
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