It’s just a matter of degree.  Expect all schools and school systems to be vulnerable to corruption – anywhere from pilfering a pencil from a school to outright criminal embezzlement as we’ve seen in the Detroit Public School system. The education systems, being the biggest or second biggest spenders of public money, have few stringent accountability measures to counter what is a system replete with opportunities for wrong-doing.  All at the expense of childrens’ education, of course.  In Detroit the “culture of corruption” is so severe that only one in four students graduates.

As a year end (2009) report for British Columbia, Canada, I have just published the following:

CORRUPTION: BC’s Education Nightmare – I

For the New Year, the new decade (2010), I wish to see a rededication to the task at hand – proper education of the young.  All else is secondary or non-essential. And, I’d like to see a lot less corruption. The two go together.

Fortunately, tough economic times help in the task of eliminating waste and refocusing on the essentials. It’s like in the Depression – maximize the resources you have.

In New Zealand when the government saw that it had “created a massive, unresponsive educational system where parents had little or no influence”, which didn’t meet acceptable achievement levels, and which “consumed 70 cents of every education dollar, with only 30 cents spent in the classroom” they did something radical. They implemented a very simple organizational change to switch those figures around.  District school boards were replaced by parent boards at each school, very much as we have in our independent schools. Those who care the most were now in charge. Parent trusteeship is voluntary, no pay!  (PS:  The Ministry was reduced to half its former size. Money saved is ploughed back into the schools, special services, and indigenous education.)  See: http://4brevard.com/choice/new-zealand.htm

Does our government in BC have the guts to do something so simple? Something radical.  The present system is totally unacceptable and getting worse by the month. There never was a year like 2009, rudderless and full of holes.

Before I list some of the corruptions we’ve seen in the last year let’s stop a moment to review what corruption is. Very simply, it is anything that robs the intended recipients of goods and services and/or deviates from its intended mission.  This deviation might be as simple as pilfering a school pencil, which is not a criminal offense, to the criminal embezzlement of millions of dollars, as we’ve read about in the Detroit Public School system.

Basically, to corrupt is to spoil, alter, or debase something into less than what it is supposed to be. Passing the smell test is another way of putting it.  “Something’s rotten in the state of Denmark”, that is, the fish is rotting from the head down.

These are just some of the corruptions, debasements and questionable practices discussed on this blog this year:

1.  Cronyism, nepotism — which was outed in the debates concerning deployment of TOC’s (substitute teachers). A dedicated page on this blog now has over 1,000 comments.

2.  Double dipping — TOC’s who are retired but still working on call, superintendents retired and on pension and working under contract.

3.  Conflict of interest – trustees who are teachers or ex-teacher union officials, have family on staff, in the role for 30 years, who have signed teacher union pledges to support teacher causes, etc.…

4.  Using school property for private commercial purposes – producing materials for sale, organizing businesses, charging high telephone calls to foreign countries for business….

5.  Conventions, junkets, retreats in distant locations and in expensive settings.

6.  Overspending by a school board because of poor accounting practices and poor reporting…

… more later …

Though I am shocked by the scale of the corruption in BC education, the long duration of some of the bad practices, and the depth, I an equally concerned about the lack of transparency and lack of accountability that is revealed.  Both oversight and procedures are flawed.

In the general field of corruption studies, perception is considered as important as the reality.  I am surprised and disappointed that it seems as if people don’t care.  As if this is the norm. The system is there to be milked – the children be damned!

Lest we get too agitated, however, a 6 year study by UNESCO has just published its report in English called: "Corrupt Schools, Corrupt Universities: What Can Be Done?”  The blurbs about the study say things like: “Corruption in education is rampant globally”, and “Corruption is endemic in many education systems around the world, undermining them and costing governments billions of dollars”.

In discussions about this report, in addition to the wrong-doing and harm done, is the painful acknowledgement of the effect on young people.

“Lack of integrity and unethical behaviour within the education sector is inconsistent with one of the main purposes of education: that is, to produce ‘good citizens’, respectful of the law, of human rights and fairness.” 

(by Tunya Audain, 100103, comment to blog Report Card by Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun Education Reporter, on her story: “Happy New Year – make a wish”, 091231 communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/reportcard/archive/2009/12/31/happy-new-year-make-a-wish.aspx)