Education Stakeholders to Fight Illicit Payments

Following measures put in place by the Head of State to render primary education free, most public primary schools have still obliged their pupils to pay certain sums for a variety of reasons. This action is described by the anti-corruption commission as corruption.

In a bid to institute this measure and eradicate the acts of corruption, a workshop was organised to combat this illegal practice in schools. The workshop is meant to train and sensitise actors of the basic education community on the Rapid Results Initiative which is aimed at achieving results that will bring about change of habits.

According to the Coach of Change Habits Oppose Corruption, CHOC, Programme, Ekellem Desmond Mbong, the workshop had the purpose of identifying problems, looking at the consequences and detecting if they could be sources of corruption. This led to setting up of goals under the Rapid Result Initiative which, he said, will be implemented within a period of 100 days. He added that a plan of work will be established and monitored systematically.

Ekellem further explained that the first milestone on the field is to sensitise teachers, head teachers, parents, civil society organisations in the education sector, divisional delegates and inspectors of basic education on illicit payment and instruct them to fight such practices.

Every school will be monitored by a team. Team leaders will be the head teachers and members will include religious leaders, a parent, a pupil and teachers to ensure that primary education is free as declared by the Head of State.

Other milestones include the disbursement of school running credits which will be will be implemented at the level of the Ministry of Basic Education.

On his part, the Governor of the Littoral, Joseph Beti Assomo lauded the new CONAC anti-corruption tool. He urged participants to be attentive during sessions.