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Corruption in schools

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Let’s fight corruption in schools

As bells ring and classes kick off for the 2013 academic year, Corruption Watch begins its monitoring of schools – a big focus for the organisation this year. Since launching we’ve received more than 60 reports of possible corruption in schools, mostly involving the embezzlement of funds by principals and administrators, corruption in procurement processes and maladministration by school governing bodies.

In this, the first of a two-part article, we highlight situations in schools in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Next week we’ll bring you updates from Northern Cape, Free State, North West and Eastern Cape. Where possible, we’ve used cases reported directly to Corruption Watch.

> Tools to fight corruption at your school

> SGB Elections

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Tools to fight corruption in school

We published an e-book that we share with you what we learned along the way in terms of those issues – we’ve included our most useful articles and helpful information to help you, as a reponsible parent, address areas of concern at your child’s school. Now that the new school year is under way, make sure you don’t get caught out by unscrupulous education officials.

You’ll also learn about the roles of principals and governing bodies, how no-fees schools work, how schools are categorised for government funding, and how procurement in schools should work. At the end we’ll give you a set of easy-to-follow tools to guide you in asking the right questions, addressing the right issues, and holding the right people accountable.

Tools to fight corruption at your school

or read our tools below.

SGB Elections

There are over 24 000 public schools across South Africa, and from Friday 6 March to Saturday 28 March, each one will go to the polls to elect school governing bodies (SGBs) to oversee the running of the schools for the next three years.

The national SGB elections are a joint effort by the national Department of Basic Education (DBE), provincial education departments and SGB bodies.

It is vital that parents and community members know exactly what is required of an SGB, and how they should work – so that if the SGB does not perform as it should, they can hold it accountable. As the saying goes, knowledge is power, and a knowledgeable parent body will have the confidence and the competence to ensure that the SGB acts according to the rules and in the best interests of the school and the children.

The Federation of Governing Bodies of South African School has published national guidelines on the SGB elections, as well as more specific regulations and guidelines pertaining to every province.
National guidelines

Corruption Watch has also published an information booklet which will help parents to ensure that the right people and processes are in place for children to receive the education they deserve. This handbook will answer all the questions that you need to know about SGBs, their roles and responsibilities, how to spot corruption in the SGB and what to do about it, and participating in the 2015 SGB elections.

SGB Handbook

or read handbook below.