CORRUPTION IN SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM

One of the most frequently used words in India, corruption signifies a range of things. In 2005, Transparency International and Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies, a research firm, undertook the India Corruption Study. The survey covered 14,405 respondents over 20 states and included interviews with service providers & users on the spot. The survey is not based on perception alone; it includes the experience of people in paying bribes. The results, published the same year,showed Indians pay around Rs21,068 crore as bribes while availing one of 11 public services. While some of the highlights of the survey were published,many of the details were not. The study, however, remains the most recent and the most comprehensive report on corruption in India. Apart from calculating the extent of corruption, in Rs crore, it explains the mechanics of it.

Overcharging/Bribing

Additional fee: This isn't really a bribe, but is more of coercion. Parents are often charged extra fees for purportedly enhancing the quality of an educational programme or maintaining the school building. Parents comply fearing retribution (that is, that the school will take it out on their children otherwise). There is no accountability on how this money is spent.

For issuing certificates: Schools charge students a lot of money to issue certificates to them. This isn't just for school leaving certificates; students even have to pay for transfer certificates when they leave the school mid-way through their education to join another school. Some schools even charge for proficiency or extra-curricular achievement certificates.

For admission:This isn't the tuition fee. Most schools charge a huge admission
fee, payment for the student being admitted into the system. The admission fee
phenomenon isn't restricted to private schools. Although most government-run or government-aided schools aren't meant to charge such a fee, most do.

For promotions:This is a whole new take on the ‘pay for perfor-mance’ concept.
Some schools blackmail parents into paying a bribe for promoting their child to a higher class. When such a demand is made, the fear of retribution is so high that most parents just pay up without asking any questions.

Deductions from scholarships: The school simply deducts a certain percentage from the scholarship awarded to students by various government bodies or philanthropic
organizations