Zimbabwe to add anti-corruption studies in school curriculum right from nursery

Malawi rolled out its own campaign in October

* As an affirmation that corruption is a serious problem that needs to be tackled

* Zimbabwe signed the UN Convention Against Corruption in February 2004 and ratified it in March 2007

By Duncan Mlanjira

Zimbabwe’s prosecutor-general, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo — a judge who is that country’s director general of public prosecutions announced that the government has set in motion plans to introduce a curriculum on anti-corruption, ethics and integrity in the country’s education system from early childhood development (nursery) to university level.

Zimbabwe’s Sunday Mail quoted Matanda-Moyo as announcing the development at the 10th session of the conference of State parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) held recently in Georgia, the United States.

Zimbabwe signed the UN Convention in February 2004 and ratified it in March 2007 and Matanda-Moyo is quoted as saying: “As a State party to these conventions and protocols, Zimbabwe affirms that corruption is a serious problem that needs to be tackled and commits itself to fighting the scourge.

“Zimbabwe has, therefore, undertaken to put in place measures and mechanisms that eliminate corruption. Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission — in partnership with the Ministry of Primary & Secondary Education, has commenced nationwide consultations to introduce a curriculum on corruption, ethics and integrity in schools and universities starting from early childhood learning.”

Article 13 of the United Nations Convention against Corruption recognises the importance of education for preventing corruption and urges State parties to promote active participation in anti-corruption efforts through education programmes in schools and universities.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNDOC), in primary and secondary schools, anti-corruption education could be in the form of extra-curricular activities such as expert guest lectures, interactive learning approaches (such as debates and simulations), special events (competitions, fairs, exhibitions), and child-friendly tools (like comics and colouring books).

Meanwhile, Malawi’s Ministry of Education announced in October that it will soon integrate corruption studies in Malawi primary school education curriculum to ensure that children grow with good values knowing that corruption retards development progress of a country.

This was disclosed during the launch of a sourcebook for teachers at a ceremony held at Dzenza Primary School, in area 25 in Lilongwe which was graced by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General, Martha Chizuma.

Among others, the book contains teaching values and messages for a corruption-free Malawi and speaking at the ceremony, Secretary for Education, Chikondano Mussa said the integration of the sourcebook is pivotal to ensure children in schools grow with integrity and values knowing that corruption is bad for the development of the country.

“The launch of the sourcebook for teachers has come at a right time and when we incorporate the same integrity messages in the school curriculum it means even the children text books will carry the same messages so that the children should grow knowing that corruption is bad.

“Corruption morals is currently worse and this initiative needs collaborative efforts to ensure we manage to teach our children the dangers of corruption so that they grow with such values,” Mussa said.

On her part, the ACB Director General said the integration of corruption messages to children in primary school curriculum will help them to grow with such integrity and values so that they stand to resist corruption for the betterment of the country.

“We cannot lose the young generation in the fight against corruption and this is why we thought to bring to the attention of the Ministry of Education and through the sourcebook, that we have enough messages of corruption, integrity and ethics in the Primary School curriculum,” Chizuma said.

Also present was the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, Fenella Frost, who said the challenges of corruption are experienced in many countries including Malawi and behavior change means to engage with children first.

Frost said she believes the sourcebook — which was launched under the theme; ‘Umunthu education for the corrupt free society’ — is an important step to combat corruption.

At a press briefing a month earlier that touched on corruption, veteran civil society activists, Unandi Banda also called on the Ministry of Education to include corrupt practices for school syllabus from primary, secondary up to the tertiary level in order to inculcate in the young minds that corruption destroys a country.

He said this alongside fellow independent civil society activists, Caesar Kondowe and Caleb Ng’ombo — emphasizing that corrupt practices has brought the country’s economy back and that it was “being handled with kid gloves.”

He made special mention that when former Justice Minister, late Collins Chizumila presented the Bill for the enactment of the Corrupt Practices Act, “he spoke so passionately against corruption [and thus] we need to emulate that passion in his memory”.

“The fight against corruption requires strong political will and the Independence of the ACB, which the Malawi Congress Party (MCP)-led government is achieving. It is the responsibility of each and every citizen to join hands in the fight against the vice because it is not only those at the top who are involved.”