Zimbabwe has been identified as having the most deep-rooted corruption within its education sector among several surveyed African nations, with examination leakages and bribery reaching systemic levels, according to a new study by Transparency International.
The findings, which emerged from a comprehensive assessment of corruption risks across Zimbabwe, Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, suggest that academic integrity in the southern African country has been undermined for years by a culture of collusion.
While the report identified various integrity risks across the continent, Zimbabwe stood out for its "entrenched" examination-related malpractices, which include the widespread leaking of papers and bribery involving both teachers and high-level officials.
The report highlighted a disturbing trend where the very individuals tasked with upholding educational standards are often the ones subverting them.
Researchers found that students or their parents frequently pay teachers to obtain examination papers in advance.
In more extreme cases, the study documented allegations of teachers sitting for examinations on behalf of students in exchange for cash.,
“One of the areas to emerge with the highest risk of corruption was examinations,” the report said, emphasising that the problem is not merely local but involves high-level institutional failure.
The study also flagged the deliberate leaking of materials by officials responsible for setting and administering tests.
According to the findings: "They also flagged the risk of deliberate leakage of exam papers by officials working at the institution responsible for setting exams, suggesting possible collusion between these officials and teachers.”
A teacher quoted in the report noted that these leakages, which were once isolated incidents, have become a widespread phenomenon affecting a vast number of schools across the country.
Beyond the exam room, the corruption extends to every level of the educational experience.
Transparency International found that 72% of Zimbabwean respondents acknowledged the presence of bribery in school admissions.
Even more concerning were the "alarming levels" of sexual coercion reported within the system.
The report noted that this corruption is most visible where families interact directly with service providers.
"The research shows that corruption manifests most acutely at key service delivery points, where education service providers interact directly with learners and families," Transparency International said.
These points include grading, teacher recruitment, and the management of school resources.
The organisation warned that practices such as “sextortion, bribery, nepotistic recruitment, payroll fraud, and mismanagement of school resources continue to erode access to education and compromise learning outcomes”.
These systemic failures disproportionately affect vulnerable students and those from low-income households, effectively widening the gap of inequality in Zimbabwean society.
The crisis is not a new development for Zimbabwe. For over 10 years, the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) has been embroiled in recurring scandals, particularly during the critical Ordinary and Advanced Level final examinations.
In previous years, Zimsec has been forced to take the drastic step of cancelling and rewriting exams after papers were found circulating on social media platforms like WhatsApp hours before the scheduled start times.
While the government has attempted to stem the tide by deploying anti-corruption officers to exam centres and threatening to deregister non-compliant schools, critics argue these moves are largely reactive.
They contend that the underlying systems remain inherently vulnerable to exploitation by insiders who profit from the status quo.
While Zimbabwe topped the list for exam fraud, other nations faced unique challenges.
In Rwanda, for instance, the study identified risks in grading and school feeding programmes, noting that “female students particularly vulnerable to sextortion”.
Across the wider region, the exploitation of learners often manifested through "ghost teachers" and payroll fraud.
Transparency International has now called on regional governments to drastically improve oversight and protection mechanisms for students.
The organisation warned that a failure to address these "systemic weaknesses" risks a total collapse of trust in public education.
Efforts by Standard Peopple to obtain a comment from Zimsec spokesperson Nicholette Dlamini were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to multiple calls.