CORRUPTION IN SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION: ETHICAL CHALLENGES AND MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION

Abstract

Corruption in school administration manifesting as procurement fraud, payroll padding and ghost workers, diversion of capitation grants, bribery in postings and admissions, teacher absenteeism, and examination malpractice undermines the core public value of education. This paper synthesizes comparative evidence to show how unethical practices distort resource allocation (leakages, inefficiencies, inequities) and erode trust in leadership, with downstream effects on instructional quality, teacher morale, and community support. Drawing on established scholarship on corruption in education and trust in schools, as well as programmatic evidence from information-for-accountability and audit reforms, the paper outlines an ethical decision-making framework and a practical control architecture for ministries, districts, and school leaders. Recommended measures include transparent procurement and budgeting, routine expenditure tracking (PETS), e-procurement, conflict-of-interest and gift rules, teacher attendance monitoring with credible incentives, social accountability (school scorecards and public posting of funds), internal and external audits, whistleblowing protections, integrity training, and leadership practices that build relational trust. The conclusion argues that integrity systems and trust-building must advance together: without trust, controls breed compliance minimalism; without controls, trust decays under the weight of opportunism.