Make Corruption A Compulsory Subject In Schools—Mrs. Jackson

The Principal of Jackson College of Education, Mrs. Theodosia Jackson, has charged developers of educational curriculum to seriously consider the study of corruption as a subject.

The veteran educationist believes this could be the surest way to among other things, help reduce the incidence of corruption in the country.

Mrs. Jackson made the clarion call during an exclusive interview with the Academic Diary where she expressed her opinion on what she believes is the best medium to effectively fight the social canker; corruption, as a nation.

Ghana as a country has amply registered its weakness to fight this menace since independence. Successive governments have proposed paradigms to check corruption but the same politicians leave office with trails of corruption scandals. Opposition parties in the country usually use corruption as a major campaign tool only to fall for the same after just a term in office.

But speaking to the Academic Diary, Mrs Jackson is of the view that the fight against corruption is still possible, adding that, the country has not looked at the subject more holistically but from only the political perspective.

She said, if corruption is made compulsory subject in our schools right from the primary to the tertiary levels, every citizen of the nation would have in-depth knowledge of the real dangers of corruption.

She noted that the exact effects of corruption have only become partisan political campaign tools to other political parties; but added that it should be depoliticised so as to ensure everyone becomes concerned with the ills associated with corruption.

She opined, "we have said so many things about corruption as a people for a very long time. Corruption discussions dominate every facet of our life but I believe the real antedote to the menace is not propounded well. If the government, the Ghana Education Service and other stakeholders would join my call for the introduction of corruption as a compulsory subject in our schools, the learners who would one day lead the country would be exposed to the effects of corruption on the country."

Mrs Jackson further called for a broader discussion and consultations on her proposal , adding the proposal would be a sure cure to the dangers of corruption.

She posited, "I do not want this proposition to be seen as one coming from Mrs Jackson but a suggestion from Ghanaians so that the international community too would be aware of our preparedness and seriousness to fight corruption". This, she believes, would mark the beginning of our departure from the usual lip-service approach adopted by our political leadership.

The former headteacher of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Junior High School, who has taught for over four decades, hinted that if corruption is taught in schools and the pupils exposed to the negative impact, the children themselves would start to uproot corruption from their own families and would not be hesitant to fight their own parents when they indulge in the practice.

" The children could act as corruption police right from their homes until they become leaders of the country. They could even report cases of corruption when they are aware of the dangers of corruption to our society," the principal added.

Speaking on the course outline of corruption as a subject, she disclosed that the positive impacts of corruption fight, the negative impacts of commission of acts of corruption, punishments for those guilty of corrupt acts and rewards for agents that fight corruption must all be spelt out in the curriculum.

Mrs Jackson also proposed that, case studies of convicted corrupt individuals, politicians and enterprises as well as organisations should made made available in textbooks of Corruption Studies so that it just doesn’t become an academic exercise but people are able to relate practically to it and would encourage family member to be the staunch agents for fight corruption.

A former Commissioner of Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Mr. Emile Short, speaking on the Special Prosecutor's Bill maintained that the fight against corruption must be approached in a more proactive way rather than being reactionary . The Commissioner wants suspects to be arrested or prevented before they commit the crime.

The proposal of the lawyer seems to be in sync with Mrs Jackson's paradigm which seeks to suggest that the study of corruption in our schools would be a more proactive approach to adopt in the prevention and fight against corruption.

The parliament of Ghana has recently passed a Special Prosecutor Bill that would detail the best process to prosecute corrupt individuals.