Strategies for Combating Corruption: a Case Study of Four (4) Zimbabwean Public Secondary Schools
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
STRATEGIES FOR COMBATING CORRUPTION: A CASE STUDY OF FOUR (4) ZIMBABWEAN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS by NYAUDE ONESMUS submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN EDUCATION in the subject SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: DR H.J. KRIEK July 2018 i DECLARATION Name: Onesmus Nyaude Student number: 57641501 Degree: Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Socio-Education) STRATEGIES FOR COMBATING CORRUPTION: A CASE STUDY OF FOUR (4) ZIMBABWEAN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS I declare that the above thesis is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. references. I further declare that I submitted the thesis to originality checking software. ________________________ _____________________ SIGNATURE DATE ii DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my wives, Prisca and Vimbai. Thank you so much for the unwavering support, unconditional love and the encouragement during my doctoral studies. I also dedicate this dissertation to my late grandmother, Lianah Matongorere (nee Miriyoga), and my two uncles, Peter (Baba Kuda) and Joseph Matongorere (Baba Florence), for creating the intrinsic academic and intellectual motivation by unconditionally financing my secondary school education despite multiple responsibilities they were shouldering at the time. I thank you very much for this created a solid base for the birth and sustenance of my intellectual vision to pursue tertiary and university education. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the following people for supporting me throughout the course of my doctoral studies: Firstly, I would wholeheartedly want to register my profound gratitude to my supervisor, Dr H.J. Kriek for his inspiring academic and professional guidance. I cannot find the most suitable words to express my gratitude. It is your exceptional academic and intellectual prowess, quality and sound professional guidance, inspiration and encouragement that have resulted in me being able to survive the rigors of producing this thesis. From my interaction with you, I am now an academic ‘born again’ someone as the way I look at the academic world is no longer the same. I thank you very much. Secondly, I am particularly grateful to the University of South Africa’s Directorate of Student Funding for awarding to me the postgraduate bursary that enabled me to enrol and study for my doctoral degree. Without this bursary, the idea of a doctoral degree would have remained a pipe dream. Thirdly, my thanks go to the study participants who provided valuable information, which allowed me to answer the research questions and to address the objectives of this study. May the Almighty bless them abundantly! I also like to acknowledge the wonderful work done by Mrs C. Matumbi and Mr M. Magiga, my colleagues at my workplace, who meticulously went through the process of editing this thesis. Lastly, I thank my family, particularly my wives and our six loving children, for being supportive, resolute and understanding during my studies. iv ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to investigate participants’ views on strategies for combating corruption in Zimbabwean public secondary schools with a view to promoting learner academic achievement. The study was undertaken at four (4) selected public secondary schools in Harare Metropolitan Province in Zimbabwe. The study adopted the case study as the principal research design and it was informed by the interpretive paradigm; thus, qualitative research approaches were used. Non-probability and probability sampling techniques were adopted in site and participants’ selection. A representative sample of fifty-four (54) participants was used from a target population of three-hundred and eighteen (318) participants. The study was informed by multiple theories. The study found that most of the participants perceived corruption as a major problem affecting the education of learners in most public secondary schools in Zimbabwe. It was found out that the adoption of a vibrant and robust anti-corruption strategy is the solution/panacea to solve this problem of rampant corrupt practices in educational institutions. The introduction of anti-corruption education in public secondary schools was singled out to be the ‘pivotal’ strategy that policy makers should adopt to disseminate educative anti- corruption information to learners. It was further established that the ‘Zero Tolerance to Corruption’ policy employed by the Government of Zimbabwe should be strongly supported by a multi-agency response to effectively combat corruption within the education system to propel sustainable learner academic achievement. The study findings further revealed that the public secondary schools lack the necessary anticipated formal anti-corruption education curriculum. The study concludes that anti-corruption education and the adoption of multi-strategies play a central role in combating corruption. Therefore, there is need to strengthen the anti-corruption strategies and support mechanisms currently being employed in v Zimbabwe to successfully provide an environment that supports sustainable learner academic achievement. In line with the above, the study recommends the introduction of a formal anti-corruption curriculum in Zimbabwean public secondary schools to combat corruption. In addition, the study recommends further research in this seemingly grey area to contribute to the knowledge body regarding instituting good corporate governance in public secondary schools in Zimbabwe. Key terms Corruption, combating, impact, experiences, perpetuating, academic achievement, disparities, corporate governance, strategies, anti-corruption. vi ABSTRAK Die doel van die studie was om deelnemers se menings oor strategieë te ondersoek vir die bestryding van korrupsie in Zimbabwiese openbare sekondêre skole met die oog om leerders se akademiese prestasie se bevorder. Die studie is by vier (4) uitgesoekte openbare sekondêre skole in die Harare Metropolitaanse Provinsie in Zimbabwe onderneem. Die studie het die gevallestudie as die hoofnavorsingsontwerp geneem en dit is gevorm deur die vertolkende paradigma; kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenaderings is dus gebruik. Niewaarskynlikheid- en waarskynlikheidsteekproefnemingtegnieke is gebruik vir ligging en keuse van deelnemers. 'n Verteenwoordigende steekproef van vier-en-vyftig (54) deelnemers is gebruik uit 'n teikenpopulasie van drie-honderd-en-agtien (318) deelnemers. Die studie is gevorm deur verskeie teorieë. Die studie het bevind dat meeste van die deelnemers korrupsie as 'n groot probleem sien wat die onderrig van leerders in die meeste openbare sekondêre skole in Zimbabwe beïnvloed. Daar is bevind dat die gebruik van 'n dinamiese en robuuste teenkorrupsiestrategie die oplossing/kuur is om hierdie probleem van toenemende korrupsiepraktyke in opvoedkundige instellings op te los. Die inleiding tot teenkorrupsie-onderrig in openbare sekondêre skole is uitgesonder as die vernaamste strategie wat beleidmakers moet aanvaar om opvoedkundige teenkorrupsie-inligting onder leerders te versprei. Daar is verder bevind dat die Zimbabwiese regering se 'Zero Tolerance to Corruption'-beleid sterk ondersteun moet word deur reaksie van verskeie agente om korrupsie in die onderwysstelsel doeltreffend te beveg om leerders se volhoubare akademiese prestasie aan te dryf. Die studie se bevindings het verder getoon dat openbare sekondêre skole nie die noodsaaklike verwagte formele teenkorrupsie onderwyskurrikulum het nie. Die studie het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat teenkorrupsie-onderrig en die gebruik van verskeie strategieë 'n sentrale rol speel om korrupsie te beveg. Teenkorrupsiestrategieë en ondersteuningsmeganismes wat tans in Zimbabwe gebruik word, moet dus versterk vii word om 'n omgewing te skep wat volhoubare akademiese prestasie vir leerders ondersteun. Ooreenkomstig hiermee, beveel die studie die bekendstelling van 'n formele teenkorrupsiekurrikulum in Zimbabwiese openbare sekondêre skole aan om korrupsie te beveg. Die studie beveel verdere navorsing in hierdie oënskynlike grys area aan om tot die kennis van goeie korporatiewe beheer in openbare sekondêre skole in Zimbabwe by te dra. Sleutelterme Korrupsie, bevegting, impak, ervaring, vernuwing, akademiese prestasie, ongelykhede, korporatiewe beheer, strategieë, teenkorrupsie. viii ISIFINYEZO ESIQUKETHE UMONGO WOCWANINGO Inhloso yocwaningo ukuphenyisisa ngemibono yababambi-qhaza ngamasu okulwa nenkohlakalo kwezezimali ezikoleni zikahulumeni zamasekondari eZimbabwe ngombono wokuqhubela phambili ukuphumelela kwabafundi kwezemfundo. Ucwaningo lwenziwe ezikoleni zamasekondari zikahulumeni ezingu 4 ezikhethwe endaweni yedolobhakazi leprovinsi, leHarare iHarare Metropolititan Province eZimbabwe. Ucwaningo lusebenzise i-case study njengedizayini enkulu yocwaningo, kanti futhi lwasekelwa ngulwazi ngenqubo ye-interpretive paradigm; ngakho-ke kusetshenziswe inkambiso ye-qualitative research kucwaningo. Kusetshenziswe amathekniki amasampuli e-non probability kanye ne-probability ezindaweni lapho okukhethwe khona ababambi-qhaza. Kusetshenziswe amasampuli angamashumi amahlanu nane (54) ababambi-qhaza, kwisibalo sethagethi yabantu abangamakhulu amathathu neshumi nesishagalombili (318). Ucwaningo lusekelwe ngamathiyori amaningana. Ucwaningo luthole ukuthi ababambi-qhaza babone inkohlakalo kwezezimali njengenkinga enkulu enomthelela kwimfundo yabafundi ezikoleni zikahulumeni zamasekondari