Chapter 2 - Literature Review

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there has been a general increase in corruption, affecting many economic sectors. Moreover, corruption has become a widespread phenomenon in higher education institutions in the Countries of Independent States. All the references for the research paper will help to review the evidence and the economic models that demonstrate how corruption occurs and apply them to the field of education. This review defines how corruption occurs in education and draws a link between corruption and educational quality. The authors explain how the quality of higher education affects economic productivity, and makes a case to suggest that a university characterized by corrupt practices has sacrificed that quality. Those cases of educational corruption include, among others, paying bribes for grades, buying diplomas, and admissions to universities.

Any phenomenon of immoral and unethical practice is harmful when it happens in education. Indeed, it destroys the very purpose of education. Students who are used to cheating in exams, after leaving educational establishments, are used to looking for the easiest ways in their lives. Teachers who accept bribery set a bad example for those who are not involved in corruption (Sahlberg, 2009, p.1). Pasi Sahlberg received Master of Science (Mathematics) in 1984 from University of Turku and PhD from the University of Jyvaskylä in 1996. He has worked with a number of governments in Europe and Central Asia to help them improve education policies and implementing system-wide education reforms. Since June 2007 he has worked with the European Training Foundation, in Torino, Italy, as Lead Education Specialist providing intellectual services to governments, schools and leaders to improve their education policies and practices. In support of Sahlberg’s statement, Rumyantseva who works in Department of Leadership, Policy and Organizations Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, stated “Flourishing of educational corruption has a negative impact on society. It undermines public trust in higher education, exacerbates the quality of education, prepares unqualified young professionals, and teaches them distorted values and culture” (2005, p.82). As was written by S.P. Heyneman (Vanderit University), K. H. Anderson, (Vanderit University), and N. Nuraliyeva, (International Kazakh-Turkish University), after the collapse of USSR, corruption has rapidly increased and has become one of the most serious issues in Ex-Soviet countries. Moreover, these authors emphasized that the cost of corruption in higher education is analogous to reducing the economic productivity of a university due to a reduction in its quality (2006, p.2).

First of all, some authors as Orkodashvili and Sahlberg tried to identify which circumstances could cause teachers and students to be involved in corruption (Orkodashvili is a professor at Vanderbilt University, also she has published a number of working papers about education, methods of teaching and other works which relate to the educational process). “Corruption is closely linked to, and a consequence of, poor governance, the absence of transparency and lack of mutual trust within society is a whole” asserts Sahlberg about the causes of corruption in the sector of education (2009, p.3). According to Hallak and Poisson (researchers who have several works about educational processes, in particular “Ethnics and corruption in Education”) “Among the main factors leading to corrupt behavior, one can mention poverty and the low salaries earned by public officials and civil servants” (2001). It is obvious that teachers have to take bribes due to financial problems. According to their research, one of the main causes which lead teachers to be involved in corruption is their low salaries, particularly those teachers from the public universities which are on the state maintenance. As a consequence of it, Mariam Orkodashvili’s study analyses the three interventions that have served to combat corruption in Georgian higher education. These interventions are: the initiation of Unified National Entrance Examinations, a new system to accredit higher education institutions, and the restructuring of teachers’ stuff (2010, p.5). Concerning Kazakhstan, there was set a new system of Entrance Exams in 2000 like having United National Tests. But, unfortunately today, it is also not effective in preventing corruption within education and increasing the level of academic performances of students. Moreover, as Balakeshova states (an independent journalist in Kazakhstan, writes articles for the Internet sites), people have found ways of buying the answers to the questions (NurKZ, 2010). In addition, Balakeshova underlined the facts that in the Republic of Kazakhstan, within only six months of 2010, 189 workers of an education system were subpoenaed to the court, the director of department of strategy of development of Ministry of Education and Science Serik Omirbaev has told Balakeshova when she interviewed him.

However, in comparison to the works of foreign authors, Kazakhstani authors have not done any serious research which could explain the high rate of corruption within education and the prevention methods or could give some possible solutions. Additionally, there are a lot of research papers done in other, developed countries which could fully open the problem of corruption. Nevertheless, their prevention methods or even some causes of people being corrupt may not be suitable and feasible for Kazakhstan due to some ethnic and economic features of this country. Of course, first of all traditions and culture play an essential role in this case. Moreover, religious factor which has also different and significant impacts on the citizens of both countries Georgia and Kazakhstan. That is why unfortunately I could not find any real article or work of authors who wrote specifically about Kazakhstan.

However, according to Kazakhstan Today, there is a teacher in the National Pedagogical University of name of Abay who has described the scandalous facts of corruption in that university. Moreover, he has said “the fish rots from the head” and he has blamed the professors of the University, even the president of the University for being involved in corruption (2010). The initiator of this scandal was a professor of that university who was fed up with the corrupt staff. He was the only teacher who could go against the whole teaching staff. According to the statistics of the most corrupt universities in Kazakhstan, Kazakh National Pedagogical University of name of Abay takes the high positions. Kazakhstani society needs that kind of persons who would tell the truth face to face without hiding. Otherwise, the fight against corruption will not go further. We cannot eradicate this problem.

The consequences of the corrupt education are very predictable. Of course, as Rumyantseva states, first of all, the quality of education suffers the most. Secondly, the government does not implement its functions fully because of the lack of qualified professionals. Moreover, it destroys the economic and political structure of the state. Additionally, the author divided the corrupt students into two groups: students who are directly involved in corruption and students who have an indirect relation to corruption. In the first situation, students consciously give bribes to teachers or buy their diplomas. And they think that there is no need to study hard and get the fair grades. Because, when a student pas for a grade it does not make any influence on their academic progress. The other situation is, when the administration demands some illegal tuition fees from the students. That is also considered to be a kind of corruption. The next is case is helping your relatives, nepotism. In Kazakhstani people’s consciousness nepotism is not considered to be a bad phenomenon. On the contrary, in the root of the history helping and supporting your family is considered as the obligation of each Kazakh person. This principle is an obstacle to preventing corruption.

In conclusion, the most useful and relevant articles for this research project are the work of foreign authors. All the authors had one intention; it is exploring the existence of corruption and tried to examine the causes, consequences of this issue. All these authors have surveyed enough countries in order to examine the situation related to the corruption rate within education. Unfortunately, Kazakhstani libraries could not give enough information about the corruption in Kazakhstan, its causes and measures which have been taken. In Kazakhsatni libraries and Internet sites only news were given about the facts of corruption. Nevertheless, all the sources helped to consider and understand the essence of the current corruption in education sector. Some of the causes and consequences are the same in the state in comparison to other countries like Georgia. The example of Georgian citizens will be very helpful for Kazakhstan to go through this thorny path of laid down by corrupt organizations.

Date: 2016-01-03; view: 692