In October of last year, Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) launched an Anti-Corruption Source Book aimed at primary school learners.
The source book was designed to help teachers educate students about the importance of fighting corruption by providing knowledge, values, and attitudes to create a corruption-free generation.
The book was produced with the help of the German development agency, GIZ.
Since its launch, 105 teachers from Lilongwe, Machinga, Blantyre, and Rumphi have undergone training to expand the initiative.
Currently, five schools in each of the four districts are using the book. Margaret Simwanjela, the headteacher at Chinkhuti Primary School in Lumbadzi, Lilongwe, said the book is an eye-opener for young learners.
She believes that primary school students unknowingly engage in corrupt activities and that some students bribe teachers to pass their final exams which is a punishable offence, but it is also a growing concern.
Margaret believes that corruption is passed down from one generation to the next, but anti-corruption education can help break the cycle.
The Ministry of Education’s Public Relations Officer, Mphatso Mkuonela, agrees, saying that education is a critical tool in the fight against corruption.
According to the Principal Public Relations Officer at the ACB, Egritta Ndala, the book’s aim is to alert students to the dangers of corruption and encourage integrity in the fight against it.
The ACB hopes that by educating children, they can become agents of change in the battle against corruption.
