Corrupt Education

It is that time when education officials fill their pockets with think envelopes.

Although they say the education sector refrains from corruption, people in education love to accept gifts. This reporter has experienced it herself. In addition to my own child, who is entering kindergarten, another four children from my family are enrolled at kindergartens and six others in elementary schools and universities. They all had to offer bribes for admittance. 

Parents often think of education officials and workers as corrupt. But the reality is they are the ones perpetuating this system.

Corruption in elementary education

Every autumn, parents go in search for a kindergarten. Corruption in education has reached its peak and is continuing to flourish in front of our eyes. Advertisements on this matter seem to be frequently aired nowadays, vivid proof of bribery. Informative trainings on anti corruption seem to have no effect. Sending children to the schools of one’s choice inevitably leads to bribery. Otherwise, parents will be sent back told classes are full. International standards dictate that a kindergarten class must have a maximum of 25 children. However, in Mongolia that standard is at least doubled. 

Imagine a class with up to 60 children. In one hand, kindergarten directors have the right to reject the children from entering their kindergarten. This is how bribery perpetuates and kindergarten directors learn to profit. How can 60 children possibly fit in a single classroom? Those classrooms should give comfort to toddlers, most of whom are under two years old. The minister of education should immediately focus on building new kindergartens as soon as possible, ore else children and teachers alike will fall on their knees begging for more space. On the September 3, Kindergarten No. 26 of Ulaanbaatar had built a ger to receive its oldest children. This picture could only be imagined in rural areas, but, in the 21st century, Ulaanbaatar has surprised us all with this image. It is a definite reversal from development. Next is the time to bribe the teachers with little presents as a sign of gratitude for caring for my child. Parents are concerned that their child might be left out or even beaten if they refuse. It is not that those kindergarten directors and teachers like to be called corrupt, but rather the lack of kindergartens makes parents encourage corruption. It is not only up to the Ministry of Education and Science to fix these problems, but that of the State Great Khural as well.

Greasing the Wheels

According to studies, about 62 percent of children under six years old have preschool education. The remaining 38 percent get their education at home or from their grandparents, neighbours or from other family members. 

But children can’t stay at home when they are old enough to attend school. They will also have to participate in bribery then, too. Nowadays, parents would give any sum to have their children attend a proper school. There is the general thought that the teacher who teaches the very first letter must be good. This thought has parents going for another quest to find the perfect teacher. Of course, if they find one, they are ready with bribes once again. Certain facts reveal that parents even battling to see who can grease the wheels best.
The days of final exams are also the days when teachers celebrate the most. Graduation ceremonies in the 1990’s were priced with candies, paintings and carpets. Nowadays, notebooks, cars and even apartments have become worthy presents. Giving mobile phones, televisions, washing machines and jewellery as presents have become old-fashioned.

One ministry worker admitted that anyone hoping for a state scholarship to a foreign university or college would have to bribe in foreign currencies rather than the Mongolian tugrug.

The enrolment of one’s child into university is crucial to parents. If he or she is truly smart and can enter into his and her first-choice university, then the parents might not have any need for bribery. Unfortunately, not everyone who enrols meets these standards.

Institutes, and universities are especially big challenges for graduates in the provinces. All parents who lives in rural areas hope that their children may study in the city. They don’t want see their children breeding cattle or growing vegetables like themselves. 

Yet, only eight places, or 30 percent of the 300 to 500 graduates who take their entrance exams, can attain admittance. One should also have an envelope full of money in hand for their “bonus points”. Every student who fails to pass the exam arrived in the capital city with the hope of enter a state university. Their parents go to city to sell their cattle, wool and cashmere to earn enough to bribe a teacher. 

There are even some middlemen that stand in front of the state schools and universities whispering enrolment is possible, at the right price. The going rate for that kind of help is MNT 800.000 to MNT 2.5 million. Some even demand MNT 5 million. Such mediators have friends or family working for that school. Teachers work in these networks, too, and its normal for them to facilitate the admission of up to 10 students. The bribery issue is not finished at this point either. There is nothing without a bribe during the semester’s end or at graduation exams. When the spring comes and exams are approaching, the teachers’ characters change and they begin scolding more often. 

The day when final marks are released is the most difficult. Envelopes soften teachers. Several cases of bribery were revealed last spring. Even after graduation one cannot leave bribe behind. As one gets more familiar with bribery, the envelope goes further when filling out job applications or when meeting with office heads. The main reason for unemployed for the majority of graduates after having studied for years is bribery. If one wants employment from a state organisation, then MNT 2.5 million to MNT 5 million is enough.

The Highest Bidder

These dear bribes will never disappear because, although everyone talks about it, most remain silent.
An example of this is when students of one state university had to take an exam from one of the leading lecturers in Mongolia. All of the first students were failing, but started to pass after putting some money into their notebooks. One student who put money inside of the notebook ended up answering all the questions correctly. After receiving the mark the student asked for the money back. The teacher was confused. Unfortunately, these sorts of arguments are too rare, seldom like stars during daytime.
Despite claims by government that bribes will be abolished, they continue.

“The coming four years are devoted to removing bribery completely”, said Minister of Education Luvsannyam Gantumur. 

“Students are not allowed to give any flowers or other presents. It has been determined that students who don’t give presents or flower to teachers tend to think they are not beloved because they did not give anything to the teacher. This leads to less participation in class. Therefore teachers should rid of this thinking that they should receive and students should give”.

However, as Professor at the University of Science and Technology B. Damdinsuren explains, this may be a problem that is not so easy to squash.

“Do you know what a flea is”? asks Damdinsuren. “It is a type of parasite that lives with the human body’s warmth and drinks human blood day and night. A long time has passed since the education sector of Mongolia was contaminated by fleas. It is easy to get rid of it. You just collect it and throw away. But the fleas of bribery turn into mites and worms, and don’t want to leave.”

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