Ivanna is working while going to school for Economics on Thursdays. Her teacher for one class won’t show her the tests, but tells her and one other person that she failed three times, when she doesn’t fail any other classes. Every semester he has 3-4 students who fail. Unfortunately, she is experiencing Slovakia’s corruption in education. (In 1999.)
Corruption in Education
Another teacher who is her friends’ father doesn’t make her take the tests. Bribery is also prevalent in both private schools and in universities as well. The parents have to pay for private schools and they also must pay for the grades. That’s how the (private) schools stay in business, otherwise they couldn’t afford to. Then once, the students go to university, they pay for grades again.
“What is really terrible,” as Zuska said, “is when he or she is a doctor, and graduates without knowing anything.” That happens in every field.
In Košice is the only veterinarian school in the country. Also the only dog training academy, special for drug sniffer dogs. They have a big business; and I saw many German Shepherds with muzzles that were being trained. They are shipped out weekly (2-3 dogs a week) to New York, by British Air Cargo. “It’s a big business,” Andrea informed me.
Then there is Berlitz
So on top of the grades and bribes, there is Berlitz. Many of the students don’t pay there. Peter is so unprofessional, he even started to tell us who, in the staff meeting. He also started talking about contracts we didn’t have, and name dropping.
Posting this in 2023, I am relieved to see that the United Nations has been addressing the issue of Slovakia’s corruption in education. In a U.N. publication” 1/ The measures your country has taken, if any, (or is planning to take , together with the related envisaged time frame) to ensure full compliance with article 13(1)(c) of the Convention and, in particular, its provision on undertaking anti-corruption education programmes in schools and universities.”
An excerpt from publication by Lucia Sedlakova is titled “The corruption in the system of education in Slovak republic (special focus on corruption in Universities)
In her introduction Lucia states, “My aim of this writing is to show the causes, continuities and results of the corruption in the system of education as well to formulate the frame proposals which have been provided to avoid this phenomenon.”
She continues, “This writing is based on experiences and knowledge of the situation, statistic information and figures and statements of students. The corruption in the system of education at the same time can not only be understood in the caste penalty-legal form, but in the broadest sense also as having advantage over individuals with detriment of other groups of inhabitants. This writing consists of introduction, three chapters and conclusion.”
The way Ms. Sedlakova breaks it all down, is as such. “In the first chapter I describe relative briefly the system of education that is used in Slovak Republic. I find it necessary for the easier understanding of the problem of the corruption in the system of education in its broadest continuities. The second chapter deals with corruption, its demonstrations and different ways of its use. It the third section I present the solutions and alternatives of avoiding or reduction of corruption in the system of education of Slovak Republic.”
If you wish to read the entire interesting text, here is the link to her publication, “The corruption in the system of education in Slovak republic (special focus on corruption in Universities).
Winter – Spring 1999
