Corruption in a Comprehensive School: Sociological Diagnosis and Educational Providence
Authors: Pruskus Valdas 
Published: March 2016

The article is about the phenomenon of corruption in a comprehensive school. It analyses the expression forms of corruption and their peculiarities and disputes the main reasons stimulating educators to take part in corrupt interchanges thus tolerate it. On the ground of empirical research in Vilnius secondary schools it discloses attitudes of teachers, schoolchildren and parents towards corruption. The research was carried out in Vilnius Salomėja Nėris gymnasium, Vilnius Mikalojus Daukša secondary school, Mindaugas secondary school, Užupys gymnasium, Antakalnis gymnasium, Naujamiestis secondary school and Stanevičius secondary school. Overall 500 respondents were questioned: 300 pupils of ninth – twelfth forms, 100 teachers and 100 parents of schoolchildren. Difficult financial circumstances were pointed out as the main reason stimulating teachers to take part in corrupt interchanges. This answer was chosen by 42 per cent of respondents. Most of them think that raising wages would reduce corruption crimes. The research data show it is an important problem in schools though 70 per cent of respondents state it is not the biggest problem in their school. Only 15 per cent of questioned schoolchildren, 4 per cent of parents and 14 percent of teachers safely state that corruption is the main problem in their school. About 20 per cent of respondents (21.4 per cent of schoolchildren, 19 per cent of parents and 21 per cent of teachers) acknowledge of making a payoff or receiving an offer to take it. Respondents state that 30 per cent of their friends and relatives made a payoff to school staff. 26.7 percent of schoolchildren and 27 per cent of parents’ acquaintances made a payoff to school staff. Only the answers of teachers did not change – 21 per cent of their colleagues were offered a payoff. These results do not let affirm that corruption is very widely spread in schools and therefore could be named as the biggest problem here. Though corruption rate at school can not be named as high but it is clear corruption does exist there and it requires operative solutions. As the research shows the mostly spread form of a payoff at school is a present such as sweets, coffee, alcohol. 90 per cent of respondents point namely such form of presents. Money is also sometimes paid as a payoff, but not so often. Huge sums of money are seldom paid and they are assigned to administrational staff but not a private teacher. The analysis of schoolchildren, their parents and teachers’ attitude towards corruption in general shows that it is condemned. More than 70 per cent of respondents agree with an opinion that corruption at school is a crime. Most respondents (more than 80 per cent) qualify corruption as “taking of a payoff” and “graft”. Defining corruption respondents mostly described it as “bribery” (30 per cent). Parents (25 per cent) and teachers (23 per cent) understand corruption as exercising of an official position. Schoolchildren (17 per cent) rate corruption as malpractice. Respondents in secondary schools attribute “a payoff and direct payout”, “presents seeking benefit” and “buying of tests and examinations’ questions and answers which are distributed by teachers” to corrupt actions. In the light of these research data particular measures reducing corruption are offered.