Safety in schools
Schools should be safe places to learn, but in many countries such as the Central African Republic (CAR), abuse and corruption can be common. Between 2016-2019 the VoiceMore group in Bangui, CAR worked to try and draw attention to corruption and abuse in schools.
The young people reported to War Child that demands for sexual favours and money from teachers in state schools, for the fair marking of papers and exams, access to basic school resources or even just to attend class, was having a detrimental impact on many children's safety and education. Young people called these abuses ‘sex for grades’ and ‘money for papers’.
Watch this video to hear the VoiceMore group explain the impact of the issue:
Understanding the issue
The group conducted research in ten schools across Bangui to help gather evidence on the scale of the problem. The results were shocking and proved that safety in classrooms was a major issue that needed addressing.
Of the 100 children surveyed, the group found:
- 73% of children reported ‘sex for grades’ was occurring in their classrooms
- 75% said the 'selling of notes' was happening in their school
- Girls were reported to be affected more than boys for both problems
- 95% of children said these practices were bad for education in CAR.
