Dealing with sex and money for good grades

It is a dream of every student to graduate with flying colours, unfortunately not all of them put in the yards to get the grades.

For some reason there are those who choose the easier way out -going around the rules.

And with the pervasive corruption in the country , the education sector has not been spared.

Though there is limited discussions on how corruption of any form can affect the learning outcome, there are signs that the sector has hit by the bug.

A random survey carried by Success in four universities reveals that there is a lot of bribery going on in form of cash.

The vice stretches to the level that some times students are forced to give in to sexual demands from their tutors in exchange for good grades.

This practice is not only common in some universitiies in Tanzania but other African countries as well. Kenya and Uganda have gone an extra mile and created a website that help students raise their concerns on issues affecting their well being at the universities.

When then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Kenya in 2009, she challenged Kenyans to utilise opportunities for young people and for civil society to use modern technology to run corruption watches and reporting.

“I think there’s an opportunity for young people and for civil society to use modern technology to run corruption watches and reporting. Young people should use interactive media to report real-time allegations of corruption,” Clinton was quoted.

In response to Clinton’s statement, Kenya and Uganda localised a global whistle blowing website to report indecent activities by university lecturers and administrative personnel.

Uganda launched the website in May 2012 followed by Kenya in 2013.

Notinmycountry.org, was developed by people who preferred anonymity with the aim of giving students the opportunity to report anonymously any form bribery including sex for grades, money as well as rating the job performances of their lectures and administrators, academic staff and various departments.

Through the website, students can anonymously and securely rate the job performance of their lecturers and administrators, report corruption committed by these individuals, and also view and participate in performance rankings of academic staff and departments.

With the given challenges in the universities education stakeholders shares their concerns on the bribes and how they affect self determination in getting good grades without bribes.

Almost three months ago, the assistant lecturer at National Institute of Transport (NIT) Samson Mhimbo, 66, was arrested by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) after he fell for a sexual trap after demanding sex from a female students in exchange for grades.

The trap was set by the PCCB and the female student. It was reported that, when Mhimbo was about to pounce on the girl, PCCB agents caught him pants down.

Deputy CEO of the anti-corruption body in Kinondoni District, Dennis Manumbu, was quoted saying the student filed a formal complaint with PCCB, saying the assistant lecturer had threatened not to give her good marks in supplementary exam she sat for in January 5 if he won’t give in to his sexual advances.

“We arrested the assistant lecturer at Camp David Guest House, which is located in Mlalakuwa, Dar es Salaam. Members of the public should report graft cases, especially sex-for-grade trade that is increasingly becoming a norm in institutions of higher learning,” Mr Manumbu said.

Anna Ndimbo* is a Law student at the University of Dar es Salaam. She agrees that there is a lot of bribes at the universities adding that sex for grades is still rampant and she is worried that some of her colleagues are either comfortable or too scared to report eventhough the institution encourages students to report such cases.

“Sex for grades affects most of the female students who are too lazy to work hard. Interestingly some appear comfortable expecting to offer sex in exchange for grades. This is a very common practice,” says Ndimbo.

She says that, the most curious issue is that some female students seem to be quiet about it. She points out that the lecturers involved could be less bothered if the affected students are not complaining about it.

When asked if she is aware about notinmycountry, she says the website could only work positively in Tanzania if all students would stand up and condemn the practice. In most cases of sex for grades, only few students may choose to refuse their lecturers’ advances. Many others usually fall in the trap without raising concern about the same.

Katunzi Rweyemamu, a lecturer at Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy says that, it is true that there are complaints on such bribes in different universities. However raising such complains to the management levels is not easy due to the fact that most of the students are afraid.

He says that, it is very easy to deal with the bribes at the universities if students report them. However, students opt to either give money or sex in exchange for grades. There is a need for the students to be educated more on the self respect such that they work hard to defend their dignity.

“Most of the students who give in money or sex for grades think that it is normal. They don’t know their value. Enough education on self respect should start from the beginning to help students see the power of humiliation they go through having sex or money for bribes,” he says. Oswarld Masebo is the Head of History department at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). He says that, in his entire time he has never heard of any claims of the matter.

Adding to that he says it is not easy to hear such claims as he is not position to receive such claims. However the UDSM management has guidelines to make sure such acts are not entertained for the wellbeing of the students.

Jonas Isdory* a lecturer at the UDSM confirm the allegation saying it is true that there is a lot of sex bribes and money in exchange forgood grades however it is not easy to trace the cases as most of them go unnoticed. Lameck Godfrey* a student at the Open University says at times they bribe some of their lecturers with cash toe give them specific topics to concentrate on during the examinations.

“Majority of the students are very busy working while studying. This makes it hard for us to get enough time to concentrate on our studies. As a result, lecturers do give us either specific topics that would be featured in the examinations,” says Godfrey.

In addition, we always pay Sh300,000 per exam. So if you have nine subjects you can choose to organise the money with the group to make it easy for us to manage by sharing costs. In another scenario, Janet Edward, recalls her days at the university when she used to perform well in English subject until fellow male students raised negative concerns alleging that male lecturers favoured her.

She says male students thought that she had no the ability to score an A in English subject. So, Janet had to be given another set of exams by different English lecturers to prove that she was not favoured.

“Male students believed that, a female student can’t get an A without being favoured. Thanks God I proved them wrong after I under went through different tests from different lectures and still got an A,” says Janet.