Martha had always wanted to manage a school that could allow children flourish. 10 years after her graduation, her wish came true. She was made the head teacher at a secondary school. Two years into the role, she was unhappy. This was not the type of school that she dreamt of having. The students were not thriving.

There were complaints about students bribing other students to write their tests for them and high levels of cheating during external examinations. The students were not the only problem. The parents and teachers too! Some teachers in her school had been accused of collecting bribes from parents and even students in exchange for good grades.

Martha was exasperated! She kept thinking, where had these kids learned such acts? What pushed them to do those things? How can I instill values in my school?  A solution was needed.

Martha remembered one of the NGOs she’d come across when she started her teaching career. The school had engaged the students and she remembered it had some positive impact on the children’s behaviour, she reached out to the NGO.

The NGO was invited.

They provided support, advice and they engaged the students with anti-corruption stories.

Martha and her teachers were trained to teach anti-corruption values to children, tackle students’ dishonesty & create a positive learning environment. Most importantly, they initiated an integrity compact with students, teachers, and parents. All students, teachers and parents had to make an integrity pledge.

Their tale is different today. The children are flourishing. Martha’s dream came true.

The NGO that supported Martha’s school is Step Up Nigeria, an organization that tackles corruption and seeks to improve service delivery. We came up with the Integrity Certification initiative to tackle academic and admission dishonesty, with the aim of creating a culture of integrity in schools.

Today, 117 schools have signed up for the Integrity Certification Initiative programme and are ready to take up the mantle of integrity; to raise leaders and citizens of integrity and raise the quality of education in their schools.

The objective of this Initiative is:

1. To recognize and spotlight schools who have taken standard measures or actions to promote integrity in the administration of their schools.

2. To promote and maintain integrity standards in schools.

3. To boost the confidence and morale of schools who are making efforts to tackle corrupt behaviours and practices.

The signup is ongoing so if you’re a school owner or teacher, you can reach out to us today via our email: stepupintegritycertification@gmail.com

Our contact numbers are: 08029289669/09018535176

Parents can also suggest this programme to their children’s schools, and we’ll be glad to answer their questions regarding the process.

It is our goal to make sure that every school is Integrity Certified so we can raise future leaders and citizens that will prioritize doing the right thing for the public good.