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Global Journal of  Transformative Education (2024) Vol 4 
pp 4-13. DOI  10.14434/gjte.v4i1.36656

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The Role of Ethics Education in the Fight Against Corruption

Judah M. Ndiku,1 Joseph W. Nasongo,2 & Monicah A Odero3

Abstract

Education has an integral role in inculcating morality in learners, producing responsible persons who can 
be trusted to promote the well-being of society. According to Julius Nyerere, an educated individual is one ready 
to serve the masses and recognize themselves as part of the society. Unless corruption is eliminated within 
and through the education system, society will continue to be captive of corruption, since it has overlooked the 
prime duty of imparting knowledge of morals to its citizens, thus resulting in the growth of citizens whose mor-
als are in question. Corruption can be dealt with when people come into agreement and understanding of their 
place, the place of others, and the need to address the common good; that is, public resources. This position 
paper examined the place of ethics education in secondary school education in curbing corruption in Africa. 
Guided by the Deontological theory, the authors utilized secondary sources through document analysis where 
review of related literature on ethics education and corruption was done. The study argues that corruption 
is a major problem in society and concludes that there is need to fight corruption through ethics education at 
grassroot levels in schools. It recommended that educators enhance teaching of life skill education that fosters 
ethical education. 
Keywords: Education, Ethics, Morality, Corruption 

Full listing of authors and contacts can be 
found at the end of this article.

Ethics and Ethics Education
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves sys-

tematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of 
right and wrong conduct, often addressing disputes of 
moral diversity. The term comes from the Greek word 
ethos, which means “character.” The Cambridge Dictio-
nary of Philosophy (1995) states that the word ethics 
is “commonly used interchangeably with ‘morality’ and 
sometimes it is used more narrowly to mean the moral 
principles of a particular tradition group or individual.” 
Ethics is more important than morality in creating a 
functioning society. 

According to Varkey (2021), ethics is a broad ter-
minology that entails the morals and the effect of moral 
choices. Ethics influences the way we make decisions 
and the way we perceive things. Ethics entails norma-
tive ethics which tend to answer the question of moral 
ethical principles which are just for society. The norms 
and the ethical variations may occur due to the differ-
ences in culture, ethics, and society. The ethical norms 
are applicable in the areas of specialization and pro-

tection of the interest of one in their profession. Ethics 
entails various fundamental principles such as autono-
my, justice, beneficence, and no maleficence. The prin-
ciple of benefice and no maleficence are traceable back 
to the ancient times of Hippocrates. The beneficence 
branch advocates that the physician has an obligation 
to act right in the conduct of supporting the patient’s 
rules of morality and preventing harm to others while 
no maleficence is the obligation of the physician not to 
carry any harm to the patient. 

Ethics education entails all educational dimensions 
and processes directly or indirectly interconnected to 
the ethical extent of an individual’s life that can other-
wise be planned, designed, guided, or monitored with 
the right educational methods and tools that remain 
unconscious, unexamined, or unintentional. Ethical 
education’s main focus is on value and ethics promotion 
in terms of justice, equality, dignity, inclusiveness, and 
human rights among others as an entity of education 
to nurture individuals who are respectful in attitudes 
towards fellow human beings and the society. It is also 
a form of education that will inculcate its member’s 
positive character, and reflective and informed moral

4



Ndiku, Nasongo, & Odero,  Ethics Education in Fight Against Corruption 5

judgment that puts individual’s beliefs and values 
into practice. This is because education is not only an 
inherently value-laden process but it also enhances its 
consequences in terms of educational outcomes and 
relationships formed in the context of education (Stra-
hovnik, 2016). 

Ethical education also plays a fundamental role in 
nurturing individuals who are autonomous, caring, and 
resilient and who can contribute globally and locally. 
Ethical education strives for the following goals: 
• to aid ethical thinking, accommodation, autonomy, 

and responsibility in children and the community at 
large established in a given educational setting; 

• to help children examine and understand important 
ethical principles, ideals, values, and virtues, and to 
furnish them with intellectual and moral abilities 
relevant for responsible moral judgment and deci-
sion making;

• to direct children to examine diverse values, moral 
justifications that they can merge into guiding uni-
ty;

• to give direction to children on commitment in val-
ues that are recognized and regarded as key aspects 
of life;

• to enable children to overcome any prejudices that 
may come in their lives at various stages of life, to 
promote ethical behaviors, for character develop-
ment among children that will facilitate the ancient 
ideal of eudemonia and finally for persons to situate 
themselves into a local and global society (Globokar 
2018, Strahovnik, 2016). 
The above inclinations of what ethics education 

was coined in the heart of John Dewey that serves as 
the goal of education in general that sums to form a 
cultivated and effectively functional valuable judgment 
or trial to respect with admirable aesthetics, accepted 
intellectually and approved morally (Dewey, 1980). 

Ethical education helps people to formulate values 
that are relevant to, for, and in their own lives socially. 
It is also pegged on the deontological theory of ethics 
which according to Immanuel Kant states that nothing 
is good without qualification except a good will, and a 
good will is one that wills to act in accord with the mor-
al law and out of respect for that law rather than out of 
natural inclinations. To act ethically therefore should 
be according to the moral law which is against any acts 
of corruption. Autonomy and justice are the widely 
used principles of ethics. Autonomy is traceable to the 
philosopher Immanuel Kant as an acceptable ethical 
principle (Taylor, 2005). The principle advocates that

each person has a unique value and purpose and should 
be given a chance to make rational decisions. Autonomy 
can be applicable in advocating for the moral issues 
in the society. However, the principle is limiting since 
it doesn’t give a chance to persons of unsound mind 
in decision-making. This shows that persons have no 
right obligation to the decision on their behalf. Lack of 
a person’s decisions on an issue due to the mental or 
physical disability has a consequence on the practices 
of the legal determination of the patient. The princi-
ple of autonomy can limit decision-making and deny 
people the right to making their own informed consent 
decisions. People have a right to be told the truth and 
their issues are guarded with confidentiality as evident 
with the health professionals. 

On the other hand, the justice principle is interpret-
ed as the equity, fairness, and treatment of people in an 
appropriate manner. In a societal setting, governance is 
the basis of economic growth. This applies to the family 
setting, community, institutions, or even the country. 
If human rights are violated, justice is not served. The 
main infringe of justice in today’s society especially 
the developing countries is corruption that is taking 
away the rights of individuals. In the health sector, for 
example, justice is applicable in the fair distribution of 
healthcare resources and equitably in justifiable norms. 
The ethical principles have contradicting obligations. 
Appropriate application of the principles can help curb 
the problems faced in today’s society especially corrup-
tion. 

Education is a basic human right. Ethics education 
is considered as part of the human right. The purpose 
of ethics education is not only its study but also mobi-
lizing the knowledge body to develop cognitive ability. 
The cognitive ability helps individuals apply ethical 
principles in fields such as economics, medicine, and 
policy in decision making. Ethics education also helps 
one to develop the critical thinking that helps them to 
guide their actions in the influence of others. Ethics 
education revolves around one’s moral actions and the 
ability of one to respond to moral reason. In essence, 
ethics education plays significant role in the process 
of becoming human by inculcating cardinal values that 
strenghthens responsible actions and interactions.

Corruption and its Manifestations in Society
The word corruption originated from the Latin 

word rumpere, meaning to break or to rupture. The Lat-
in word corruptus means consequence of of dishonest 
conduct or behavior, described as perveted, morally

Global Journal of Transformative Education (2024) Vol 4



6

Global Journal of Transformative Education (2024) Vol 4

corrupt, and broken. It thus means to break someone 
or force him or her to change the attitude of a certain 
principle or former opinion. From Latin, corruption is 
definable in two terms: issues of bribery or damage. 

Corruption is attracting a lot of attention around 
the world. Several attempts have been made to de-
fine corruption by different scholars differently. Even 
though it may be difficult to define, it is generally not 
difficult to recognize when observed. Corruption is 
popularly defined, by the World Bank as the abuse of 
public office for private gain (Langseth & Stapenhurst, 
1997). This, however, is not an indicator that corrup-
tion cannot exist in the private sector. Applied to large 
private enterprises, it manifests itself through procure-
ment or even hiring. The abuse of public power is not 
necessarily for one’s private benefit but it can benefit 
one’s party, class, tribe friends, and family, among other 
beneficiaries (Kaufmann & Siegelbaum, 1996). Corrup-
tion can be defined neutrally as intentional non-compli-
ance with an arm’s length relationship aimed at deriv-
ing some advantage from the behavior for oneself or 
related for individuals (Tanzi, 1995). Rendtorff (2009) 
defines corruption as a controversial, illegal, and uneth-
ical because it is an act that goes against or challenges 
established and well-defined conceptions and laws of 
justice. It is the use of the government office for person-
al or private gains (Hallak & Poisson, 2007).

From the definitions, corruption is not a new phe-
nomenon globally. What is new are the ever-mutating 
forms it is taking and the harm it is wrecking to the 
prosperity, security, reputation, and integral well-being 
and survival of our nations. Secondly, institutions have 
been set up and allocated resources to fight corruption, 
but corruption is getting worse and more widespread 
indeed, it is endemic. Corruption is an outcome of the 
society (Svensson, 2005). It reflects the nature and 
quality of a country’s legal, economic, cultural, and 
political institutions. It also indicates the general moral 
quality of a people and their dominant values and 
priorities. Corruption has diverse effects on economic 
development and is very dangerous. It leads to a loss of 
resources. According to the World Economic Forum, the 
global cost of corruption is at least $2.6 trillion, or 5% 
of the global gross domestic product (Guteres, 2018). 
It leads to political instability, poverty and unemploy-
ment, high crime rate and insecurity, increased cost of 
goods and services, increased poverty, injustice, and 
negative international image.

All over the globe, corruption is evident in all sec-
tors of the economy and society even among profess-

ionals, for instance doctors, police, and even trad-
ers (Akdemir & Yeşilyurt, 2023). In the institutions 
of learning, corruption is also evident. Teachers take 
bribes from their students to facilitate the passing of 
examinations. In the institutions, the issuance of fake 
certificates and degrees as a result of corruption is also 
evident. Selling educational skills illegally destroys the 
market and the skilled labour force.

Many countries exhibit corrupt acts. Corruption can 
be administrative, political, and bureaucratic. Admin-
istrative corruption is manifested when the politicians 
are forced to sell their votes to the political parties. 
Administrative corruption occurs when those in admin-
istration accept bribes to facilitate tax evasion (Hallak & 
Poisson, 2007). For bureaucracy corruption, hiding files 
or slowing down the investigations is an act of corrup-
tion. Corruption entails a variety of issues such as funds 
embezzlement, bribe issuance, and nepotism, among 
other issues. The acts can be legal or illegal depending 
on the context.

In Asia, corruption is defined as unjust and unlaw-
ful acts. The acts may include soliciting funds from the 
public for unjust practices. A boundary can be drawn 
between the level of corruption ranging from minor 
issues to more complex issues. Major corruption can 
include ghost workers, wrong tender issuance for the 
school constructions, supply, and the manufacture of 
books (Hallak & Poisson, 2007). Parents bribing the 
school heads to secure their children’s admissions and 
get promotions to the next grades is a minor form of 
corruption. Corruption is an injustice and classification 
as a minor or major issue should never be a matter of 
concern. Teacher’s appointments through corruption 
can delay administration and promote misbehavior. 

The determination of corruption varies from one 
state to another. In some countries, the issue of gifts 
to students in schools or public officers is unethical. 
They consider it as an act of bribery and punishable by 
the rule of the law. Some societies however accept the 
act of issuance of gifts for students and bets personal 
agents. They define corruption as Western belief that 
is in contradiction with reality. They see that a gift of 
low monetary value does not attract anything in return 
while that of high monetary value attracts something 
in return (Hallak & Poisson, 2007). Research indicates 
that persons share direct variations on what is ethical 
and what is unethical depending on the environment. 
The issuance of the gift can be narrowed to the edu-
cation centers of learning, some argue that a teacher 
offering private tuition is unethical while some can

Ndiku, Nasongo, & Odero, Ethics Education in Fight Against Corruption



7

argue that it is ethical. The quantification of the claim is 
justifiable by the ultimate end of the quality of educa-
tion. Therefore, for higher education institutions, pri-
vate tutoring can be considered a legal act. If students 
who fail to meet the required grades are offered private 
tuition by the higher education institutions through 
their funding then the case is ethical.

Omar (2005) avers that the trend of the corruption 
rate is more prevalent in African countries than the 
Western countries, with Asia having the highest rate 
of corruption. As years progress the rate of poverty 
in Asia declines while that in Africa increases rapidly. 
The increase in corruption rate in Africa is to blame for 
the high rate of poverty. In a report by Transparency 
International (2015), growth for the rich is seen to be 
increasing while that of the poor declining. Corruption 
makes citizens lose the trust of the political parties and 
even leaders. Lack of trust raveges learning institutions. 
If children are permitted to cheat in their exams, the 
higher institutions of education will lack trust in the 
credibility of the grades the students attain. Research 
shows that Kenya is one of the countries where bribery 
is likely to be issued. Kenya is ranked as one of the most 
corrupt countries in the world. In 2022, it was ranked 
at position 123 out of 180 countries of the world (An-
nan, 2022). The level of bribery is shown to have risen 
as the years progress. The level of bribery increase 
shows that those who cannot afford to bribe cannot 
attain services and the basic amenities in life. Accord-
ing to Odinga (2004), the level of bribery in parliament 
requires a commission for the disposal. If the MPs are 
corrupt and they are the key holders of the budgetary 
determination mandate, then the cost of living is likely 
to rise and children from poor families will not get the 
chance to have funding from the government for their 
studies. 

Adverse examples of corruption cases in Kenya 
have been categorized into five by Mohamed Noor 
(2018). The Goldenberg scandal which he states to 
be a long-lasting saga between 1991 and 1993 where 
Goldenberg International Company owned by a Kenyan 
tycoon businessman Kamlesh Pattni, would export jew-
elry and then get compensation from the Central Bank 
of Kenya for foreign exchange earnings. From the look 
of things, this scandal cost Kenyan taxpayers money 
around US dollars 600 (BBC News, 2004, cited by Noor, 
2018). The Anglo-leasing scandal came second involv-
ing a public procurement deal, a two-decade scandal 
with a series of corruption sagas in it. This scandal 
involved a series of dubious international financial

transfers that related to government security con-
tracts among other corruption cases. The third was the 
National Youth Service Scandal that suffaced between 
2015-2017. Here, officials discharged various contracts 
of procurement to companies but never delivered even 
though full payments were disbursed to each company. 
The fourth was the Rio Games Scandal in 2016 when 
the spirit of Kenyan athletes for the Rio Olympic games 
was shattered when money that was meant for their 
catering and comfort was stolen. There was also over-
pricing of return air tickets for the players. Lastly, Ken-
ya experienced a National Cereal and Produce Board 
Scandal that was affiliated with no genuine transaction 
records or receipts . With this and to blind Kenyans, 
the government of Kenya tried to react to these cases 
in court battles but the perpetrators were left free. The 
cases are still ongoing with no desirable fruits. This has 
resulted in mistrust of the government by the public. 
These are some of the cases of high-level corruption 
cases reported in Kenya. From the above assertions, 
corruption has adverse effects not only on the govern-
ment and institutions but also on the society at large. It 
has led to unfavourable economic conditions, political 
instability, poverty and unemployment. Among the cit-
izens, according to Mohamed Noor (2018), corruption 
has led to crime and insecurity, increased cost of goods 
and services, increased poverty, injustice and negative 
international image.

Role of Ethics Education in the  
Fight Against Corruption

The purpose of ethics education in general, is to 
build values and develop the knowledge, skills, and atti-
tudes necessary to shape students’ civic stance against 
corruption (Cam, 2016). The key to successfully fight-
ing corruption is to change the

culture among the young generation. Globally, cor-
ruption is an area of interest that has persisted to exist 
despite several attempts to stop it. The United Nations 
Office On Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is trying to lead 
the Anti-Corruption Academic Initiative (ACAD), which 
is a collaborative project that seeks to encourage teach-
ing and research of anti-corruption issues by institu-
tions of higher learning. The initiative acts as a central 
hub for anti-corruption education worldwide. Its role 
is to bring together professors globally and regionally 
offering free online resources on possible mitigation 
online. The UNODC has also fought for “Education for 
Justice” that seeks to control crime and promote a cul-
ture of legitimacy through education activities at all

Global Journal of Transformative Education (2024) Vol 4

Ndiku, Nasongo, & Odero,  Ethics Education in Fight Against Corruption



8

levels of education. It is therefore believed that this will 
help the next generation better understand vices of 
illegality and how best to overcome them. This however 
has not put forth or clearly shown the need and role of 
ethics education in curbing corruption. 

The World Economic Forum estimates the global 
cost of corruption is at least $2.6 trillion, or 5 percent of 
the global gross domestic product (Guteres, 2018). The 
UN convention, for example, emphasizes the need for 
being transparent and accountable for the actions that 
we undertake. The call for the eradication of the bribe 
issuance and receiving gives individuals equal opportu-
nities to acquire education. Education being the social 
equalizer helps society to understand appropriate acts 
and thus enables them to have a clear understanding 
that corruption is an act of injustice to human rights. 
If children are denied the rights to acquire education 
since they cannot bribe, the whole cause of humanity is 
triggered.

In Rwanda, the government has a mandate to pro-
mote accountability and transparency. The advocacy 
for transparency is an act of human rights (Sikhosana 
& Nzewi, 2019). It helps bridge the gap of corruption 
and the possible loopholes that can be incurable in 
society. Analysis of the cash flow and the fiscal budget 
helps eliminate the issuance of bribes since no money 
is left to be looted withoutbeing traced. Enforcement of 
transparency and accountability will release the much 
needed resources to the targeted development projects 
and help limit the poverty levels in the society. A cor-
rupt free society gives all children equal opportunities 
in the educational centers of learning and eradicating 
poverty. 

The effect of corruption ranges from the individual, 
society, and country up to the global perspective. In 
Nigeria for example, the effect of corruption is deeply 
rooted in the society affecting its individual (Okunlola & 
Obadare, 2016). The effect of corruption manifests from 
the economic perspective to the educational systems. 
Corruption being a global problem affects the citizens 
of various nations leading to the reduction in the moral 
fabric with the inclusion of academia. However, corrup-
tion is common in the underdeveloped or the develop-
ing nations. According to Okunlola and Obadare (2016), 
the World Bank report showed that the economies of 
the developing countries are more prevalent with cor-
ruption cases. Nigeria as an example shows high levels 
of poverty among the citizens with only a few individu-
als meeting their basic needs. The employers not being 
able to meet the employees needs such as salary pay-

ments and students’ ability to access education due to 
the poor facilities is a manifestation of the corruption 
depth.

Generally, corruption has adverse effects in any 
society. Some scholars have discussed various aspects 
and effects of corruption in various fields such as the 
economy and education. They however assert that even 
a small incidence of corruption can become dangerous 
to the normal functioning of the society and any insti-
tution of learning (Dreher & Herzfeld, 2005). Indeed 
a corrupt education system is the beginning of all 
problems to the society. For example, if students cheat 
in exams, the outcome is production of poor skilled 
personnel who cannot deliver in the economy as well as 
making the job market flooded with mediocrity and un-
derperformance. The lack of qualified personnel makes 
it difficult to enhance economic productivity. 

In a more corrupt society or institutions of learning, 
there exists a moral dilemma. Individuals in such envi-
ronments tend to collaborate in matters of corruption 
and as such, nobody can stand still in promoting ethics 
education (Hallak & Poisson, 2007). Ethics education 
plays a vital role in non-materialistic costs of corrup-
tion which is dangerous in the erosion of democratic 
values, human rights, and freedom which in turn may 
lead to the loss of human lives. Ethics education should 
hence be enhanced in all centers of learning ranging 
from the basic educational institutions to tertiary insti-
tuitions to generate a morally upright society. Though 
this might be a tall order, it is the way to go in the 
process of training the mind of all children from their 
formative stages in life.

Like many other countries, Kenya is one of the 
countries immensely affected by corruption. In the fight 
against this vise the country has developed institutions 
that are responsible for its eradication. There exists 
an approach of a legal and institutional framework 
through the enactment of laws and the establishment 
of institutions to fight this menace. For example, the 
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has 
yielded some positive breakthrough towards the fight 
against corruption. There has been also an attempt by 
Transparency International Kenya (TI-K) to initiate 
integrity clubs for students in ethical and integrity 
learning in schools (2015). This has been made possi-
ble by supporting and strengthening the activities of 80 
integrity clubs across the country. However, only three 
counties were taken care of; 30 in Trans-Nzoia County, 
29 in Kisumu County, and 21 in Kwale County to im-
prove discipline and responsibility among students. All

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Ndiku, Nasongo, & Odero,  Ethics Education in Fight Against Corruption



9

this however hasn’t brought much positive change and 
the emphasis on ethics education as a criterion to curb 
corruption is imperative. The initiatives being made 
through the educational reforms as the country em-
braces Competency Based Education and introduction 
of life skills and fanning of moral education of values 
will impact the lives of the future generations. How-
ever, as it is now the little or no effort in the reduction 
of corruption cases can be attributed to the fact that 
some people who should serve as examples in society 
are the perpetrators of the vice. Kadida (2016) in his 
study ascertained that the Chief Justice and the Pres-
ident of the Supreme Court of Kenya was reported to 
have confessed that corruption networks in Kenya have 
penetrated even oversight institutions that are tasked 
with the role of fighting corruption. This in itself is an 
indication that there exists little moral leadership in 
Kenya at the top most the hierarchy which is expected 
by the public to be independent of such vices. This has 
pushed the need for a paradigm shift in the implimeta-
tion of life skills, values and moral education espoused 
in the Competency Based Education from the norm 
which is the ethics education perspective to addressing 
ethics through the multiple learning dimesions: formal, 
informal, and non-formal processes to bring about 
ethical reasoning and virtue formation. The education-
al reforms instituted through the Competency Based 
Education in Kenya have made progress in a number of 
ways. There is the mainstreaming of Pertinent Contem-
porary Issues (PCIs) to train the young ones on the evils 
of corruption in learning areas around Global Citizen-
ship, Life Skills and Values where life skills, values and 
moral education are articulated (KICD, 2017). This form 
of education is an all-round system that requires contri-
bution from all dimensions. The school being a formal 
institution that acts as a foundation where teaching 
and learning of all kinds can easily be executed remains 
the most ideal place for ethical values to be incurlcated 
now and in the future. The several constructive activ-
ities that take place during teaching and learning in a 
formal setup creates a fertile ground for the transmis-
sion of ethical education in all aspects of life during 
and after childhood. This includes learning through 
association, imitation, and interaction. If utilized well 
at this stage of life to its learners, there is a likelihood 
to produce citizens who are sound and responsible 
for their various actions in life, the workplace, and in 
society at large.

It is hoped the initiatives through implimetation of 
Competency Based Education will impact the student

soft skills to navigate daily issues of life with ease. 
Ethically grounded persons from school will shun and 
condemn acts of corruption regardless of the influence 
they may encounter in the line of duty. The continu-
ous education or creation of awareness on corruption 
helps to mitigate the possible ways for its elimination. 
Understanding that corruption is a form of injustice is 
the first ethical way for its eradication. Ethics educa-
tion in itself is an enemy of corruption since corruption 
requires individuals to perhaps take bribes for them to 
be served in any organization or institution. This form 
of education requires the same individuals to practice 
what is right and shun away from wrongdoing by all 
means regardless of the good things that come with it. 
The application of educational ethics will demand more 
transparency from the organizations be it vertical or 
horizontal. Ethics underscores doing what is right and 
instils the the will to speak against the vices in society, 
corruption included. The determination of its effects 
also drives the push for the anti-corruption commis-
sions to help fight the vice.

Ethics education enhances the awareness creation 
of the benefits of good morals such as good gover-
nance accompanied by transparency. It is in the same 
vein some civil society organizations, advocate for the 
fight against the corrupt practice. International civil 
society calls for transparency that enhances the good 
governance of its member states around the globe. 
The perception of the corruption index rate produced 
annually makes the member states debate on the issues 
regarding corruption. Despite, the lack of trust in the 
annual reports need for transparency by countries is no 
issue to bargain as the issue of corruption is hitting up. 
The address of corruption by countries helps investors 
build trust in a certain country and facilitate its eradi-
cation. Reinforcing what governments and civil society 
do to fight against corruption through ethics education 
will to a great extent contribute to sustaining the war 
against corruption. 

Theoretical foundation of ethics education  
to eradicate corruption

The underpinning theory encompassing the discus-
sion in this paper is the deontological theory of moral 
obligation. The word deontology derives from the Greek 
words for duty (deon) and science (or study) of (logos). 
In contemporary moral philosophy, deontology is one 
of those kinds of normative theories regarding which 
choices are morally required, forbidden, or permitted. 
In other words, deontology falls withinthe domain of

Global Journal of Transformative Education (2024) Vol 4

Ndiku, Nasongo, & Odero,  Ethics Education in Fight Against Corruption



10

ational institutions concentrated on academic excel-
lence fanned by the push for good academic grades at 
the expense of morals and values training sometimes 
effectively achieved through informal and non- formal 
learning. 

Ethics education content concerning corruption
Ethics define the principles that morally control 

someone’s behavior in any activity. Ethics is a philo-
sophical branch that revolves around the analysis and 
concepts of moral interactions that helps identify the 
right or wrong. The ethical analysis helps us define 
ethics education which aids in the determination of 
pedagogical requirements through the analysis and 
conceptualization of behavior morally. Ethics education 
aims to assemble a knowledge body for its purposes 
rather than only studying ethics. Teaching ethics in 
schools helps children approach the life challenges they 
encounter. Educational ethics is considered a human 
right because it aids in making people free. According 
to Dewey, the introduction of democracy in teaching 
helps in the application of new methods in teaching and 
teaching (Dewey, 1980).

In education, four major ethical considerations 
takes the center of the pedagogical training. The ethical 
considerations include truth, dignity, act of fairness, 
and freedom. The ethical issues help one to grow with 
self-responsibility of determining what is right and 
what is wrong. 

Dignity and truth
Dignity in ethics education is defined as the re-

spect for human dignity (Parandeh, Khaghanizade, 
Mohammadi, & Mokhtari-Nouri, 2016). Students need 
to respect everyone including the younger ones. This is 
not only applicable to the students alone but also the 
teachers to respect others regardless of their ethnic 
background, age, religion, and opinions, and treat-
ment of people justly. Dignity and ethics education are 
strongly related and they can help regulate corrupt 
practices. On the other hand, truth aims at regulating 
the teachers’ activities by helping them steer the stu-
dents to move through life activities and environment 
for others. Truth helps in transparency, the transparen-
cy can range from the government activities to the ad-
ministrative agencies. Transparent administrative ways 
in the educational centers of learning can help curb the 
corrupt practices in society. They reduce the ways and 
channels of corrupt activities.

moral theories that guide and assess our choices of 
what we ought to do (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philos-
ophy, 2024). For deontologists, what makes a choice 
right is its conformity with a moral norm. Such norms 
are to be simply obeyed by each moral agent. 

The assumptions in the deontological theory is 
that society has developed clear rules, laws and norms 
that define the moral duty of individuals to act right 
and shun wrongdoing. Society employs education to 
transmit and inculcate morality in children. As such, 
the contents of moral education and the education-
al process should ensure that learners have a clear 
sense of what is right and wrong, good and bad, and be 
willing to choose right actions. In essence, if education 
is properly undertaken, then learners will be clear in 
their minds that corruption is wrong, evil and should be 
shunned by all.

Rationale and content of ethics education 
in combating corruption

Since education is considered the basic pillar of any 
society, different stakeholders are actively reinforcing 
ethics education around the world, for instance, UNES-
CO initiated a program in 2004 where it supported its 
member states in initiating and supporting teaching 
programs and professional ethics education. This is 
approached by Ten Have (2008), in his work addressing 
the influence of UNESCO in ethics education programs 
in schools.

Also, the European Union has encouraged its 
member states to incorporate ethics education in their 
school curricula. They stress that students who are 
equipped with ethical norms at early stages will easily 
understand that there are diverse conceptions, princi-
ples, and perceptions and have an improved ability to 
substantiate their moral judgments (Cam, 2016).

In the US, ethics education became part of most 
US institutions of higher education between 1980 and 
2015. Over time, ethics education has been attributed 
to playing a role in enriching students moral capacities 
and reinforcing community standards (Keohane, 2006). 
Ethics education in the US has produced consistent 
results and has provided structured opportunities for 
students to develop values associated with morality.

Traditionally, the African society took upon itself 
to produce ethically upright generations. After the 
introduction of formal education, the responsibility of 
inculcating ethics in children was left largely to schools 
(Mwanzia, 2019). This to a great extent has led to the 
erosion of the training in morals and values as educ- 

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Virtues training
 Virtues training entails the lifelong skills that help 

an individual live rightfully in society through associa-
tion with others. Virtues are related to ethics education 
as they advocate for rightful practices such as honesty, 
fairness, and freedom (Melé, 2005). Fair treatment of 
individuals stipulates that all people must be treated 
without discrimination. Fair treatment of individuals in 
society is arrived at fair practices in the school, as the 
school is a social organization that guides the activities 
of the society, if students are trained in the right way 
through virtues training, the students will acquire the 
rightful skills to employ in their daily dealings with oth-
ers, through the implication of virtues at a tender age 
in education, hence, human justice is attained which is 
also advocated for by human rights. 

Approaches in ethics education to 
eradicate corruption 

The approaches in ethics education to reduce 
corruption include instructional approach. According 
to Mulhearn et al., (2017), instructional approaches in 
ethics facilitates content delivery, the delivery method, 
processes, and activities. The instructional method is 
effective in the acquisition of the skills and knowledge 
of the learners. The acquired knowledge helps the stu-
dents acquire appropriate skills that promote heathy 
living through corruption eradication. Corruption is the 
key element that affects the current society. Improvi-
sation of the appropriate ways of its elimination helps 
equity in society.

 Instructional training helps the learners identify 
how corruption is carried out. The possible ways of 
evading them are identified in the instructional training 
(Mulhearn et al., 2017). The use of instructional meth-
ods such as video presentations of corruption being 
undertaken helps students identify the need to be just 
and practice fairness to others. If a teacher gives illegal 
marks to a student, for example, the other learners will 
be offended. The appropriate ways of elimination is 
through the application of relevant approaches. 

The second approach to the study of ethics in edu-
cation is the utilitarian approach. The utilitarian ap-
proach seeks that all people in society be treated fairly. 
It seeks that any action taken should strive to bring 
happiness to all the people in the society. If the action 
offends others, then the act should be eliminated. The 
use of the utilitarian approach in learners’ education 
helps them learn how to live socially and justly in soci-
ety. Since corruption denies members of the society

who cannot practice in the act of injustice fair treat-
ment, they are denied the rights and freedoms of asso-
ciation with other members of the society. Instilling of 
fair practices among learners at an early age through 
ethics education helps eliminate them. According to 
Armstrong, Ketz & Owsen, (2003), accounting students 
can invoke methods of cost to discuss it in varied topics. 
The utilitarian idea argues that “the end justifies the 
means,” this argues that people should engage in activi-
ties that are beneficial to all. Advocating for fair practic-
es helps reduce corrupt practices in society. 

Virtue approach can also be used in ethics educa-
tion to address corruption. Virtues approach aids in 
virtues development. The method is rooted in the philo-
sophical account for the conduct morally and the aim 
in education. According to Carr & Steutel (2005), the 
virtues approach aims at virtue promotion and instilla-
tion to the students. A teacher can practice morality by 
acting as an example to the students. Practicing a good 
role model is also a way of helping students acquire 
moral knowledge. If the teacher refuses to receive or 
issue a bribe, the students will learn that the act is 
a vice and they should not engage in it. The virtues 
approach aims at instilling values that are admirable 
to the learners (Carr & Steutel, 2005). If students grow 
up with moral values they will not engage or they will 
speak out against the vice. The virtues approach can 
well be addressed by the teachers by introducing it 
into the school curriculum. The government can chip in 
by providing the available resources to aid the virtues 
approach instilled in the learners. 

Conclusion 
Corruption has been found to be a serious challenge 

globally, internationally, and regionally. The cases of 
corruption range not only at individual level but also at 
groups, institutions of learning, and the government at 
large. Several efforts to curb this vice have produced lit-
tle or no fruits. With the involvement of the government 
bodies in corruption, it becomes difficult to overcome 
this vice, however, there is a need to instill ethical edu-
cation at grassroots levels in schools to produce future 
generations who are corruption-free and that will be 
commited to reduce the cases of corruption at all levels. 
It is due to this that this study sought to analyse the role 
of ethics education in the fight against corruption. The 
study was guided by the deontological theory of ethics 
whose main concern is on how individuals are expect-
ed to behave with respect to the moral duties they are 
entitled to. It is enshrined in the statement, “duty for

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12

Global Journal of Transformative Education (2024) Vol 4

duty’s sake”. Meaning that individuals who have en-
countered ethics education will be obligated to obey 
rules and laws on the right actions and shun vices like 
corrupt acts. The sources were extracted from litera-
ture with emphasis on secondary sources. The study 
used document analysis as qualitative paradigm was 
employed to arrange, locate and assess the information 
gathered.

Recommendations 
The authors recommend the following: 
There is a need for education stakeholders to foster 

ethics education in school curriculum. Thus ethics edu-
cation is to be made a compulsory subject in all stages 
of education. The ethics education process should 
emphasize the deontological theory of moral obligation 
such that learners adhere to rules and principles laid 
down at all times. Additionally, ethics education should 
promote rational reasoning in the way that individuals 
will critically reflect on how their actions might affect 
others, undermining their dignity and the common 
good, and strive to respect fellow humans by shunning 
corruption.

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Ndiku, Nasongo, & Odero,  Ethics Education in Fight Against Corruption

1 Judah M. Ndiku (jndiku@mmust.ac.ke) is an Associate 
Professor of Educational Administration & Management 
at Masinde Muliro University of Science & Technology, 
Kakamega, Kenya.

2 Joseph W. Nasongo (jwamoch@mmust.ac.ke) is an 
Associate Professor in the Department of Educational 
Foundations at Masinde Muliro University of Science & 
Technology, Kakamega, Kenya.

Authors

3 Monicah A. Odero (moniodero@gmail.com) is a 
Researcher at Masinde Muliro University of Science & 
Technology, Kakamega, Kenya..

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