Corruption in the sphere of education: notion, specific features, forms and types

Objective: basing on the studied scientific literature and legislation on corruption counteraction, to elaborate the concept of corruption in the education sector, highlighting its specific features, characteristics, forms and types, and attracting the attention of the scientific community to the discussion of the categorical apparatus of corruption in education and its prevention.Methods: dialectical method of cognition.Results: basing on the analysis of scientific literature and the Russian legislation on corruption counteraction, the characteristic features of corruption in education were revealed: the sphere of existence, the specificity of the subjects of corruption relations in education, specific features of the goals of corruption; the types of corruption were classified according to various grounds (depending on: the types of educational organizations that implement basic educational programs; the nature of authority used by the persons who have administrative powers in educational institutions; the quantitative composition of the subjects; the nature of the use of official position by the subjects of passive bribery in the corruption relations in education; organizational structure of corruption relations in education; the nature of accrued benefits; the nature and degree of public danger). In the conclusion the author proposes the definition of corruption in education, which is interpreted as the negative socio-legal phenomenon existing in social relations in the sphere of education and consisting in the wrongful use of an official position and status of the participants of relations in the sphere of education in order to accrue benefit of tangible and (or) intangible nature, for themselves or third parties, as well as to provide such benefits.Scientific novelty: for the first time the article considers the characteristic features of corruption in education, highlights its forms and types, and proposed a definition of corruption in education.Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in the scientific, enlightenment and educational activities in addressing the issues of corruption and its prevention in the education sector.