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Our schools are not just places to foster knowledge; they are crucial in building character and values. It is at school that our lifelong habits, attitudes and characters are formed.

This is why schools are critical in the country’s long-term fight against corruption. Studies have shown that children who cheat and steal in school — and get away with it — often go on to commit much bigger crimes as adults.

This, according to Muchlas Samani, the rector of the State University of Surabaya, is how corruption starts. Before people start stealing billions of rupiah, they steal small sums and are never held accountable, especially at school.

Cheating and plagiarism in school are the gateways to corruption, which means schools are the front line in the fight against graft.

That is why we urgently need anticorruption programs targeted at 15- to 30-year-olds, high school and college students, and young professionals who are getting settled in their jobs. Young people at that age are still in the process of finding their identities, and it is important to instill in them the right values — specifically, that corruption is wrong.

Without a proper value-based education, we will not be able to shape a better future. Education is not only about imparting knowledge, it is about inculcating the right values in our young people. This is crucial given the challenges facing the nation. If today’s youth are not well prepared to confront the future, the nation will not progress.

Education alone is not enough, experts warn. The influence of parents and the family in forming the mind-set of the young is equally important, and it is at home that integrity should first be nurtured.

If we are to equip tomorrow’s leaders with the right values, the work must start today. As we commemorate International Anti-Corruption Day today, we must acknowledge the hard work ahead of us. Corruption remains a serious problem, as is the formation of poor policies. The two are connected, as poor policies create opportunities for graft.

Although progress has been made in tackling corruption, the work is only just beginning. By making schools our first line of defense, the nation stands a much better chance of eradicating graft from politics and ensuring that precious resources are better utilized.