Teacher Management in Federal System of Nepal: Policy Perspectives

Abstract

Teacher management is defined by core and salient components in this research. Here, core component covers license, selection, recruitment, transfer, professional development, appraisal, promotion and retirement. Similarly, salient component covers job induction for teachers, institutional orientation, exposures and post retirement opportunities. Based on these components research concluded that it is characterized with uneven distribution and practice since it is under the serious influence of nepotism, favoritism, regionality, poor support system etc. Similarly, there are several researches conducted on teacher management by different organizations and the governments but not found in the holistic research covering maximum components of teacher management which can give better results. The main objective of this study was to find out the holistic scenario of policies and practices of teacher management in Federal Nepal. Also, it was to provide a holistic framework of teacher management for the future. I have drawn the reference of Brazil, Russia, South Africa, and Nigeria as a framework of the study.

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In this study, I followed qualitative method with some quantitative data also. For collecting quantitative data, I applied survey among the sample population of 500 respondents from the selected 11 districts. For collecting qualitative information, I used interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) which were conducted in three different sites that included Kathmandu valley, Garuda municipality of Rautahat district and Dullu municipality of Dailekh district. Quantitative data was analyzed and presented using descriptive as well as statistical tools. And, thematic analysis was applied in order to analyze the qualitative information. Based on the insights of bureaucratic and 7S strategic theory as well as motivational theories were used for necessary interpretation. This study found that teacher licensing is federally controlled by Teacher Service Commission. Teacher selection process has been carried out at federal, provincial, and local level. Job- induction training has been confined to the federal government. Teacher recruitment is done in federal, provincial, and local level. Teacher transfer has been the responsibility of the District Education Development and Coordination Unit (DEDCU) and the local government. Professional development of the teachers has been the responsibility of the provincial government. Only the recurring trainings are given by the local government. The education department of local government has been made responsible for the evaluation of teachers. Teachers' promotion, retirement and post retirement opportunities are kept in the hands of the federal government. But in all the components of teacher management, there is influence of teacher confederation, national political parties, and the interest groups right from local to the federal levels. This study concludes that teacher management framework addresses the transitionally created chaos. It proposes two possible frameworks where one is province

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lead model and another is local government lead model. Both models are based on Gaynor’s teacher management model, the constitution of Nepal (2015) and the practices in other similar three tiers of federal countries. The matrix explained in those models explains the role of different governments and agencies. The research findings focus on authority clarification among the three - tiers governments, holistic address of teacher management components and their specific characters. It is concluded that the teacher recruitment, transfer and professional development cannot be implemented in isolation but the whole life cycle of teacher management showed function together for the better results.