Technical Assistance Consultant’s Report
Project Number: 35174-082 April 2017
Nepal: School Sector Program Financed by the TA: 7935
Prepared by: Fawad Shams, Deependra Thapa and Tirtha ParajuliKathmandu, Nepal
For Ministry of Education Department of Education
This consultant’s report does not necessarily reflect the views of ADB or the Government concerned, and ADB and the Government cannot be held liable for its contents.
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TEACHER MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT IN NEPAL
MARCH 2013
SCHOOL SECTOR REFORM PLAN (2010-2017)
FAWAD SHAMS WITH DEEPENDRA THAPA AND TIRTHA PARAJULI ADB CONSULTANTS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1. ACRONYMS 2
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
3. CURRENT SITUATION 10
3. INTRODUCTION 17
4. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 20
4. PROPOSED STRTEGIES & PLANS WITH INTERNATIONAL 21 BEST PRACTICES
TEACHER MANAGEMENT 21
TEACHER CAREER DEVELOPMENT & RETIREMENT 35
TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL 44 DEVELOPMENT
5. CONCLUSION 53
6. ANNEXES 54
1. SCHEMES AND TRATEGIES 54 2. CONSULTATIONS WITH STAKEHOLDER GROUPS 66 3. LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN CONSULTATIONS 77 4. LIST OF AGENDA ITEMS FOR CONSULTATIONS 83 5. DOCUMENTS REVIEWED 85 6. STUDY WORK PLAN 86
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1. ACRONYMS
CSN-TC - COMMUNITY SCHOOL NATIONAL TEACHER COMMITTEE CPD - CONTINUOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DDC – DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE DEO – DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICE DOE – DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DP – DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS EMC - EDUCATION MANAGEMENT CADRE EQUIP - EDUCATION QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM ETC – EDUCATION TRAINING CENTER MOE – MINISTRY OF EDUCATION NACTE - NATIONAL ACCREDITATION COUNCIL FOR TEACHER EDUCATION NCED – NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PCF – PER CAPITA FUNDING PLC - PRINCIPAL LEARNING CIRCLE RC – RESOURCE CENTER RP – RESOURCE PERSON SIP – SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN SLC – SCHOOL LEAVING CERTIFICATE SMC – SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE STRO - SCHOOL TEACHERS RECORD OFFICE TDP - TEACHER DEVELOPMENT POLICY TEP – TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM TLC - TEACHER LEARNING CIRCLE TPC – TEACHER PREPARATION COURSES TPD – TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TSC – TEACHER SERVICE COMMISSION VDC – VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. This Study for Teacher Management and Development in Nepal is based on a series of consultations made with different stakeholder groups between September 2012 and January 2013 at the school, district and national level, representing MOE, DOE, DEOs, NCED, TSC, STRO, SMCs, RPs, Teachers, Teacher Unions, Tribhuvan University, NGOs, Private Sector and Donors. The suggestions made by the stakeholders during consultations were formulated into a draft set of recommendations and shared back with the stakeholders in December for further streamlining. Subsequent to finalization of recommendations, strategies and implementation plans are now being developed to address issues in key areas in teacher management and development in Nepal.
2. Altogether, the suggestions from stakeholders culminated into 18 recommendations that have been collapsed into three STRATEGIC AREAS as follows:
TEACHER MANAGEMENT including 1) Teacher Recruitment, 2) Teacher Mainstreaming, 3) Teacher Transfer and re-Deployment, 4) Teacher Equity, and 5) Teacher Management Information System TEACHER CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND RETIREMENT including 1) Teacher Job Description, 2) Teacher Performance Appraisal, 3) Teacher Course Completion, 4) Teacher Promotion, and 5) Teacher Retirement and Post-Retirement Schemes. TEACHER QUALIFICATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT seen in light of 1) Teacher Qualifications Up-gradation, 2) Teacher Professional Standards, 3) Teacher Education Accreditation Standards, 4) In-take criteria for Pre-Service Programs, 5) Certification Requirements for Pre-Service Teachers, 6) Licensing Mechanisms, 7) Induction Level Training Programs, and 8) Teacher Professional Development including mentoring, follow up and monitoring
3. The recommendations under the three strategic areas have been made to address issues that are adversely impacting the Nepal Education System, both at teacher management and development levels. Translating these recommendations into strategic plans and schemes will require both policy and implementation level actions involving stakeholders at the school, district and national level.
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RECOMMENDATIONS Immediate Medium-Term Long-Term Policy Implementation (2013-2014) (1-5 years) (5-10 years) Level Action Level Action Teacher Recruitment 1. Regional TSCs (RTSC) should be created for all √ √ districts of Nepal 2. A district level pool/roster of potential teachers √ √ √ should be created by RTSC for the entire district 3. SMCs make their selection of candidates only from √ √ √ the pool created by the RTSC 4. Three level selection process involving a test, √ √ classroom demonstration, and interview to be instituted under the SMC jurisdiction 5. Future temporary recruitments under a clear √ √ termination clause not to extend beyond three years 6. Graduates in Science, Mathematics and English to √ √ be recruited to strengthen content level teaching - specially designed in-service programs for such teachers to be offered by NCED in coordination with the universities to complete certification requirements 7. To the extent possible, all teacher recruitment to be √ √ √ done under a schedule either at the start or end of school year 8. No further recruitments for overstaffed schools √ √ and districts - vacancies existing in such schools and districts allocated to schools and districts where teacher shortage exists 9. All future temporary teacher recruitments should √ √ be guided by a central policy stipulating minimum salary scale (at par with permanent teachers) and benefits like annual leave and in-service medical coverage 10. Recruitment of teachers from marginalized √ √ groups to be ensured on the basis of their presence in a school catchment area. For female teachers recruitment the education regulations should be enforced Teacher Mainstreaming 1. School mapping results should be used to √ √ determine current teacher vacancies 2. The relief grant should be converted to respective √ √ teacher positions; relief teachers are drawing salaries at the same level as permanent teachers and there will be no immediate financial implications for the government. 3. These relief teachers should be given the same √ √ leave structure and facilities as temporary teachers once they are converted to school teacher positions. 4. Temporary teachers having fulfilled the selection √ √ √ √ criteria including the TSC test to be recruited through internal competition against 18000 positions. Remaining temporary teachers and relief category teachers to compete against 12096 vacant positions advertised for open competition. 5. Mainstreaming of temporary teachers to take into √ √ √ √ account the school catchment recommendation for marginalized groups. For females the government regulation should be followed 6. Temporary teachers have served for more than 5 √ √ √ years and unable to be mainstreamed should be given some due compensation before being relieved 5
RECOMMENDATIONS Immediate Medium-Term Long-Term Policy Implementation (2013-2014) (1-5 years) (5-10 years) Level Action Level Action Teacher Transfer & Re-Deployment 1. School mapping results used to determine existing √ √ teacher re-deployment and transfer needs 2. Teacher service rules modified to include √ √ stipulation for serving in difficult areas (to be defined) at least once in a teacher tenure for future recruitments (duration to be agreed upon) 3. Special difficult/remote area allowance to be √ √ provided to non-resident teachers, or, service in difficult areas to be credited by 25%-100% extra time when making promotions 4. District wide vacant positions should be √ √ √ maintained in a database available with the DEO who can provide it to the TSC to guide the required number of teachers needed in every school for that district 5. For rationalized availability of teachers, required √ √ √ transfers to be made soon at the basic and secondary levels to ensure that all regions and schools in Nepal have the required numbers of teachers available 6. Transfers to be made only during school vacation √ √ √ √ periods to avoid any academic loss for students Teacher Equity 1. Teacher Reservation Policy (Education Act 2059 √ √ (2002)) to be implemented in letter and spirit 2. A five year strategy to be prepared for increasing √ √ the number of marginalized and female teachers to the required level in line with best practice from Bangladesh 3. Recruitment of female and marginalized teachers √ √ √ to be done every year as per the 5-year strategy 4. NCED to offer preparatory courses for female and √ √ marginalized groups to prepare them better for competing against vacant positions Teacher Management Information System (TMIS) 1. A TMIS to be established at the district and √ √ national level in coordination with the existing EMIS 2. TMIS should include a complete profile of every √ √ school teacher (permanent and temporary) in Nepal and a unique record number should be assigned to each teacher 3. The profile will include all the administrative and √ √ academic information updated about the teacher, such as qualifications, trainings, existing professional needs, postings, transfers, performance appraisal results, promotions, salary history etc. 4. The information in TMIS should be gathered from √ √ DEO, DOE, NCED, DTSC/TSC, STRO and any other concerned department 5. The data should be used by decision makers in all √ √ √ √ concerned departments to do information-based decision making, such as teacher promotions, transfer, trainings to attend, responding to student needs etc. 6. Services of an expert in Business Intelligence and √ √ Data Mining/Warehousing should be acquired to establish and utilize TMIS 6
RECOMMENDATIONS Immediate Medium-Term Long-Term Policy Implementation (2013-2014) (1-5 years) (5-10 years) Level Action Level Action Teacher Job Description 1. All school teachers (permanent and non- √ √ permanent) in Nepal should be provided with a job description 2. The job description should include clearly laid out √ √ √ responsibilities, professional standards, performance benchmarks and targets. The targets should be dynamic and should be revised each year, such as student achievement, attendance, enrolment, teacher attendance etc. 3. Teacher Performance Appraisal should take into √ √ √ account teacher job description when evaluating teacher performance Teacher Performance Appraisal 1. All school teachers in Nepal (permanent and non- √ √ permanent) having completed one year of service should undergo an annual performance appraisal 2. The performance appraisal should be based on √ √ √ teacher responsibilities, job description and performance standards 3. The performance appraisal should include seeking √ √ √ a feedback on teacher performance from all concerned stakeholders 4. Other determinants of teacher performance will √ √ √ include student achievement, teacher portfolio assessment, an annual appraisal interview carried out by the school head, and time served in difficult area 5. Results of performance appraisal should be used √ √ when promoting teachers and also addressing professional needs of the teachers Teacher Course Completion 1. All permanent teachers should be required to √ √ successfully complete courses and programs for each level of promotion - achieve scores of 50% for Beginner level, 60% for Experienced Level, 75% for Master Level and 80% for Expert Level 2. The courses should be designed and offered by √ √ NCED under TPD 3. The courses can take form of a sequence, whereby √ √ after completing a few short courses during each career ladder the teachers may receive a diploma or certificate and then move up the ladder 4. Completion of courses every five years should √ √ keep the teacher license validated Teacher Promotion 1. All permanent teachers should have four bands of √ √ promotion, Beginner, Experienced, Master, Expert 2. Teacher performance appraisal, course completion, √ √ √ qualification and years of experience should be taken into account at the time of teacher promotion 3. Teacher performance appraisal should be based on √ √ 360 feedback, teacher portfolio, student achievement, and school head review and will constitute 50% of the total promotion weightage 4. Course completion will be weighed at 20% √ √ 5. Years of service will be weighed at 15% √ √ 6. Teacher qualifications will be weighed at 15% √ √
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RECOMMENDATIONS Immediate Medium-Term Long-Term Policy Implementation (2013-2014) (1-5 years) (5-10 years) Level Action Level Action Teacher Retirement and Post-Retirement Schemes 1. All temporary teachers teaching in schools should √ √ be eligible for post-retirement benefits after being mainstreamed. Their period of service before mainstreaming should be counted, as is also the practice in the civil service rules. 2. Post-retirement benefits should be paid using √ √ existing government schemes and formulas Teacher Qualifications Up-gradation 1. Teachers teaching at grades 6-8 should have a √ √ B.Ed as opposed to the prescribed SLC+2 Teacher Professional Standards 1. Teacher professional standards for Nepal are √ √ proposed as follows and should be promulgated soon: Subject matter knowledge Human growth and development Instructional planning and strategies Assessment Learning environment Effective Communication and proficient use of ICTs Collaboration and partnerships Continuous Professional Development Code of Conduct Teaching of or Nepali as a Second Language Multicultural Education (given Nepal's context) Inclusive Education 2. These standards should guide pre and in-service √ √ program development 3. These standards will also guide teacher √ √ performance appraisal and promotions Teacher Education Accreditation Standards 1. Teacher Education Accreditation Standards should √ √ guide teacher education programs and institutions for maintaining quality standards as follows: Curriculum and Instruction Assessment and Evaluation System Physical Infrastructure, Academic Facilities and Learning Resources Human Resources Finance and Management Research and Scholarship Community Links and Outreach 2. Teacher Education Accreditation Standards should √ √ be promulgated soon In-Take Criteria for Pre-Service Programs 1. The in-take criteria for pre-service programs at the √ √ universities should include a test and an interview 2. Closer coordination between the Universities, √ √ MOE and NCED should be developed so that the universities are more clear on the needs of schools and only as many teachers needed in the system are recruited to avoid from unnecessarily burdening the university resources. The current council headed by the minister should meet regularly for this purpose.
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RECOMMENDATIONS Immediate Medium-Term Long-Term Policy Implementation (2013-2014) (1-5 years) (5-10 years) Level Action Level Action Certification Requirements for Pre-Service Programs 1. Adoption of Teacher Professional Standards √ √ 2. Adoption of Teacher Education Accreditation √ √ Standards 3. Higher Secondary in Education for Basic Level √ √ (grade 1-5) teachers 4. B.Ed for Basic Level (grade 6-8) teachers √ √ 5. M.Ed for Secondary Level Teachers √ √ For those with Higher Secondary in non-education a one-year is required 6. Strengthening Research, Assessment, Testing and √ √ Teaching Practice components in the existing TPC and B.Ed curriculum Licensing Mechanisms Renewal of teacher license should be done every five √ √ years Licensing Exam should carry a mix of content (50%), √ √ pedagogy (25%) and general knowledge (25%) and should have a minimum 50% pass percentage Teacher Licensing should gradually be moved to be √ √ awarded by a Teacher Council Teachers completing TPD regularly will be √ √ considered as having fulfilled license renewal requirements Induction Level Training 1. A one-year induction level program should be √ √ offered to all new teachers once they have been recruited and completed their pre-service training 2. Induction program can be designed by the NCED √ √ and the universities and offered through senior school teachers 3. Induction program will serve the following objectives: Provide continuing assistance for beginning teachers to reduce the identified common problems that typically occur in the early stages of teaching Support development of the knowledge and the skills needed by beginner teachers to be successful in their initial teaching position, and provide resources for instructional materials Integrate beginning teachers into the social system of the school, the education department, and the community Provide an opportunity for beginning teachers to analyze and reflect on their teaching Increase the positive attitudes of beginning teachers toward teaching Provide incentives and compensation to those participating in the program, including peer and mentor teachers
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RECOMMENDATIONS Immediate Medium-Term Long-Term Policy Implementation (2013-2014) (1-5 years) (5-10 years) Level Action Level Action Teacher Professional Development (TPD) 1. Strengthen mentoring and monitoring of teachers √ √ under the TPD initiative of the NCED 2. Increase the numbers of RPs - at present there is √ √ one RP for about 200 teachers 3. Teacher and Principal Learning Circles (TLC and √ √ PLC) should be formed at the school and cluster levels 4. Principals trained to provide academic supervision √ √ to teachers in classrooms 5. 200,000 teachers (school wise) should be divided √ √ √ into 3,000-4,000 clusters of 50-70 teachers each 6. The RPs should be made responsible for clusters of √ √ teachers - overseeing peer learning and providing support where required 7. Mobility allowance for RPs to be enhanced to √ √ facilitate monitoring and follow up support 8. NCED to design and offer courses (like the TPD) √ √ √ as a requirement for teachers to support their promotions and license renewal 9. Required physical and material facilities at the RC, √ √ √ LRC and ETC level should be provided to facilitate quality training 10. NCED to carry out research based evaluation of √ √ training programs, trainers and trainees 11. Ongoing need-based capacity building for RPs √ √ and other trainers under NCED to be provisioned for 12. NCED to take overall responsibility for teacher √ √ professional development in Nepal, with RCs and LRCs brought under its jurisdiction
4. The above recommendations have been translated into detailed schemes and strategies in consultation withj the MOE and DOE for implementation under an action plan over the next five years, and should be read in conjunction with the schemes and strategies document attached as Annex-1. 10
CURRENT SITUATION
5. According to the Flash Report 2011-2012 there are 222,562 teachers at the Basic Education Level (grades 1-8) and 53,120 teachers at the Secondary Level, in community (government) and institutional (private) schools. Out of the total number of 275,6821 teachers in Nepal from grades 1-12, there are 73,088 teachers working in institutional or private schools and the remaining 202,594 are in government schools. Out of the 202,594 teachers in community/government schools 149,260 are working on approved positions including some 25,000 temporary teachers, leaving 53,334 teachers who have been appointed under various non-permanent schemes. Teachers have been recruited under different categories and schemes including Contract, Relief, Per Capita, to name a few. Substantial variations in pay structures, perks and privileges, and opportunities for career advancement and professional development between permanent and multiple other category of teachers also complicate the implementation of government policies in teacher management and development. According to the teacher unions, non-permanent teachers are under continued stress, are resentful, and are not able to put in their best due to their unsettled service issue. Education (Eighth Amendment) Act, 2068 (2011) which is yet to be approved, provides a formula based solution under its Clause 13 for making these teachers permanent and is now being pursued by the government for implementation.
6. Female teachers constitute 33.9%2 of all the teachers at the Basic Level in community schools; at the Secondary Level there are 14.3% female teachers in community schools. There are 3.3%3 Dalit teachers and 16.1% Janajati teachers in the community Secondary Schools. At the Basic Level there are 4.2% Dalit and 27.4% Janajati teachers teaching in community schools. The Reservation Policy stipulates 45% quota for all marginalized groups including female. Within the marginalized group, 33 % quota is for females, 28% is for Janajati, 22% for Madheshi, 9% for Dalit and 8% for other minorities including Muslims and backward regions. The current proportion of marginalized groups within teaching cadre is already more than what is stipulated under the reservation policy
1 Flash Report 2011-2012
2 Flash Report 2011-2012
3 ibid 11
because marginalized groups also compete and are recruited in the open competition in addition to their own quota.
7. A look at the student enrolment data for five cohorts from 2000-2004 and following them to 20114 indicates that there is a 50-60% dropout occurring between years 1 and 6, and almost 85% dropout between years 1 and 10 at the time of SLC. While the reasons for this astounding dropout rate need to be explored, poor performance of teachers and schools is one definite factor contributing to the dropout of students. Performance of teachers and schools is a determining factor for parent perceptions about the quality of government schooling, and their decision to move their children to the private or other schools
8. Over the last 15-20 years there have been complex Teacher Recruitment procedures in place in Nepal. Historically there have been numerous teacher recruitment regimes in place in Nepal, from a district teacher selection committee (DTSC) after 1971, to a regional TSC (RTSC) after 1992 to a Teacher Service Commission (TSC) in 2001, and now a school-based recruitment system under the school management committees (SMC) that is currently implemented in some 12000 school levels (basic and secondary levels), but is envisaged to eventually be instituted in all community schools. The current process of recruitment, which has been devolved at the school level is seen with stern criticism by teachers and teacher unions5 as well as by the TSC and DEOs. Issues of lack of transparency, nepotism and cronyism are reported when teachers are recruited by the teacher selection committees under the SMCs; from overlooking fake certificates and diplomas6 to appointments made purely on political connections and relationships, the stakeholders see most SMCs to be tainted. Despite having the mandate, the SMCs have not done any permanent teacher recruitment because the funding for permanent primary level teachers comes from MOE to district development committee (DDC), and from the DDC to the DEO and then to the school. But the DDCs (local elected bodies) are defunct as at present there is no elected member body except one head of the DDC appointed by the government. In the absence of a DDC no funds are provided by the government, and the SMCs therefore do not want to recruit any permanent teachers, because if they do how will it be able to pay the teacher(s). The TSC on the other
4 Collated from Flash Reports
5 Consultations with teachers and teacher unions in October and December 2012.
6 Reported by the DEO and teacher unions in district Persa 12
hand has also not been able to recruit any permanent teacher due to lack of clarity on teacher hiring at the highest level. By its mandate (Education Rules 2059 (2002)) the TSC cannot recruit temporary teachers, and therefore is not able to take any measures even if irregularities are reported in recruitment of temporary teachers by the SMCs.
9. Teacher Posting or deployment is a challenging task in Nepal. Teachers have a preference to be posted in urban or less difficult areas and this has resulted in a lop-sided deployment of teachers impacting rural and impoverished areas in Nepal. According to the Flash Report for 2011-2012, in the Terai region there is one teacher for 77 children in grades 6-8, and one teacher for 55 children in grades 1-5 when all permanent and temporary teachers are taken into account. In the Mountain and Hill regions the ratio is 1:51 and 1:55 respectively for grades 6-8. At the Secondary Level (grades 9-10), there is one teacher for 46 students in Terai region. The situation becomes much bleak when one looks at student- teacher ratios considering only permanent teachers. At the secondary and higher secondary levels, the availability of subject specialist teachers also becomes a challenge, and the student to teacher ratio for subject specialists may depict an even more grave situation. The urban and city schools have much greater number of teachers compared with schools in difficult and rural areas. Under a recent school mapping exercise undertake by the DOE for all 75 districts, the results have now been compiled for some 44 districts (at the time of writing this report), and almost 2000 teachers have been redeployed to adjust under and overstaffing issues.
10. The Education (Eighth Amendment) Act, 2068 (2011), Clause 4, 2O, yet to be approved, stipulates the following functions and duties for teachers (job description) regardless of their level or area of teaching and qualifications:
To attend and remain in the school in the specified time regularly To complete the teaching as per the curriculum within the specified educational calendar To evaluate the capacity of each child to learn and read, and give necessary guidance to him or her to motive him or her towards learning and reading To motivate the guardians of children to get their children admitted to the schools in order to ensure the right of each child to obtain free and compulsory basic education To hold regular meetings and discussions with guardians or children, as required, to enhance the competency and capacity of children on learning To aware the children and their guardians or communities about the right of all children to obtain the free and compulsory basic education To carry out activities as required to succeed the programs adopted by the Government of Nepal on the alleviation of illiteracy and free and compulsory basic education 13
To perform, or cause to be performed, other functions as prescribed
The above are very general and broad guidelines for teachers, and are open to interpretation by the teachers as well as the authorities responsible for managing teachers. They do not include any requirements for teachers to perform at or against certain standards in their teaching, student assessment and content knowledge.
11. There is a Teacher Performance Appraisal system in place in Nepal only for permanent teachers that uses 12-15 indicators to carry out teacher performance appraisal. However, the appraisal is essentially a requirement for promotion, and is not used to carry out any performance accountability of the teachers. The outcome of appraisals does not have any bearing on teacher salary increments and the decisions for promotions are also made as long as the necessary paper work is complete, regardless of whether teacher performance has been questioned or not. In any case, in the absence of a proper job description that would include performance benchmarks, holding teachers accountable against an evaluation does not make much sense.
12. There is a Teacher Career Ladder available for permanent teachers under the present setup. However, the career ladder is not linked to completion of accredited programs and courses for in-service teachers, nor does it take into account teacher performance. The current promotion policy (Education Rules 2059 (2002)) allows for 75% criteria based promotions that look at seniority, performance (which in the absence of performance standards and a questionable system can be skewed), and academic qualifications. For these 75% promotions, there is a regional promotion committee (RPC) that identifies and promotes teachers. For the remaining 25% promotions, there is an exam-based system, under which the TSC prepares the exam and a district based examinations management committee under the chief district officer administers the exams. The exams are graded by the TSC and results published and then teachers are promoted. If the career ladder is linked to course requirements, as is the case with other government services, it will add value to the teaching profession, and will generate a demand for in-service programs and courses.
13. There is an attractive teacher benefits package and post retirement scheme available for permanent teachers at present. Teachers get paid for 13 months every year, but actually work for 10 months when annual school vacations are taken into account. The post-retirement benefits for teachers amount to almost 40%-80% of their last drawn salary depending on their 14
years of service. The post retirement benefits include pension, provident fund, gratuity, leave encashment (12 days/year), and lifetime medical coverage. In case of death of the retired employee the spouse receives 50% of the pension.
14. With the recommendation of SSRP (also adopted under the Teacher Development Policy in 2011), the qualification criteria for induction of teachers has been raised at Basic Education level to Intermediate and for Secondary Teachers to M.Ed level, both requiring a one-year Teacher Preparation Course (TPC) if their Higher Secondary is not in Education. According to the University faculty members, there are no nationally defined professional standards for teachers that the pre-service certification programs follow, though intrinsically there are standards to be followed as part of the curriculum for different programs. The universities are not linked with the school system as such and the programs offered by the universities may not be up to date in terms of addressing needs of the schools and teachers. There is no coordination between the universities and the MOE. There is a Committee chaired by Minister of Education and represented by the universities, the Secretary of Education and others, but this committee has not met in years. In the education programs offered by the universities, classes are not held regularly and teachers are also not there regularly. The universities do not take any entrance examinations for admitting students in their education programs and in the presence of a very relaxed admission criteria, a weak intake of students persists. Teaching-learning in the university education programs is based more on rote methods and less on research and practicum.
15. There are no teacher education accreditations mechanisms in place in Nepal that will ensure minimum quality standards for teacher education programs and service providers. Among other things, accreditation is premised on the existence of national professional standards for teachers, which also do not exist in case of Nepal. However, Education (Eighth Amendment) Act, 2068 (2011), Clause 7E which is still under consideration for approval, mentions an Education Quality Audit Center for quality assurance of education institutions that may have functions similar to an accreditation body or authority.
16. Teacher Unions have been influencing the current licensing system and according to information provided have forced the MOE/TSC to lower standards of the licensing exam to make sure that all teachers in the system get a teaching license regardless of their ability. The current content areas within the licensing exam are mostly theoretical. The role of TSC as the licensing authority has been questioned by some stakeholders. 15
17. A new program of Teacher Professional Development (TPD) has been launched under the SSRP for further development of in-service teacher capacity, currently offering a one-month capacity building program in three stints of ten days, each over five years for every teacher. The opinion of most stakeholders is that programs for in-service teachers have been reduced to training halls and leave no impact on the teachers to change their practices in classrooms; according to the NCED7 less than 50% of the training content gets translated into actual classroom teaching. Training programs are delivered through RPs (one at each RC) and roster trainers (co-opted high school teachers whenever training programs are to be implemented). There is hardly any follow up of training programs, and classroom level mentoring or support to teachers is also non-existent. While there have been program effectiveness studies carried out by the NCED, none of these studies has looked at any longitudinal data based on a standard research evaluation model of pre and post-training scenario as well as comparisons between control and intervention groups using some kind of a teacher quality index, or student tests.
18. According to the National Teachers' Union, SMCs and Head Teachers from various districts, most teachers are teaching without the availability of basic facilities at schools like water, toilets, electricity, classrooms, boundary walls, and lack of these facilities has a negative impact on the teaching-learning environment. While missing facilities are not a focus of this study, the notion that they are negatively impacting the teaching-learning environment compelled us to include a mention of the issue here. There is no data available in the Flash Report on missing facilities in schools like electricity, water, toilets, classrooms etc. The SSRP (SSRP Document, page 23) intends to make sure that all schools are equipped with minimum enabling conditions that cater to the diverse needs of students. These conditions include the physical and learning environments, conducive to everyone’s learning. School physical environment includes condition of school buildings, provision of adequate classroom, separate toilets for girls and boys, drinking water facilities and playground.
19. There are numerous Teacher Unions in Nepal present in all areas and regions. The teacher unions are linked to various political parties in the country, and according to certain stakeholders the national politics has made its way into the schools impacting their teaching- learning environment adversely. The role of teacher unions needs to be more professional
7 Teacher Development Policy 2011 Document 16
and must not interfere in meritocracy and transparency. For example, under the current teacher promotion system the performance component accounts for 35% of the total criteria, but last year all the teachers were promoted regardless of their performance under pressure of the teacher unions. Another example is that the SSRP provisions to contract head teacher from the market, but the practice up until now has been that heads are recruited through internal selection from within the same school, and teacher unions are not allowing recruitment of heads from the market.
20. The Teacher Development Policy currently in place covers certain elements of teacher development and management in some detail, but misses out on a number of important areas for teacher management and development.
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INTRODUCTION
There are several teacher management issues that impact the implementation of the SSRP, not least of which is the fact that teacher salary constitutes almost 3/4th of the total SSRP budget and thus is a key driver of costs8. Not only is the structure of the teaching cadre complex9, but there are rigidities in deployment. Substantial variations in pay structures, perks and privileges, opportunities for career advancement and professional development further compound the issue. Yet, the performance measurement uses the same yardsticks, hence creating disconnect between teacher performance, incentives and accountability. Furthermore, by all accounts, teachers are a politicized segment of the educational system and issues of corruption, nepotism arise in relation to their recruitment. Teacher management is a political issue as much as it is a governance one, yet there is a tendency to sidestep any effort to find a political solution rather than a bureaucratic one. The Governance and Accountability Action Plan Framework (GAAPF) actually indicates the need to engage with Teachers Unions, but during interviews with MOE officials, a distinct hesitation to engage with these representative bodies was evident. Unless this dialogue, as well as political engagement on this issue, is initiated, there appear to be no immediate resolutions in the offing for this deep-seated and lingering problem.
SSRP MTR 2012
21. The MTR identifies issues in teacher management that have remained unresolved over the last few years. Teacher Management is marred with issues and problems that are political at their crux, and get further compounded with poor governance and management on part of the government and bureaucracy. Some progress however, has been made as an agreement has been reached between teacher unions and the MOE on some issues in 2012. The agreement covers many outstanding issues of teacher management including mainstreaming of relief teachers through creation of positions gradually, remunerating the ECD facilitators appropriately, revision of Head Teachers’ allowance, providing merit points for the experience gained by the relief and other teachers while appearing in the TSC examination with no maximum age bar for appearing in the examinations, counting temporary teaching experience for pension, pension for fifteen years of completion of service for physically challenged teachers and so forth. The implementation of these agreements needs corresponding changes in the education acts and regulations.
22. The School Sector Reform Plan (SSRP) is a long-term strategic plan that describes the goals and objectives that will be pursued by the MOE between 2009/10 and 2015/16. The
8 Please refer Chapter 4 of the MTR Report and the Annex II on Economic Analysis 9 Shakya, D., Annex IV 18
SSRP has given a high priority to teacher management, preparation and development. Major quality interventions as outlined in the SSRP rest upon the quality and efficiency of the teachers recruited. As such, the minimum qualification level of the teachers has been proposed to be up-scaled.
23. The minimum qualifications for teachers will be: (i) higher secondary education or equivalent with relevant teacher preparation course (TPC) for basic education, (ii) M.Ed. or equivalent with relevant teacher preparation course for secondary level. However, serving teachers with lower academic qualifications will be eligible to teach at the initial grades of their respective levels. The TPC will be offered to prepare the teachers for: Teaching all subjects at the foundation grades (grades 1-3) with options for specialization in multi-grade teaching and at least three subjects of the basic education (grades 4-8) Teaching at least two subjects at the secondary education (grades 9-12)
24. According to the SSRP10 document, teacher recruitment process will be decentralized to the local level and teachers will be recruited from among the licensees as per the guidelines provided by the MOE. As per the existing Act and regulations, SMCs in the community managed schools will continue to recruit teachers. In all other community schools, SMC will have a key role in teacher management. Priority will be given to recruiting females, dalits, and other disadvantaged groups when filling teacher positions.
25. Two separate professional career paths, that are yet to be implemented, will be offered: one for basic and one for secondary teachers. There will be four stages in teacher professional career path: beginner, experienced, master and expert for both basic and secondary level teachers. Provisions will be made to upgrade teachers based on indicators such as time on task, seniority, qualification, training, and students' achievement. Teachers with additional academic qualifications will gain eligibility for fast-track career progression at the relevant levels.
Focus of the Study 26. The focus of this study on Teacher Management and Development is to look at the following:
10 SSRP Document, Volume 1 - 2009-2015, pages 44-45 19
Review the current national policies and practices on teacher management at the central, regional, district, and school levels and identify issues for more effective management of teachers Review the current national policies and practices on teacher development and identify the issues on the career development, and service conditions Review the existing teacher professional development practices in place nationally and identify issues for improving the teaching-learning environment in schools Analyze international best practices in teacher management and development, mainly focusing on the options in the scheme/strategy for career development, and service conditions including retirement packages for the teachers in the decentralized management framework Make recommendations and propose strategies and plans for adoption and implementation of recommendations
27. The study adopted the following methodology for addressing the focus issues identified above: A review of background documents and relevant literature, particularly related to the understanding of the status of the teachers in the community schools, their issues and management practices, government policies and plans A review of international literature for analyzing international best practices in teacher management and development Interviews, interactions, and consultation with key stakeholders, including teachers, teachers’ unions and officials of the MOE, DOE, DEOs, NCED, TSC and other public and private sector stakeholders
28. The study findings from the field consultations (Annex-2) are based on suggestions made by the stakeholder groups in focus group discussions and interviews carried out between September and December 2012. The suggestions from Annex-2 are cumulated into recommendations that have already been presented in the Executive Summary section of this report. Relevant international best practices have also been provided wherever applicable under the Proposed Strategies and Plans section of the report. 20
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
29. The process of consultation with a diverse group of stakeholders representing different organizations and offices across districts and regions in Nepal consisted of unstructured interviews, informal discussions and focus group discussions. A broad set of questions and discussion items for the interviews and focus group discussions, which were flexible in accommodating additional information and data as the discussion progressed, were designed. Various documents and reports were also consulted to get a better sense of the policies and strategies formulated by the MOE.
1. Key Interviews: In order to map out the current system of teachers’ recruitment, career path, performance assessment, professional development and retirement, interviews were conducted with key officials at the national and district levels. The discussion during interviews also focused upon issues and challenges and identifying gaps and areas for improvement at both implementation and policy levels.
2. Focus Group Discussions: Focus Group Discussions were conducted with the teacher unions, SMCs and CSN. The focus groups helped in collecting information that supplemented the findings from interviews and different documents and reports. Each focus group was attended by at least 8-10 participants.
3. Review of Documents and Reports: A number of secondary sources, such as reports and documents from the MOE/DOE, DPs and NGOs were also consulted to better understand MOE plans and perspective on teacher management and development.
30. The three methods of consultation described above have been synergistically used to carry out the teacher management and development review. The triangulation of methods and sources was used as a strategy to cross verify information and to get objectively verifiable results and findings. The purpose of consultations was clearly indicated at the outset to each interviewee and focus group discussion participant.
21
PROPOSED STRATEGIES & PLANS - WITH INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICES
TEACHER MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
31. Teacher Recruitment Even though the recruitment of teachers has been devolved to school level in 12,000 schools/levels managed by the /SMCs, to-date no permanent teachers have been recruited by the SMCs for reasons already cited in paragraph 8 above. The TSC has also been dormant on teacher recruitment over the last decade or so due to lack of clarity on permanent teacher recruitment, that TSC has the mandate to do. The current recruitment of teachers done by SMCs is through Per Capita Fund (PCF) quotas. As the budget is based on per child, teacher salary fluctuates with the change in student enrolment. The consequent uncertainty leads to frustration among the PCF teachers. Moreover, because of budget constraints, government has not been able to provide the full calculated amount for each school. This can lead to further decreases in salaries of PCF teachers. In the past the SMCs have also recruited temporary teachers against permanent positions, but these temporary teachers have also not been made permanent after several years.
Regional recruitment practices in Pakistan and Bangladesh involve central recruitment systems where the education departments at the provincial level advertise for vacant positions, shortlist candidates, conduct tests and interviews and then make the appointment. For secondary level teachers (grade 17 and above) the public service commission recruits teachers like other civil servants in Pakistan. In Sri Lanka there is a competitive exam offered centrally for recruiting graduate teachers for subject teaching. This is done under a school-based teacher appointment system where the school names are advertised where vacancies exist and then through competitive examination and interview the teachers are recruited for respective schools.
For streamlining the recruitment procedure in Nepal, following strategy is proposed:
31.1 The TSC needs to be strengthened both in terms of the staffing structure and the scope of its authority. The existing TSC mandate allows it to recruit only permanent teachers; it needs to be modified to also include facilitating the recruitment of temporary teachers, done through SMCs. For 12,000 schools/levels where SMCs have been mandated to recruit permanent teachers (though they have not recruited any so far), TSC cannot recommend any 22
teachers for permanent recruitment - this needs to change so that TSC can recommend permanent teacher recruitment for these 12,000 schools/levels as well. The TSC also needs staff level strengthening. At present it has a three member management body overseeing more than 100,000 permanent teachers compared with a 12-15 member body of provincial service commission for about 75,000 civil servants in Nepal. In order to manage teacher selection under SMCs (through a regional/district teacher selection committee - RTSC/DTSC - in the next paragraph), the TSC management body needs to grow to effectively manage RTSCs/DTSCs.
31.2 A regional teacher selection committee (RTSC) shall be formed as TSCs extension covering every district to facilitate transparency and merit in all teacher recruitments made by the SMCs. The RTSC shall be located in the RED and the RED director shall be its chairperson. Two more members shall be designated by the TSC to serve on the RTSC.
31.3 The RTSC shall develop and maintain a pool of potential teacher candidates for all school levels within the concerned district. The pool will be established following the nationally approved criteria for teacher selection for all levels and will include all candidates on the TSC reserve list available in that district, and any other candidates. The pool database shall be updated on a regular basis to include or eliminate candidates accordingly. Potential candidates will also have the option to indicate their preference of schools where they would like to work should a vacancy arises there.
31.4 At the school level (where SMC has been mandated to recruit) when a vacancy is created, the SMCs can identify and screen candidates for temporary or permanent contract teachers following necessary criteria from within the district pool maintained by the RTSC. The criteria to be considered will also include inviting those candidates who have indicated the school(s) as their preference.
31.5 The selection process will involve a review of the credentials available with the RTSC, a selection test, a demonstration lesson that all potential candidates will be required to deliver in class, and a final interview.
31.6 The SMC will conduct the final interview and will also appoint the head teacher or a designate teacher to observe the demonstration lesson. The test will be administered by the RP in case of secondary teacher recruitment, or by a senior secondary teacher in case of basic 23
level recruitments. The test will be developed and marked by local education experts who will be co-opted to the RTSC at the request of SMC for this purpose only.
31.7 In case of temporary teacher recruitment for future, there should be a termination clause in the contract not exceeding one year, at the end of which the teacher may either be made permanent (having fulfilled all the recruitment criteria), relieved, or the temporary contract extended for two more years. After three years of service under a temporary contract the teacher is either offered terms of a permanent contract (having fulfilled all the recruitment criteria), or relieved from duty. Alternatively, the same teacher may be recruited on a fresh temporary contract after some service gap between the previous and new contracts. Further guidance may also be obtained from the existing labor laws in Nepal for temporary employees.
In India contract teachers (called Samvida Shikshak) are recruited for one to three years; former contract teachers in India called Shiksha Karmi have been made permanent recently11. Under a decentralized model in Nicaragua in the 1990s teachers were hired on a one to three year probationary period by the school councils in what they called autonomous schools; however, the legal status of these teachers was the same as teachers in regular school12. Senegal opted for an integration model that permits volunteering teachers through exams to become contract teachers and through other exams and requirements to become regular teachers. Thus individuals who aspire to a teacher career can enter as a volunteer while foreseeing a career development path in teaching13.
The following recommendations have been made in the ILO working paper (WP.252), prepared as a background paper for the Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2008 Education for All by 2015: will we make it14? Re-examine the funding and contractual policies that lead to the widespread recruitment of contract teachers with a view to freezing further recruitment and phasing out such categories of teachers according to a fixed time schedule (for example by the target date for realization of EFA – 2015)
11 Contract Teachers in India: Sangeeta Goyal and Priyanka Pandey, 2010 12 Teacher policies for underserved populations: A synthesis of lessons learned and best practices Aigli Zafeirakou 2007 13 ibid 14 Teacher policies for underserved populations: A synthesis of lessons learned and best practices: Aigli Zafeirakou, 2007 24
31.8 All newly recruited teachers should be given an induction level training while attached with the school for which they have been recruited. Duration and modality of the induction level training can be decided, but under various international practices it is offered over a one year period or more, broken down into phases and modules15. The induction training can be provided by the NCED through ETC/RC and in coordination with senior teachers at the school level.
31.9 Options may also include that teachers are initially recruited on probation until successful completion of induction training/program, otherwise their probationary contract may be revoked. Teacher performance during the probationary period shall be reviewed by the head teacher, senior teachers and RPs.
31.10 A provision shall be made to recruit teachers trained in disciplines like Mathematics, Sciences and English without completing pre-service certification requirements. However, all such recruitments shall undergo specially designed in-service programs by the NCED and must complete these programs within four years of their recruitment and service.
31.11 All SMC members should be trained on recruitment management skills, and the selection of SMC members should be delinked from political influence. The SMC members must include parents as members representing marginalized groups including women as part of the reservation policy. All SMC members should be literate.
31.12 The chair of the SMC should be recommended by all the school teachers, and those parents who are SMC members. The parents and teachers should recommend three names in order of merit against a given criteria for SMC head, and the recommendations should go to the DEO for final selection of the SMC head.
In case of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka the SMCs16 are headed by the head teachers and the membership comprises parents, teachers and community notables/well wishers. The SMCs in all three South Asian countries are responsible for school development planning,
15 1. http://teacherinduction.ie/Pages2010/NQT/NQTSection.html 2.http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/EducationLearning/SchoolsColleges/Teachers/NewlyQualifiedTeachers /NQTInduction/NQTsInLambethSchools/InductionTrainingForNewlyQualifiedTeachers.htm
16 1. http://www.create-rpc.org/pdf_documents/India_Policy_Brief_4.pdf 2. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001205/120595e.pdf 3. http://www.sdpi.org/publications/files/M10.pdf 25
resource mobilization, student enrolment, monitoring for teacher absenteeism, school- community relationship management and overall school welfare. In none of the three countries are the SMCs tasked with teacher recruitment.
31.13 The head of the Government should issue a directive to all concerned that no political interference shall be allowed in teacher recruitment, and if such interference is found the recruitment shall become void and the process would have to repeated for merit-based recruitment.
The proposed strategy for recruitment is shown below in the form of a figure for better illustration. Figure 1: Teacher Recruitment
TSC re-mandated with staff level strengthening and the provision to establish RTSC/DTSC
RTSC/DTSCs formed under the TSC - create district level pool of potential candidates to help SMCs
SMCs identify candidates from the district pool, follow the selection process under a criteria and select teachers
26
32 Teacher Mainstreaming A recommendation is produced here from the ILO working paper (WP.252), prepared as a background paper for the Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2008 Education for All by 2015: will we make it17? In the interim examine and implement means by which contractual teachers’ initial training, professional development and support, salaries and material benefits (health care, housing and transport, social security) can be upgraded in line with the status of non-contractual teachers on the basis of social dialogue with teachers’ organizations representing contractual teachers.
Country examples from India, Nicaragua and Senegal in paragraph 31.7 above indicate that teacher mainstreaming following recruitment of temporary and contract teachers has been a sequential step. Temporary and contract teachers are recruited regularly to overcome teacher shortages, supply of teachers in difficult areas, and reduce financial burden on the government by hiring lower salaries teachers; however, after a few years the teachers are mainstreamed under different schemes in many countries.
In the UK the Pay and Conditions Document states, "If you are employed on a fixed-term or temporary contract in an LEA maintained school, the national pay and conditions provisions set out in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document, the ―Burgundy Book‖ national conditions of service agreement and any relevant local agreements apply to you in most cases in the same way as they do to permanent employees".
32.1 A detailed school mapping exercise has been undertaken by the DOE (completed for 44 districts) that will indicate the existing number of teachers in each school, level and subject wise. The results of school mapping exercise will help the MOE determine the need for required number of teachers, level and subject wise. The need for required numbers can be matched against the existing vacant positions, and may result in increasing the number of sanctioned vacant positions. However, the teacher unions should be taken on board before any final decisions on teacher rationalization are made.
17 Teacher policies for underserved populations: A synthesis of lessons learned and best practices: Aigli Zafeirakou, 2007 27
32.2 As per existing information there are 12,09618 vacant positions for teachers in schools (after mainstreaming 18000 temporary teachers through internal competition) that will be advertised for open competition, and against which some 55,000 non-permanent teachers (after having mainstreamed 18000 temporary teachers internally) already teaching and fresh candidates will be competing.
32.3 A draft provision (paragraphs 41.7 and 42.3) has been proposed to accommodate only temporary (not relief or per capita) teachers after they will be mainstreamed for promotion and post-retirement schemes since they were recruited against vacant posts. All temporary teachers are also required to clear the TSC recruitment exam to be eligible for permanent positions. For almost 40,000 relief teachers, separate arrangements will have to be worked out for their service conditions and are proposed below.
32.4 Many of these 70,000+ non-permanent teachers are females and other marginalized groups. For improving teacher equity it is important that the female teachers are retained to improve teacher equity for females, or alternatively to fix a greater proportion of vacant posts for females/marginalized groups so that new recruitments make a special consideration for female hiring.
32.5 For accommodating fresh graduates in the teaching profession the option of a golden handshake scheme should be considered for those teachers who are in the 50+ age group, or those teachers who wish to take early retirement. Once all those teachers being relieved under the golden handshake scheme have left then recruitment should be opened to attract fresh graduates from the market. The provision of VERS is there in the education act and should be followed as it is.
32.6 Relief teachers can be considered for mainstreaming under the following schemes:
32.6.1 The relief grant teachers should be converted to respective teacher positions, also in line with the agreement done between the teacher unions and the MOE in 2012. Relief teachers are drawing salaries at the same level as permanent teachers and there will be no immediate financial implications for the government.
32.6.2 These relief teachers should be given the same leave structure and in-service medical facility as permanent teachers once they are converted to school teacher positions.
18 The Education (Eighth Amendment) Act, 2068 (2011), Clause 13 28
33. Teacher Transfer & Re-Deployment Teacher transfer and posting is highly politicized and results in overstaffing and shortages at various schools and locations, particularly at the primary level and in Terai region. Teacher re-deployment will require a national level teacher rationalization exercise with support from EMIS and through school mapping to make sure that enough number of teachers are available in every school to meet the needs of children. Teacher Transfers to be done under such rationalization scheme will have to be supported through a reform in teacher service rules, incentive schemes for teachers to be transferred to difficult areas, and agreements with the teacher unions. After the current school mapping exercise more than 2000 transfers have already been made to adjust overstaffing and shortage issues. The following strategy is proposed for teacher transfer in Nepal.
33.1 Teachers who would like to seek voluntary transfer to another school in another grade/class, or for teaching another subject shall file a written statement of such desire with the DEO. A transfer will not be considered unless the teacher is fully qualified for such vacancy. The DEO and DOE shall consider all such requests and make a decision based on the teacher's qualification, performance and previous transfer history.
33.2 In the event where political or administrative pressure is being pursued by the candidate to seek transfer, the concerned DEO and DOE shall revoke any process that may have been initiated and reject all such requests for transfers.
33.3 For all voluntary transfers, unless the heads/principals of both concerned schools agree, no transfers shall be made. The transfer shall be made against a vacant post only.
33.4 For all voluntary transfers where a vacant post is to be created only after transferring another teacher at the receiving school, the formal consent of the teacher vacating the post shall be required before a transfer is allowed. In other words it will not be permissible to transfer any teacher involuntarily, create a vacancy, and then transfer the teacher seeking voluntary transfer to the vacant post.
33.5 All requests for transfers by teachers from one school to another shall be made on a form readily available with the competent authority, or in the schools. The transfer request (voluntary) will be submitted to the DEO. The DEO will prepare a master list of all teachers 29
seeking transfers and distribute this list with the teachers' preferences to all concerned school heads/principals for their review and concurrence. Placement on the master list does not guarantee a transfer unless agreed by school heads/principals.
33.6 All transfers shall be made during the vacation period to avoid any academic loss for children. For transfers occurring during the academic year, the concerned school heads/principals shall carefully determine all merits including any loss that may occur for children and shall provide their consent before the DEO can process such requests.
33.7 Prior to the beginning of the school year teachers working in out-of-subject assignments (such as history teacher teaching mathematics) will be given first consideration for in-subject vacancies as they occur.
33.8 An updated list of all teacher vacant positions will be maintained year round by the DEO and RTSC/DTSC, and available for any teacher to view. All vacancies shall be properly advertised in relevant newspapers and at the offices of the competent authorities.
33.9 Involuntary transfers will only be made for one or more of the following reasons: Dividing a school to form a new school at the same or another location Closing or merging a school Placing a teacher who has been teaching out of his/her field of certification/subject area into field of certification/subject area Comply with a court order Comply with any district or national legislation Transfers to unattractive/hard areas for the required duration shall be made for all concerned teachers during their teaching tenure, regardless of their choice
33.10 At the time of all future recruitment/appointment all teachers shall be notified of the requirement to serve in hard/unattractive areas during the tenure of their service, and must agree to these requirements prior to being appointed. For teachers currently in service and hired without stipulation of serving in hard area should undergo a modification in their service rules to include the hard or difficult area service clause.
33.11 Before involuntary transfers are made, the school head/principal shall announce the position changes planned for the school to the entire staff. Volunteers for involuntary transfer 30
shall be requested and teachers will be provided at least 24 hours to volunteer in order to allow review. If there are more volunteers than needed, the volunteering teacher(s) with the most seniority shall be submitted for placement.
33.12 The transfers and re-deployment of teachers can follow a practice from the province of Punjab in Pakistan where at the primary level (1-5), for class nursery and one even if the enrolment is up to 40, two teachers shall be provided19. For additional teachers the enrolment of classes 2-5 shall be counted, and for a third teacher to be provisioned there should be at least 20 students in classes 2-5. For four teachers to be provisioned in a primary school there should be at least 100 students (including nursery and 1 population). Each additional teacher shall be provided for an extra 30 students over 100. For classes 6-8, the teacher allocation criteria shall be based on work load (number of classes per week, and in this case a minimum of 30 per week) and student teacher ratio at 1½ to 2 teachers per section of 30 students. If there are 150 students in classes 6-8, five to six teachers in addition to a head teacher shall be provisioned for. For secondary (classes 9th and 10th) and higher secondary (classes 11th and 12th) schools/sections teacher allocation shall be based on teacher work load (no less than 25 periods per week) and student teacher ratio at 1½ to 2 subject specialist per section of 30 students. In a school with 150 students, there should be 3 to 4 subject specialists.
34. Teacher Equity The Reservation Policy (Education Act 2059 (2002)) proposes 45% teacher positions for all marginalized groups including 33% for women. In order to increase the number of female and minority groups in the teaching force following steps are proposed based on a successful practice in Bangladesh20. Between 1990 and 2005 the proportion of female teachers rose from 20% of the total teaching work force to 45%, and was still rising. This was due to the introduction of the policy to recruit 60% female teachers in the vacant posts of teachers in primary schools. During the same time period the participation of girls in schools increased from 45% in 1990 to 50% in 2005, indicating that the induction of female teachers in schools had a definite correlation with increasing female participation in schools.
34.1 Prepare a five-year strategy for increasing the number of female and minority teachers to at least 50% to get closer to their existing population proportion. TSC examination
19 School Education Department, Government of Punjab, Pakistan
20 Directorate of Primary Education, Peoples Republic of Bangladesh 31
preparatory classes for female and marginalized groups could be one good option for enhancing their capabilities. The NCED/ETCs in close coordination with District Education Office should initiate these preparatory classes all over the country.
34.2 Recruit female and minority teachers each year against vacant posts specially created for the marginalized groups for the next five years until the target of 50% is achieved.
34.3 An improved teacher equity for female and minority teachers will help improve the overall participation of marginalized groups in the education sector in Nepal as indicated in the figure below:
Figure 2: Improving Teacher Equity
Increased Proportion of Female and Minority Teachers in Schools
Can lead to more More Female and Female and Minority Minority Students Students in Schools as maybecome teachers the families get inspired
Chances that a greater proportion of Female More Female and /Minority students Minority Students enter Universities and completing SLC Colleges
35. Teacher Management Information System (TMIS) Given recognition of various developmental stages in a teachers’ professional career, the basic aim of a TMIS would be to enable MOE and DOE to deliver, manage and track professional management and development of individual teachers across the continuum of teachers’ career throughout the community school system of Nepal. The TMIS should be integrated with the existing teachers’ information database under EMIS and STRO that the 32
MOE is already maintaining, but that currently does not include any information on teacher professional development records or teacher management.
35.1 The TMIS will work as a source of information to make informed decisions about which professional development courses a teacher should attend, what duration, when, and where. The TMIS will also guide the authorities about teacher qualifications, promotions, deployment history, and performance evaluations. Each teacher should have a unique record in the TMIS database that must have updated information about all aspects of teacher management and professional development.
35.2 The current professional development needs of a teacher should be determined: a) Based on accurate information about their current position, employment record, the courses already attended, and future deployment potential. b) Based on what the RPs find as part of their monitoring visits to the school and feed this information into the TMIS. c) In determining the exact nature of courses the teachers may undertake, the NCED should also consider the information furnished by the SLCs about the student assessment for various districts, as well as take into account any other student assessment administered by the DEO or schools in each district. This draft strategy recognizes that SLC only tests 12th grade students. However, by suitable extrapolation under TMIS informed decisions can be made about the subject matter deficiencies that students may be experiencing in the intervening grade levels. For instance, if the majority of students in class 5 in district X appear to be failing in questions related to basic operations on the rational numbers, then the teachers before 5th grade level also need reinforcement in the content and pedagogy of rational numbers in that district. The professional development courses, then, can be designed to address this need.
35.3 The TMIS will ensure that relevant courses and programs are offered for all teachers on a regular basis. Since updated information about the successful completion of courses can be used for decisions about the career advancement, career paths can be linked to trainings creating a demand driven professional development system, whereby the teachers themselves desire for courses and programs to pursue career advancements. However, based on the field consultations, it is also suggested to continue with the existing system of seniority based promotions so as not to create any unpleasant ripples. The TMIS, in the meanwhile, may be 33
used to make provisions to fast track promotions based on training completion data available for those who wish to take the course-based route.
35.4 The TMIS should be instituted along with the EMIS at the national level, built as another layer that should be integrated into the current EMIS data. For district level institutional arrangements TMIS should closely coordinate with the NCED for collecting data through ETCs and RCs on teacher professional development needs, and with the DEO for teacher performance related data.
36. Political Interference Another obstacle in the way of management of teachers is the political intervention in the hiring, deployment and transfer of teachers. Throughout the consultations, the issue of eliminating political intervention from appointment, and transfers of teachers was raised with participants. More often than not, the participants say that the political interventions can be curtailed through the highest authority and a directive from the head of government can significantly reduce political interventions in case of transfers and postings and recruitment of teachers and support staff. However, a more permanent and institutionalized mechanism for reducing political interference is through the implementation of merit-based systems proposed in this report on recruitment, deployment, and promotion of teachers. We have seen that in more developed countries the political interference is non-existent because the systems are well placed and implemented effectively.
The Civil Service Act of Nepal clearly stipulates that no civil servant can be a member of or have any direct affiliation with any political party in Nepal. A similar stipulation will need to be created for the school teachers and SMCs.
37. The role of Teacher Unions in teacher professionalization Are teacher unions essentially good or bad for professions? This question elicits different answers. Unions can both help and hurt the professionalization. The critical strategy should be to align the direction of union activity with the best education practices. The interests of good and professional teaching may be advanced if unions are made part of the solution. Efforts should be made to take teacher unions on board by the Government. Meaningful efforts should be made to make them part of planning and decision making on key issues to ensure their ownership. Efforts should also be made to have teacher unions adopt some professional roles as well and assume responsibilities as professional bodies. All established 34
professions have organizations that look after, not just the interests of the professionals, but also the quality of their professional services. The teacher unions have been doing the former so far, but should be encouraged to do the latter as well.
37.1 All teacher unions in Nepal shall work towards converging on a single platform and merge into one National Teacher Union (NTU) in line with the prevailing provision of the act (2059).
37.2 The NTU shall organize activities for enhancing professional skills of teachers as follows: a) Professional seminars, conferences, courses and workshops b) Professional subject-based associations, like a science or math teachers association21 c) Study visits d) Teacher and student exchange visits
37.3 The MOE shall make regular consultations with the National Teacher Union on all matters relating to teacher management and development, and shall keep the Union engaged in all matters of mutual concerns about education in Nepal's schools.
21 Sharing best practices: Strengthening teachers associations in South Asia - http://neltachoutari.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/sharing-best-practices-strengthening-teachers- associations-in-south-asia/
35
TEACHER CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND RETIREMENT STRATEGY
38. Teacher Job Description Teachers have traditionally been used as a wild card in Nepal’s education system22. That is to say, they can be easily displaced from schools to respond to other calls of duty that have nothing to do with their core job of teaching. There is, therefore, a need to develop very clear job descriptions for all the teachers, permanent and temporary, and the entire system is held accountable to the said job description. Clear job descriptions for teachers will also help uplift teacher professional status and role and will eliminate (or at least mitigate) possibilities of them being used for a number of other activities in their districts at the cost of their teaching. Currently teachers are used to do population census, perform election duties, health duties, emergency relief work, textbook distribution, to name a few auxiliary tasks. The Education (Eights Amendment) Act, 2068 (2011), Clause 4, Section 2O makes recommendations on 'Functions and Duties of Teachers', but does not make concrete suggestions on teacher job description that the teacher can be evaluated against and held accountable, as well as get promoted based on performance against the job description. Teacher professional standards developed for teachers in Pakistan have been provided in paragraph 44 that can be used to develop standards and job description for teachers in Nepal. A set of teacher professional standards and responsibilities from England's Education System23 has been produced below, that can be adapted in the Nepalese context for both permanent and temporary (all categories) teachers:
38.1 Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils establish a safe and stimulating environment for pupils, rooted in mutual respect set goals that stretch and challenge pupils of all backgrounds, abilities and dispositions demonstrate consistently the positive attitudes, values and behavior which are expected of pupils
38.2 Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
22 The Education (Eights Amendment) Act, 2068 (2011), Clause 4, Section 2N
23 https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/teachers%20standards.pdf - Department for Education - Teachers' Standards - May 2012 36
be accountable for pupils’ attainment, progress and outcomes be aware of pupils’ capabilities and their prior knowledge, and plan teaching to build on these guide pupils to reflect on the progress they have made and their emerging needs demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how pupils learn and how this impacts on teaching encourage pupils to take a responsible and conscientious attitude to their own work and study
38.3 Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge have a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas, foster and maintain pupils’ interest in the subject, and address misunderstandings demonstrate a critical understanding of developments in the subject and curriculum areas, and promote the value of scholarship if teaching early reading, demonstrate a clear understanding of systematic synthetic phonics if teaching early mathematics, demonstrate a clear understanding of appropriate teaching strategies
38.4 Plan and teach well structured lessons impart knowledge and develop understanding through effective use of lesson time promote a love of learning and children’s intellectual curiosity set homework and plan other out-of-class activities to consolidate and extend the knowledge and understanding pupils have acquired reflect systematically on the effectiveness of lessons and approaches to teaching contribute to the design and provision of an engaging curriculum within the relevant subject area(s)
38.5 Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils know when and how to differentiate appropriately, using approaches which enable pupils to be taught effectively have a secure understanding of how a range of factors can inhibit pupils’ ability to learn, and how best to overcome these 37
demonstrate an awareness of the physical, social and intellectual development of children, and know how to adapt teaching to support pupils’ education at different stages of development have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs; those of high ability; those with disabilities; and be able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them
38.6 Make accurate and productive use of assessment know and understand how to assess the relevant subject and curriculum areas, including statutory assessment requirements make use of formative and summative assessment to secure pupils’ progress use relevant data to monitor progress, set targets, and plan subsequent lessons give pupils regular feedback, both orally and through accurate marking, and encourage pupils to respond to the feedback
38.7 Manage behavior effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment have clear rules and routines for behavior in classrooms, and take responsibility for promoting good and courteous behavior both in classrooms and around the school, in accordance with the school’s behavior policy have high expectations of behavior, and establish a framework for discipline with a range of strategies, using praise, sanctions and rewards consistently and fairly manage classes effectively, using approaches which are appropriate to pupils’ needs in order to involve and motivate them maintain good relationships with pupils, exercise appropriate authority, and act decisively when necessary
38.8 Fulfill wider professional responsibilities make a positive contribution to the wider life and ethos of the school develop effective professional relationships with colleagues, knowing how and when to draw on advice and specialist support take responsibility for improving teaching through appropriate professional development, responding to advice and feedback from colleagues communicate effectively with parents with regard to pupils’ achievements and well- being 38
39. Teacher Performance Appraisal Teacher appraisal should really be defined as a process of staff development aimed at the professional development of the teacher through collegial interaction in order to enhance the quality of teaching and students' learning. The relationship between teacher appraisal and the day to day duties of teachers, the extent to which it leads to improvements in the teaching and students' learning process, is really how it addresses the staff development needs of the teachers. The TMIS described earlier can go a long way into making teacher appraisal more objective and performance based. There is a wide agreement that teacher appraisal system should be linked to teacher performance. However, there is no consensus about the bases on which teachers’ performance can be determined. There is, therefore, a need for the appraisal system to incorporate some sort of a portfolio of teaching practices. Irrespective of the exact basis for teacher appraisal, the literature on teacher appraisal suggests that teachers need to be given a very clear criteria well in advance against which they will be judged, and provided an opportunity to maintain and defend a portfolio, as we see in case of Singapore and Botswana24. All existing temporary teachers (all categories) and those recruited in future who have completed one year of service shall also undergo a performance appraisal exercise on the lines suggested below.
39.1 In summary, the reforms in the existing teacher appraisal system in Nepal will require the following: Setting clear job description, professional standards, goals, objectives and targets for the teachers (defined in paragraph 38 and 44), against which the appraisal should be carried out by the DOE. A 360 feedback25 obtained by the DOE, that seeks opinions from various stakeholders on teacher performance, including students, parents, head teacher, peer teachers, RPs and SMC against an agreed quality or performance index for the teachers. The index can be based on teacher job description, professional standards and any targets and standards that will have been set. A weightage of 30% can be assigned to the 360 feedback (5% for each category of respondent)
24 Kelly, K. O., Ang, S. Y. A., Chong, W. L., & Hu, W. S. (2008). Teacher appraisal and its outcomes in Singapore primary schools. Journal of Educational Administration, 46(1), 39-54. Shinkfield, A. J., & Stufflebeam, D. L. (1996). Teacher evaluation: Guide to effective practice: Springer. Monyatsi, P. P. (2009). Teacher Appraisal: An Evaluation Of Practices In Botswana Secondary Schools. 25 Practiced in a number of countries including the UK, USA and Australia for Teachers and Principals 39
Development of a teaching portfolio that includes various aspects that a teacher's performance can be judged on, such as lesson plans, reflective diaries, action research plans, community engagement etc. Teachers can themselves put together their portfolios, including their best performances and then hand over the portfolios to the DOE representative at the end of each academic year. Teachers will need to be trained to develop teaching portfolios and the managers (at DOE) will need to be trained to make use of them for the purpose of appraisal. The portfolio can be weighed at 20% of the total appraisal criteria. Reliable and valid information on the student achievement to complement the portfolios. Where such information is not available, the appraisal needs to be based on teaching portfolios. Student achievement can be kept at 30% of the total weightage. Teacher appraisal interview carried by the head teacher/supervisor against performance standards and targets and reported back to the DOE. Head teacher/supervisor review shall be 20%
40. Teacher Course Completion Requirements It is important for teachers to complete necessary professional development courses and programs when they are promoted to the next level in their career ladder. In South Korea and Canada (paragraphs 41.1 and 41.2 below) and in many other countries the requirements for completing necessary courses are mandatory before teachers can be promoted to a higher tier, such as a senior teacher, principal or teacher trainer. The training requirements for teacher promotion include completion of the TPD, but the efficacy of the TPD is yet to be determined in terms of the value addition that it provides to the teacher's professional career. Course completion shall be a mandatory requirement for all teachers, including those teachers recruited under any temporary category contract in future, even though they may be promoted only once they are mainstreamed.
40.1 The provision for satisfactory completion of required training at the time of promotions is very important for the teachers and will serve three purposes: 1) it will prepare teachers effectively for the next/higher level position and responsibilities. 2) it will add value to the teaching profession by having similar promotion requirements as other civil servants. 3) it will generate a demand for professional development among teachers, making it a demand-led as opposed to a supply-based intervention. 40
40.2 Required courses for teachers can be designed by the NCED and offered through the ETCs or RCs. However, the concerned RPs/trainers conducting the courses should be very well trained to ensure that teachers receive all that is necessary to prepare them for the next level of assignment after promotion.
40.3 The courses designed by the NCED can be in a sequential form, leading to certificates or diplomas, and at the completion of each certificate or diploma (comprising of many sequential courses over 4-5 years) the teachers can be promoted to the next level.
40.4 Satisfactory completion of courses should be mandatory for teachers before they are promoted to the next level; if for any reason teachers are unable to show satisfactory results in the course, they may still be promoted but kept on probation until satisfactorily completing the course within six months of the promotion.
41. Teacher Promotion Teacher promotion should take into account teacher job description/professional standards, teacher annual appraisal, course completion requirements, teacher qualifications and years of experience. The annual appraisal documents for each year of service between the last and current promotion shall be reviewed and considered carefully when promotion decision is being made. Under the SSRP there are four stages proposed in the teacher professional career path: beginner, experienced, master and expert, for both basic and secondary level teachers - however, these are not yet implemented. Provisions will be made to upgrade teachers based on indicators such as time on task, seniority, qualification, training, and students' achievement in their respective career path. Teachers with additional academic qualifications will gain eligibility for fast-track career progression at the relevant levels.
41.1 In South Korea teachers’ promotions are based on years of service, evaluation results, and research achievement. Teachers earn points in each of these areas that can add up to an eventual promotion, and can also earn bonus points for things like teaching in remote areas or in special education schools. In order to become a Master Teacher Trainer (equivalent of RP in Nepal), teachers must have a grade one certificate (course completion requirements) and ten to fifteen years of teaching experience. Screening committees in each province evaluate teachers in three steps: document screening; teaching capability observation and peer interviews; and an in-depth interview with the teacher. 41
41.2 In the province of Ontario in Canada, in order to become a principal, a teacher must have at least five years of teaching experience, certification in three of four age divisions (these are classified as primary, junior, intermediate and senior), two Specialist qualifications or a master’s degree and have completed the Principal’s Qualification Program.
41.3 As mentioned earlier, if teachers are to be promoted and retained on the basis of qualifications and performance, then the system needs to implement the career ladder and effective and transparent performance appraisal, or accountability, systems. With these in place, there will be a significant demand in place for ongoing needs-based professional development where teachers will want to attend professional development courses that help them perform better and gain the qualifications necessary to advance in the system.
41.4 During the consultations with different stakeholders many participants agreed that a strong demand for professional development will only be created if teachers have 1) a staged career—i.e. something to look ahead and work for; 2) an appropriate (reasonable) salary structure associated with the career ladder; 3) a fair and performance based accountability (appraisal) system; and 4) a modicum of respect as professionals.
41.5 Once fully developed the teacher career ladder strategy should put all of these things in place. The accountability (appraisal) system must be able to recognize and reward good teachers, support struggling teachers, and deal fairly, efficiently, and firmly with teachers who are not up to the job. Teacher reward can include a formal recognition at the district level under an Annual Teacher Day, and the DEO can decide the mechanism for any rewards for good performing teachers.
41.6 Based on the above guidelines, Teacher Promotion shall be pursued by allocating 50% weightage to teacher annual appraisal (paragraph 39.1 above with 4 indicators), 20% weightage to course completion, 15% weightage to experience and 15% weightage to qualifications. For each band of promotion (Beginner, Experienced, Master, Expert) a promotion strategy is proposed below.
41.7 The strategy is applicable to all existing permanent teachers, and those to be mainstreamed later. All the teachers should undergo the proposed performance appraisal and complete the necessary course work within three years of the implementation of this strategy. below their years of experience (civil service 66% time counted). Recruitment of temporary 42
teachers in future and their career progression shall be stipulated under strategy proposed in paragraph 31.7.
Table 1: Teacher Promotion Strategy
Teacher Cadre Performance Appraisal (50%) Course Completion Experience (15%) Qualifications (20%) (15%) 360 Teacher Student Principal Feedback Portfolio Achievement Review Beginner 50% 0-5 Years Intermediate Year 1 5% 10% 40% 25% Year 2 10% 15% 45% 25% Year 3 15% 20% 50% 30% Year 4 20% 25% 55% 30% Year 5 25% 30% 60% 35% Experienced 60% 6-10 Years B.Ed Year 1 30% 35% 65% 40% Year 2 35% 40% 70% 40% Year 3 40% 45% 75% 45% Year 4 45% 50% 80% 45% Year 5 50% 55% 85% 50% Master 75% 11-15 Years M.Ed Year 1 55% 60% 90% 55% Year 2 60% 60% 90% 55% Year 3 65% 65% 95% 60% Year 4 70% 65% 95% 60% Year 5 75% 70% 100% 65% Expert 80% 16-20+ Years M.Ed Year 1 80% 75% 100% 70% Year 2 80% 80% 100% 70% Year 3 85% 85% 100% 75% Year 4 85% 90% 100% 75% Year 5 90% 90% 100% 80% RP or Roster Trainer 65% 60% 85% 80% 80% 10 Years M.Ed
41.8 For promotion of teachers to management position (head teacher) within the schools the SSRP defines a criteria. Moving up to management position within the school system is an incentive for teachers, and this should be streamlined by making more emphasis on requirements that will prepare teachers better for the administrative and academic roles.
Management Academic Academic Administrative School School Relevant Experience Cadre Qualifications Leadership Leadership (10%) Results Development Training (20%) (15%) (10%) (15%) Plan (10%) (20%) Head Teacher MA/M.ED26 75% 75% 80% 75% 75% 15 Years
26 For Basic Level Schools the required qualifications for head teacher are B.Ed (SSRP). According to the SSRP the head teacher is to be recruited from the open market. 43
42. Teacher Retirement and Post-Retirement Schemes for Temporary Teachers being Mainstreamed 42.1 Salaries paid to teachers in Nepal are comparable to those in Pakistan and Bangladesh, but less than India27. Salary structures in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India are 2-4 times more than the GDP per capita in these countries28. The post-retirement benefits for permanent teachers in Nepal amount to almost 40%-80% of their last drawn salary depending on their years of service. The post retirement benefits include pension, provident fund, gratuity, leave encashment (12 days/year), and lifetime medical coverage. In case of death of the retired employee the spouse receives 50% of the pension.
42.2 The existing government formula for various post-retirement benefit schemes for permanent employees is as follows: 1. Pension: number of service years multiplied by last month drawn salary divided by 50. 2. Provident Fund is accumulated through 10% deduction from the teacher salary and 10% contributed by the Government every month and the amount invested in some local company, to be paid back to the teacher with accrued profit 3. Gratuity is paid under the following formula: For the first seven years of continuous service, gratuity should be paid at the rate of 50 percent of the monthly salary per annum; For seven to fifteen years of continuous service, gratuity should be paid at the rate of the two-thirds of the monthly salary per annum; For service exceeding 15 years gratuity should be paid at the rate of one month's salary per annum.
42.3 All teachers recruited under temporary category (not Relief or Per Capita) and mainstreamed may have their temporary service periods accommodated as is the practice in the Nepal Civil Service29. Once their service period has been counted then they can be eligible for post-retirement benefits as per existing government rules.
27 TEACHER MOTIVATION AND INCENTIVES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA AND ASIA - PAUL BENNELL 2004
28 ibid
29 Under the Civil Servicess of Nepal, mainstreaming of temporary employees takes into account 66% of their time and not 100% when determining seniority. 44
TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The teacher professional development strategy for NEPAL shall be based upon the following steps: 1) Teacher Qualifications Up gradation 2) Creation of Teacher Professional Standards 3) Creation of Teacher Education Accreditation Standards 4) Improved in-take criteria for Pre-Service Programs 5) Improved Certification Standards for Pre-Service Teachers 6) Strengthened Licensing Mechanisms 7) Induction Level Training Programs 8) Continuous Professional Development
43. Teachers Qualifications Up gradation 43.1 Teacher Development Policy (TDP) Guidelines 2011 mention that teachers require a SLC+2 level qualification for teaching at the Basic Level (1-8), and M.Ed for teaching at the Secondary Level (9-12). The TDP mentions that those with only SLC and those with B.Ed will need to upgrade their qualifications as soon as possible otherwise they will be confined to teaching early grades only.
43.2 It is proposed that for teaching at grades 1-5 teachers should have qualifications of SLC+2, for teaching at 6-8 they should have a B.Ed, and for teaching at secondary level they should have M.Ed (as already provisioned). Excluding B.Ed from the required qualifications under TDP does not make much sense because the teachers have put in 3 years at the university level completing their B.Ed, and this degree should be a required qualification for teaching at the 6-8 level. For Licensing and Promotion, necessary steps should be taken to accommodate teachers with B.Ed qualifications
43.3 For head teachers at the Basic Level the required qualification is a B.Ed. It therefore makes more sense to have the teacher qualification to B.Ed level for 6-8 teaching so that these teachers can also apply for the head teacher position whenever it becomes available.
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44. Teacher Professional Standards 44.1 The standards for teacher professional knowledge, skills and disposition shall be designed to define competencies, skills and attributes deemed to be essential for teachers and shall guide the development of all pre and in-service programs for teacher education in Nepal. A regional best practice on teacher professional standards comes from Pakistan; these standards were developed and ratified in 2008 in Pakistan and adopted by the provinces and teacher training institutions for inclusion in teacher professional development programs. The professional standards for teachers in Nepal can include: Subject matter knowledge Human growth and development Instructional planning and strategies Assessment Learning environment Effective Communication and proficient use of ICTs Collaboration and partnerships Continuous Professional Development Code of Conduct Teaching of or Nepali as a Second Language Multicultural Education (given Nepal's context with more than 60 ethnic groups) Inclusive Education
44.2 Each standard shall have three core parts including: Knowledge - What the teacher knows, or should know Disposition - Teacher behavior, attitude and values Performance - What the teacher can do and should be able to do (skills)
45. Teacher Education Accreditation Standards 45.1 Teacher education accreditation standards are meant to support teacher education programs, in particular and institutions in general, as they spiral through the development stages. An important function of standards is to inculcate professionalism among teacher educators and prospective teachers through professionally designed programs being implemented by high quality institutions. Among other things, accreditation is premised on the existence of national professional standards, that have already been proposed in the previous paragraph. 46
45.2 The accreditation is supposed to be an evidence-driven exercise. What is evidence all about in this case? An institution that proposes to train individuals to acquire a particular set of professional competencies must be able to provide evidence that is able to do so. In the case of teacher education, the logic of accreditation demands that the aspiring (and incumbent) training institutions be able to: 1) provide evidence of their capacity to prepare teachers in accordance with a set of professional standards of competence; and 2) demonstrate the learning outcomes, which in this case are a stipulated set of professional competencies of the teachers, are being produced in a satisfactory manner.
45.3 The National Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (NACTE) in Pakistan developed and ratified accreditation standards for teacher education institutions in 2009 that are now being incorporated in teacher education institutions and program curriculum. These standards are produced here for possible adaptation in Nepal: Standard 1: Curriculum and Instruction Standard 2: Assessment and Evaluation System Standard 3: Physical Infrastructure, Academic Facilities and Learning Resources Standard 4: Human Resources Standard 5: Finance and Management Standard 6: Research and Scholarship Standard 7: Community Links and Outreach
45.4 For Nepal it is proposed that the University Grants Commission (UGC), which already has a mandate for accreditation, should be given the resources and responsibility for carrying out teacher education accreditation.
46. In-take Criteria for Pre-Service Programs 46.1 Good accreditation practices only solve part of the problem of teacher education by ensuring the quality of inputs into TE programs. The quality of inputs here refers to provisions in terms of the human resource, program, and infrastructure. However, in and of itself, this is not enough. The accredited programs should not just admit anyone aspiring to be a teacher. Three things are expected to be laid out in order to control entry into the pre- service programs
1. A merit driven entry criteria including an entry test and an interview to determine the aptitude of the aspiring teachers 47
2. A clear estimate of how many aspiring teachers must be admitted. Ideally, the teachers should be recruited through a process of testing and interview and then given pre-service training, thereby following a process similar to the one that is followed for the training of civil servants and the military. This will minimize wastage. Since the teacher training institutions are public sector organizations run on tax-payers’ money, it is doubly important to ensure that these funds are spent judiciously on only those individuals whose chances of serving as teachers on the culmination of the training are maximum. 3. Closer coordination between the Universities, NCED, and the MOE so that the Universities are clear about the professional needs of schools, better understand the current school education environment, and are therefore able to design more realistic in-take strategy. The existing council already in place should meet regularly for improving coordination.
47. Certification Requirements for Pre-Service Programs 47.1 The proposed accreditation standards for teacher education programs and institutions, and proposed professional standards for teachers will serve as a step forward toward improving the standards for teacher certification. The SSRP has already recommended raising certification requirements for Teachers at Basic Education level to Intermediate, and for Secondary Teachers to M.Ed level, both requiring a one-year Teacher Preparation Course (TPC) if their Higher Secondary is not in Education. Teachers have also recommending that the level of certification be upgraded to a 4-year B.Ed for Basic Level and M.Ed/M.Phil for Secondary Level Teachers.
47.2 For improving the quality of pre-service programs to strengthen teacher certification, adoption of accreditation standards will be first step. However, until this is done, a reform of the existing curricula of pre-service programs in areas like research, teaching practice, assessment and testing should be undertaken to strengthen existing programs.
48. Licensing Mechanisms 48.1 The current licensing system under the TSC must require renewal of license every five years by the teachers; this is done to ensure that teachers do not become complacent about their responsibilities and continue to perform at the highest level, informing them about the latest trends in education. Renewal of License will require for teachers to complete the 48
approved TPD program. Completion of the TPD every 5 years will ensure validity of the teaching license.
48.2 The licensing exam should carry a mix of content, pedagogy and general knowledge sections. At present the licensing exam is divided into general teaching and subject teaching, but the areas particularly under subject teaching need to be modified to add more specific content level questions for each school level. As is the practice currently, teachers with qualifications at Intermediate level should take the licensing exam for their level, and those with M.Ed should have a separate licensing exam designed for their level. For teachers with B.Ed there is no licensing exam at present, and per strategy proposed in 43.2 above there should be a separate licensing exam for B.Ed teachers.
The following table proposes areas as a proportion to be covered under different licensing exams:
Table 2: Proposed Licensing Content
SLC+2 License B.Ed License M.Ed License (for teaching at grades (for teaching at grades (for teaching at grades 1-5) 6-8) 9-12) Proposed Content 25% focus on content 50% focus based on 70% focus based on for the Licensing areas covering the area of the area of Exam primary level subjects specialization (Math, specialization (Math, Sciences, other Sciences, other 50% focus on general subject areas) subject areas) pedagogy 25% focus on general 15% focus on general 25% focus on general pedagogy pedagogy knowledge 25% focus on general 15% focus on general knowledge pedagogy
There is a proposal made in the Education Act (2068) to broad base the licensing body by including the TSC, representatives of the teacher union and testing experts. This proposal is good and should be implemented whenever the Education Act is approved.
49. Induction Level Training 49.1 Once the teachers have completed pre-service teacher education program and have been recruited, they should undergo an induction training program at the school. Induction programs guide and support beginning teachers in their first year of teaching and are essential 49
to develop sound teaching practices as well as to retain teachers in the system. Some countries prefer school-based induction programs, while others have induction programs run by teacher colleges and the academic schools of education. Sri Lanka has a one year induction training program attached to the school after the teacher has completed two years of training at a teacher training institution. After completion of the induction training program (called the internship year) the teachers are recruited based on availability of vacant positions. In Chinese Taipei, teacher candidates, prior to licensure, undertake a year-long internship following their course work. In mainland China, responsibility for training new teachers occurs through a minimum three-year apprenticeship, which some schools extend to five years. The NCED is already developing an induction program for beginning teachers that can take into account the induction objectives proposed below.
49.2 Induction programs can serve the following purposes: Provide continuing assistance for beginning teachers to reduce the identified common problems that typically occur in the early stages of teaching Support development of the knowledge and the skills needed by beginner teachers to be successful in their initial teaching position, and provide resources for instructional materials Integrate beginning teachers into the social system of the school, the education department, and the community Provide an opportunity for beginning teachers to analyze and reflect on their teaching Increase the positive attitudes of beginning teachers toward teaching Provide incentives and compensation to those participating in the program, including peer and mentor teachers
50. Teacher Professional Development (TPD) for In-Service Teachers 50.1 TPD for in-service teachers in Nepal has been mandated between NCED and DOE. The NCED through ETCs and LRCs, and the DOE through RCs have been reaching out to teachers for various interventions under teacher professional development. We see this as a kind of an anomaly; with no single institution made exclusively responsible for the training of in-service teachers, and two institutions sharing the responsibility, it would be difficult to hold anyone accountable for poor classroom level teaching of teachers. There are 1053 resource centers (RC) currently operational across 75 districts in Nepal, and each RC is staffed by one resource person (RP) and other administrative staff. This entire infrastructure 50
is under the administrative jurisdiction of the DOE. The RCs however, implement programs developed by the NCED, but are not answerable to the NCED for any inadequate performance on part of the RPs. It would be important to reconsider the existing institutional arrangement for in-service teacher training in Nepal and make NCED responsible for all in- service teacher professional development in Nepal.
50.2 The current TPD program offered by the NCED provides a 30-day professional development opportunity over five years to all teachers in Nepal. The program, offered in three stints of 10 days each is a mix of face to face, self-study exercise and instructional counseling, and is offered by the RP and roster trainers (co-opted high school teachers whenever training programs are to be implemented). There is hardly any follow up of training programs, and classroom level mentoring or support to teachers is also non-existent. According to a report from the NCED30, content retention from training programs is less than 50% among teachers. There is hardly any mentoring support provided to teachers at the classroom level.
50.3 Continuous Professional Development for teachers is not an easy intervention to pursue in the context of Nepal where teacher education is marred with weak pre-service programs on top of a weak student in-take into teacher training institutions. The deployment of more RPs at each RC level can ensure that a more regular follow up and mentoring effort may be carried out, but this will require huge financial resources for further hiring and for supporting the mobility of RPs if the existing training model is to be pursued effectively.
A more sustainable mechanism can be additional step can be strengthening the head teachers so that they can take on an academic supervisory role more effectively. School heads are naturally located at the schools and with the right capacity can provide good mentoring support to teachers at no cost as no mobility is involved. Academic supervision can be made part of the head teacher TORs so that it is formally taken up.
50.4 For ensuring ongoing professional development of teachers, a amore innovative approach that is currently being tried in Afghanistan31 with some success may be worth pursuing. Under the EQUIP initiative in Afghanistan the teachers and principals in a cluster
30 Teacher Development Policy 2011 Document
31World Bank funded Education Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP) 2009-2014, Afghanistan 51
have come together in what they call teacher learning circles (TLC) and principal learning circles (PLC). The TLCs and PLCs meet once every week at the school level, and once every twenty days at the cluster level (involving other schools in the cluster) to talk about issues and problems in classroom teaching and school management, and learn from each other's experiences. All the teachers and principals have already been trained formally under EQUIP teacher education initiatives, and continue to receive subsequent trainings, but for ongoing professional support they come together in TLCs and PLCs, and have reported good progress.
50.5 A program for peer learning on the likes of Teacher Learning Circles (TLC) is recommended. TLCs should be formed at the cluster level, including ideally no more than 50 teachers/cluster. Teachers should meet every 10 days or so at anyone of the cluster schools and share their classroom level experiences in the TLC meetings. The concerned school heads and the cluster RP should also be present to facilitate the discussion, and help plan remedial activities for areas of need identified by teachers. The costs involved will include simple tea served at the TLC meeting and some mobility allowance for teachers, principals or the RP travelling distances requiring transport. Remedial programs can be designed by the RP and school principals in consultation with the NCED and offered at the cluster level. The following figure illustrates a model of the TLCs and PLCs.
Figure 3: A Model for TLCs and PLCs
TLC and PLC - School A
TLC and PLC TLC and PLC - School E - School B RP at the cluster level - 1 RP for 50 -70 teachers
TLC and PLC TLC and PLC - School D - School C
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50.6 Since the TPD is being offered over the next five years, by when some teachers may be due for promotion, it will be useful to revise the TPD content to offer a sequence of three 10-day programs that may also fulfill the needs of those teachers up for promotion so that they are prepared for their next level assignments.
50.7 The capacity of RPs should be enhanced and they should be provided some mobility support so that they are able to make frequent monitoring visits to schools and TLCs, observe the progress, and offer any assistance that may be required. The TLCs and PLCs can be formed at the school level to meet every week, and once a month can meet at the cluster level with other schools TLCs and PLCs where the RP can also join them.
50.8 The NCED will need to institute a longitudinal research study to assess the impact of TPD and any other training programs. This will require preparation of some kind of a teacher quality index (TQI) to observe random teachers before and after the training programs and make a comparison with the previous results or a baseline. At the same time, tests in Math, Science and English should be developed and administered to a sample student population in various classes to assess the impact of teacher training on student performance.
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CONCLUSION
51. Based on consultations made (Annex-2) with more than 200 individuals from the public and private sectors in numerous consultation sessions using focus group discussions, interviews, and meetings, recommendations were made on different issues relating to teacher management and development in Nepal.
52. These recommendations were further refined to develop strategies and schemes and have been provided as a separate document to the ADB. Some of the proposed schemes and strategies shall be taken up for implementation under the SSRP by the MOE and its allied departments.
53. Detailed implementation plans will also need to be developed by the MOE and concerned departments for schemes and strategies proposed in this document, and budgeted accordingly so that a decision on their implementation can be made by the MOE. The team of consultants will work with the government to develop this implementation plan.
54. Many of the schemes and strategies proposed in this document are based on regional and international best practices and can be adapted to the Nepalese context after required modifications to the original model.
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ANNEXES
Annex-1 - SCHEMES AND STRATEGIES
Strategy for Teacher Recruitment in Nepal Objective - Te facilitate merit-based and transparent teacher selection process under the SMCs for the schools of Nepal
Timeframe - To be implemented with immediate effect (2013-2014) and continue in the medium-term (1-5 years)
SCHEME 1. Regional TSCs (RTSC) to be created in Nepal as an extension of the TSC.
2. RTSC to be created as part of the existing infrastructure. The regional education directorate (RED) director will chair the RTSC committee and the section chief administration will be the member secretary. Other members of the RTSC will include the respective DEO and two members appointed by the TSC. The committee will be constituted as and when required. The role of the RTSC is solely to create a pool for the district(s) and update it regularly, and in the long-term to develop test items for the district(s).
3. A district level pool/roster of potential teacher candidates should be created by RTSC for all the districts in the region.
4. The district pool will include all the candidates already on the reserve list of the TSC including those have achieved the pass percentage in the TSC exam.
5. The RTSC will update the district pools annually by ensuring that all eligible candidates in the district are included in the pool after fulfilling the TSC examination requirements.
6. SMCs should identify candidates for teacher selection only from the pool created by the RTSC. In situations where the required candidate is not available within the pool (such as a specific subject teacher), the SMC should request the RTSC that a district- wide search for the candidate be initiated immediately.
7. To the extent possible, all teacher recruitment to be done under a schedule, either at the start or end of school year to minimize burdening the system.
8. Future temporary recruitments should be done under a termination clause not to extend beyond three years.
9. All future temporary teacher recruitments should be guided by a central policy stipulating minimum salary scale (at par with permanent teachers) and benefits like annual leave and in-service medical coverage.
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10. Graduates in Science, Mathematics and English to be recruited to strengthen content level teaching - specially designed in-service programs for such teachers to be offered by NCED in coordination with the universities to complete certification and licensing requirements in line with the permanent teachers.
11. A provision should be created to attract top students with higher level academic achievements (at least first division) in the education discipline by awarding offering them additional marks during merit examination.
12. No further recruitments for overstaffed schools and districts to be done - vacancies existing in such schools and districts to be transferred to schools and districts where teacher shortage exists.
13. Recruitment of teachers from marginalized groups (including disabled) to be ensured on the basis of their presence in a school catchment area. For female teachers recruitment should be done as per existing education regulations.
14. The TSC should follow a strict annual recruitment schedule to facilitate the recruitment process.
15. Recent school mapping results should be used to determine current teacher vacancies.
Timeframe - To be implemented in the long-term (5-10 years)
SCHEME 1. A three-pronged selection process involving a test, classroom demonstration, and interview in the same sequence to be instituted.
2. The RTSC will be responsible for creating an item bank for tests to be conducted for candidate selection.
3. The guidelines for selection process are as follows: a. The teacher selection committee (TSC) of the SMC will be responsible for conducting the final interview of the candidate b. Classroom demonstration lesson will be observed by the head teacher (as member secretary of the SMC) or his/her designate c. For test development and marking the SMC will seek support of the RTSC d. The test will be administered by the RP in case of secondary teacher recruitment, and by the head of the lead school in case of basic level teacher recruitment e. Test paper coding and decoding should be done in line with the existing TSC procedure to ensure transparency f. 50% weightage should be assigned to the test, 30% to classroom demonstration and 20% to the interview. For academic achievement and previous experience current TSC practice should be adopted g. The SMC may design its own working guidelines for the selection process incorporating the principles suggested above
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Strategy for Teacher Mainstreaming in Nepal
Objective - Te resolve the issue of more than 70,000 teachers currently serving in schools under different non-permanent categories
Timeframe - To be implemented in the medium-term (1-5 years)
SCHEME 1. Temporary teachers having fulfilled the selection criteria including the TSC test should be recruited through internal competition against 18000 positions. Remaining temporary teachers and relief category teachers should be able to compete against 12096 vacant positions advertised for open competition by the TSC.
2. The service time served by temporary teachers shall be counted, as the practice is in case of civil service (two-third of the total time served) when they will be mainstreamed to determine their seniority and benefits structure.
3. The relief grant teachers should be converted to respective teacher positions, also in line with the agreement done between the teacher unions and the MOE in 2012. Relief teachers are drawing salaries at the same level as permanent teachers and there will be no immediate financial implications for the government.
4. These relief teachers should be given the same leave structure and any other benefits that the temporary teachers may be getting once they are converted to school teacher positions.
5. As per scheme number 17 under Recruitment, once the TSC recruits teachers annually, relief teachers will have the option to apply and participate in an open competition and be mainstreamed.
6. Mainstreaming of temporary and relief teachers to take into account the school catchment recommendation for marginalized groups. For females the government regulation should be followed. Implementation of provision as per Education Act to be followed.
7. Those temporary teachers who have served for more than five years and are unable to be mainstreamed in internal or external competitions will have to make way for new teachers. However, in return for their service under temporary contract they may be offered some incentives before being relieved.
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Strategy for Teacher Transfer in Nepal
Objective - Te resolve the issue of understaffing and overstaffing in schools
Timeframe - To be implemented with immediate effect (2013-2014) and in the medium-term (1-5 years)
SCHEME 1. Teachers who would like to seek voluntary transfer to another school in another grade/class, or for teaching another subject should file a written statement of such desire with the DEO. A transfer will not be considered unless the teacher is fully qualified for such vacancy. The DEO will consider all such requests and make a decision based on the teacher's qualification, performance and previous transfer history.
2. For all voluntary transfers, unless the SMC/school heads of both concerned schools agree, no transfers will be made by the DEO. The transfer will be made against a vacant post only.
3. For all voluntary transfers where a vacant post is to be created only after transferring another teacher at the receiving school, the formal consent of the teacher vacating the post will be required before a transfer is allowed. In other words it will not be permissible to transfer any teacher involuntarily, create a vacancy, and then transfer the teacher seeking voluntary transfer to the vacant post.
4. All requests for transfers by teachers from one school to another should be made on a form readily available with the DEO office, or in the schools. The transfer request (voluntary) will be submitted to the DEO. The DEO will prepare a master list of all teachers seeking transfers and distribute this list with the teachers' preferences to all concerned school heads/principals for their review and concurrence. Placement on the master list does not guarantee a transfer unless agreed by school heads/principals.
5. All transfers should preferably be made during the vacation period to avoid any academic loss for children. For transfers occurring during the academic year, the concerned school heads will carefully determine all merits including any loss that may occur for children and will provide their consent before the DEO can process such requests.
6. Prior to the beginning of the school year teachers working in out-of-subject assignments (such as history teacher teaching mathematics) will be given first consideration for in-subject vacancies as they occur.
7. Involuntary transfers will only be made for one or more of the following reasons: Dividing a school to form a new school at the same or another location Closing or merging a school Placing a teacher who has been teaching out of his/her field of certification/subject area into field of certification/subject area Comply with a court order 58
Comply with any district or national legislation Transfers to unattractive/hard areas for the required duration shall be made for all teachers during their teaching tenure, regardless of their choice
8. Teachers should be transferred from surplus district to other districts where teacher shortage exists.
9. Teacher transfer/re-deployment be done by district education office based on school mapping. The education act be amended with this provision given to DEO.
10. Before involuntary transfers are made, the school head will announce the position changes planned for the school to the entire staff. Volunteers for involuntary transfer may be requested and teachers will be provided at least 24 hours to volunteer. If there are more volunteers than needed, the volunteering teacher(s) with the most seniority shall be submitted for placement.
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Strategy for Teacher Career Ladder in Nepal
Objective - To link teacher career ladder with teacher performance appraisal and teacher professional development, to generate a demand for professional development among teachers
Timeframe - To be implemented in the medium-term (1-5 years) and long- term (5-10 years)
SCHEME 1. There is a need to provide very clear job descriptions for all the teachers, permanent and temporary, so that teachers can be held accountable to their responsibilities laid down in the job description. Clear job descriptions for teachers will also help uplift teacher professional status and role and will eliminate (or at least mitigate) possibilities of teachers being used for a number of other activities in their districts at the cost of their teaching. A proposed job description is provided in the main report and can be adapted in line with the existing teacher professional code.
2. All teachers (permanent and non-permanent) shall undergo an annual performance appraisal that will take into account teacher job description and responsibilities. Teacher appraisal is seen to be a process both of accountability as well as development aimed at the professional development of the teacher through collegial interaction in order to enhance the quality of teaching and students' learning. The relationship between teacher appraisal and the day to day duties of teachers, the extent to which it leads to improvements in the teaching and students' learning process, is really how it addresses the staff development needs of the teachers.
3. A 360 feedback should be obtained by the DOE for every teacher, that seeks opinions from various stakeholders on teacher performance, including students, PTA, peer teachers, RPs and SMC against an agreed quality or performance index for the teachers. The index can be based on teacher job description, professional standards and any targets that will have been set. A weightage of 30% can be assigned to the 360 feedback (6% for each category of respondent).
4. Development of teaching portfiolio that includes various aspects that a teacher's performance can be judged on, such as lesson plans, reflective diaries, action research plans, community engagement etc. Teachers can themselves put together their portfolios, including their best performances and then hand over the portfolios to the DOE representative at the end of each academic year. Teachers will need to be trained to develop teaching portfolios and the managers (at DOE) will need to be trained to make use of them for the purpose of appraisal. The portfolio can be weighed at 20% of the total appraisal criteria.
5. Reliable and valid information on student achievement to complement the portfolios. Where such information is not available, the appraisal needs to be based on teaching portfolios. Student achievement can be kept at 30% of the total weightage.
6. Teacher assessment carried by the head teacher/supervisor against performance standards and targets through an interview and observations, and reported back to the DOE. Head teacher/supervisor review shall be 20% 60
7. The provision for satisfactory completion of required training at the time of promotions is very important for the teachers and will serve three purposes: 1) it will prepare teachers effectively for the next/higher level position and responsibilities. 2) it will add value to the teaching profession by having similar promotion requirements as other civil servants. 3) it will generate a demand for professional development among teachers, making it a demand-led as opposed to a supply-based intervention.
8. Required courses for teachers can be designed by the NCED and offered through the ETCs and LRCs. However, the concerned RPs conducting the courses should be very well trained to ensure that teachers receive all that is necessary to prepare them for the next level of assignment after promotion.
9. The courses designed by the NCED can be in a sequential form, leading to certificates or diplomas, and at the completion of each certificate or diploma (comprising of many sequential courses over 5 years) the teachers can be promoted to the next level.
10. Satisfactory completion of courses should be mandatory for teachers before they are promoted to the next level; if for any reason teachers are unable to show satisfactory results in the course, they may still be promoted but kept on probation until satisfactorily completing the course within six months of the promotion.
11. Based on the performance appraisal and course completion guidelines provided above, teacher promotion shall be pursued by allocating 50% weightage to teacher annual appraisal, 20% weightage to course completion, 15% weightage to experience and 15% weightage for teacher qualifications. Each Band of promotion (Beginner, Experienced, Master, Expert) shall require a promotion strategy as proposed below.
Teacher Cadre Performance Appraisal (50%) Course Completion Experience (15%) Qualifications (20%) (15%) 360 Teacher Student Principal Feedback Portfolio Achievement Review Beginner 50% 0-5 Years Intermediate Year 1 5% 10% 40% 25% Year 2 10% 15% 45% 25% Year 3 15% 20% 50% 30% Year 4 20% 25% 55% 30% Year 5 25% 30% 60% 35% Experienced 60% 6-10 Years B.Ed Year 1 30% 35% 65% 40% Year 2 35% 40% 70% 40% Year 3 40% 45% 75% 45% Year 4 45% 50% 80% 45% Year 5 50% 55% 85% 50% Master 75% 11-15 Years M.Ed Year 1 55% 60% 90% 55% Year 2 60% 60% 90% 55% Year 3 65% 65% 95% 60% Year 4 70% 65% 95% 60% Year 5 75% 70% 100% 65% Expert 80% 16-20+ Years M.Ed Year 1 80% 75% 100% 70% Year 2 80% 80% 100% 70% Year 3 85% 85% 100% 75% Year 4 85% 90% 100% 75% Year 5 90% 90% 100% 80% RP or Roster Trainer 65% 60% 85% 80% 80% 10 Years M.Ed + ICT proficient % denotes the required minimum percentage (or marks) that teachers should obtain in a given area for a particular area
The 50% weightage assigned to performance appraisal within the promotion table includes 4 areas to be included in the performance appraisal. These include: 61
A 360 feedback obtained by the DOE, that seeks opinions from various stakeholders on teacher performance, including students, PTA, peer teachers, RPs and SMC against an agreed quality or performance index for the teachers. The index can be based on teacher job description, professional standards and any targets and standards that will have been set. A weightage of 30% can be assigned to the 360 feedback (6% for each category of respondent) Development of a teaching portfolio that includes various aspects that a teacher's performance can be judged on, such as lesson plans, reflective diaries, action research plans, community engagement etc. Teachers can themselves put together their portfolios, including their best performances and then hand over the portfolios to the DOE representative at the end of each academic year. Teachers will need to be trained to develop teaching portfolios and the managers (at DOE) will need to be trained to make use of them for the purpose of appraisal. The portfolio can be weighed at 20% of the total appraisal criteria. Reliable and valid information on the student achievement to complement the portfolios. Where such information is not available, the appraisal needs to be based on teaching portfolios. Student achievement can be kept at 30% of the total weightage. Teacher appraisal interview carried by the head teacher/supervisor against performance standards and targets and reported back to the DOE. Head teacher/supervisor review shall be 20%.
Annual performance appraisal will be done every year covering the four areas, and the weightage is proposed for each area. After 5 years (or whatever number of years the MOE may decide) when the time for promotion comes, annual performance appraisal shall be taken into account for all the years and is proposed to be kept at 50% of the total promotion weightage since this is the most important aspect that should be looked at when teachers are promoted. The other variables under promotion table include course completion (20%), experience (15%) and qualifications (15%).
Following adjustments are recommended for moving the teachers from the existing systems of promotions to the SSRP recommended system:
Existing system SSRP proposed Primary Lower Secondary Basic Secondary (Grades 1-5) secondary (Grades 9-10) (Grades 1-8) (grades 9-12) (Grades 6-8) First class First class First class Expert Expert First class First class First class Master Master Second class Second class Second class Experienced Experienced Third class Third class Third class Beginners Beginners
All teachers at Third Class in Primary, Lower Secondary and Secondary levels having completed up to 5 years of teaching should be classified under the Beginner category. All teachers in the Second Class having completed up to 10 years of teaching can be classified as Experienced. All teachers in First Class and having taught up to 15 years should be classified at Master Level. Those teachers who have been teaching for more than 15 years should be placed under the Expert category. 62
12. For promotion of teachers to management position (head teacher - HT) within the schools the SSRP defines a criteria. Moving up to management position within the school system is an incentive for teachers, and this should be streamlined by making more emphasis on requirements that will prepare teachers better for the administrative and academic roles. However, it may be pertinent to have an open competition for headship among the teachers of the district so that the best candidate from a larger pool is selected.
Management Academic 360 Feedback Administrative School School Relevant Experience Cadre Qualifications System and Academic Results Development Training (20%) (15%) (10%) Leadership (15%) (15%) Plan (15%) (preparation and implementation) (10%) Head Teacher MA/M.ED32 75% 75% 80% 75% 75% 15 Years
For Academic Leadership (10%), senior teachers who are applying for the head teacher post should be able to demonstrate that they have been providing academic support to junior and mid-level teachers through mentoring, monitoring and follow up on a regular basis including providing demonstration lessons for new teachers; this can be verified by the head teacher/supervisor as well as junior teachers, and the candidate provided marks accordingly.
For Administrative Leadership (10%), senior teachers who are applying for the head teacher post should be able to demonstrate that they have been assisting the head teacher in administrative chores, mobilizing community members and parents, working towards increasing school enrolment, providing any assistance to the DEO etc.
13. To improve opportunities for females to move to management positions, wherever there might be a situation where a male candidate and a female candidate are tied on the competition, female candidate should be given a preference and selected for the position.
32 For Basic Level Schools the required qualifications for head teacher are B.Ed (SSRP). According to the SSRP the head teacher is to be recruited from the open market. 63
Strategy for Teacher Professional Development in Nepal
Objective - Te make sure that teachers are sufficiently prepared academically and professionally to create a thriving teaching-learning environment in the school and exemplary opportunities for the students
Timeframe - To be initiated immediately (2013-2014) and implemented in the medium-term (1-5 years) and continue in the long-term (5-10 years)
SCHEME 1. The current licensing system under the TSC must require renewal of license every five years by the teachers; this is done to ensure that teachers do not become complacent about their responsibilities and continue to perform at the highest level, informing them about the latest trends in education. In order for the teaching license to remain valid the teachers should be required to complete the approved TPD programs successfully every five years.
2. The following table proposes areas as a proportion to be covered under different licensing exams:
SLC+2 License B.Ed License M.Ed License (for teaching at grades 1-5) (for teaching at grades 6-8) (for teaching at grades 9-12) Proposed Content for 25% focus on content 50% focus based on the area 70% focus based on the area the Licensing Exam areas covering primary of specialization (Math, of specialization (Math, level subjects Sciences, other subject Sciences, other subject areas) areas) 50% focus on general 15% focus on general pedagogy 25% focus on general pedagogy pedagogy 25% focus on general 15% focus on general knowledge 25% focus on general pedagogy knowledge
3. There is a proposal made in the Education Act (2068) to broad base the licensing body by including the TSC, representatives of the teacher union and testing experts. This proposal is very good and in line with recommendations of the stakeholders. The teacher unions should be involved in more professional activities and should be invited to serve on the teacher licensing body; the name of Teachers' Council is also proposed for the licensing body.
4. The proposed accreditation standards for teacher education programs and institutions, and proposed professional standards for teachers in the main report will serve as a step forward towards improving the standards for teacher certification and the quality of pre-service programs. The SSRP has already recommended raising certification requirements for Teachers at Basic Education level to Intermediate, and for Secondary Teachers to M.Ed level, both requiring a one-year Teacher Preparation Course (TPC) if their Higher Secondary is not in Education. Teachers have recommended the B.Ed should be made a 4-year program so that it further prepares them for the teaching requirements by offering specialization in two subject areas. 64
This report also recommends that teachers should have a B.Ed for teaching at grades 6-8.
5. For improving the quality of pre-service programs to strengthen teacher certification, adoption of accreditation and professional standards will be the first step. However, until this is done, a reform of the existing curricula of pre-service programs in areas like research, teaching practice, assessment and testing should be undertaken to strengthen existing programs.
6. The in-take criteria for pre-service programs at the universities should include a test and an interview.
7. Closer coordination between the Universities, MOE and NCED should be developed so that the universities are more clear on the needs of schools. The current council headed by the minister and also including the universities should meet regularly for this purpose.
8. Once the teachers have completed pre-service teacher education program and have been recruited, they should undergo an induction training program at the school. Induction programs guide and support beginning teachers in their first year of teaching and are essential to develop sound teaching practices as well as to retain teachers in the system. NCED is already developing an induction level program for beginning teachers that will help develop this strategy further. The induction program proposed here will serve the following objectives: Provide continuing assistance for beginning teachers to reduce the identified common problems that typically occur in the early stages of teaching Support development of the knowledge and the skills needed by beginner teachers to be successful in their initial teaching position, and provide resources for instructional materials Integrate beginning teachers into the social system of the school, the education department, and the community Provide an opportunity for beginning teachers to analyze and reflect on their teaching Increase the positive attitudes of beginning teachers toward teaching Provide incentives and compensation to those participating in the program, including peer and mentor teachers In schools where there are very teachers working, such as one, two or three, the induction program will be facilitated by the RP in coordination with senior teachers or school heads from other schools within the same cluster. In schools where there are sufficient number of teachers available, the induction program will be facilitated by senior teacher/head teacher of the same school.
9. NCED should be given the overall responsibility for in-service teacher professional development in Nepal. At present the responsibility is divided between the DOE and the NCED, and the LRCs and RCs are under the administrative control of the DOE while the ETCs are under the jurisdiction of the NCED. For effective program planning and implementation, the entire infrastructure for teacher professional development including the LRCs, RCs and RPs should be brought under the jurisdiction of the NCED -
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10. The NCED should gather data using some kind of a teacher quality index (TQI) to develop a national baseline of teachers to give an indication of where the teachers in Nepal stand in terms of their professional capacity. The baseline can be used to compare teacher performance and level after completion of training programs such as the TPD, using the same TQI. The baseline can be established by using data of sample teachers (4%-5%) representing all regions and districts with a gender equity, and can be done in the medium term (1-5 years)
11. The NCED should develop mechanisms to carry out longitudinal research studies making comparisons in teacher performance and behaviour before and after training programs, and also a comparison between control and intervention groups, using TQIs.
12. Programs on lines of TPD should also be developed for the school heads and RPs to develop their capacities. These ongoing programs should help develop skills of school heads to take on academic supervision roles at the school levels. School heads are naturally located at the schools and with the right capacity can provide good mentoring support to teachers at no cost as no mobility is involved. The RPs also require ongoing capacity building to be better prepared for offering TPD and provide monitoring and follow up support to teachers.
13. The number of RPs will need to be increased gradually to ensure ongoing support to teachers, including monitoring and follow up visits made to the classrooms. At present there is one RP for about 200 teachers in Nepal. Ideally there should be no more than 50-75 teachers/RP covering a cluster of schools.
14. Sufficient mobility allowance should be provided to the RCs and RPs to ensure monitoring and follow up support for teachers - 15. A program for peer learning on the likes of Teacher Learning Circles (TLC) is recommended. TLCs should be formed at the cluster level, including ideally no more than 50 teachers/cluster. Teachers should meet every 30 days or so at anyone of the cluster schools and share their classroom level experiences in the TLC meetings. The concerned school heads and the cluster RP should also be present to facilitate the discussion, and help plan remedial activities for areas of need identified by teachers. The costs involved will cover simple tea served at the TLC meeting and some mobility allowance for teachers, principals or the RP requiring transport -. Remedial programs can be designed by the RP and school principals in consultation with the NCED and offered at the cluster level.
16. Required physical and material facilities at the RC, LRC and ETC level should be provided to facilitate quality training.
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Annex-2 CONSULTATIONS WITH STAKEHOLDER GROUPS
These consultations were held between September and December 2012 and are summarized into issues and recommendations that emerged during discussions with stakeholder groups, and presented separately for each stakeholder. There are repetitions in issues and recommendations made by different groups but they have been retained to indicate the level of importance or priority that may be required to address them.
Organization Issues Recommendations MOE 1) Multiple types of teachers recruited over the 1) To streamline the multiplicity of teachers the last twenty years on varying salaries, benefits and New Education Bill proposes an incentives terms of service are a cause of concern for the package for all non-permanent teachers who MOE in terms of effective management of the may wish to leave the system. The Bill is yet to teaching cadre. be approved by the President. 2) The teaching profession carries a low social 2) Psychological evaluation of teachers to test status in the society. Those not able to get in to their aptitude and attitude should be reinstated, other professions take the option to become as it was part of the system sometime back. teachers. Poor and difficult working conditions Such profiling of the teachers can be helpful for make the profession unattractive for those better selecting the right candidates. academically prepared and with other career 3) National level recruitment systems under the choices. TSC worked much better and should be 3) The school based teacher recruitment system reinstated. under the SMCs is not transparent and marred with numerous problems including nepotism and lacking meritocracy. 4) Teacher development programs at universities and other institutions are not focusing on practical needs of teachers – there is a definite disconnect between needs of children and teachers and the content of training programs. 5) Motivating teachers is an ongoing challenge, along with making them feel accountable to their responsibilities. Teacher absenteeism is an ongoing problem. 6) Education expansion has been taking place in Nepal without much planning on teacher demand and supply, resulting in over supply and shortage of teachers between different locations and schools. 7) Teacher Unions interfered with the licensing system and forced the MOE/TSC to lower standards of the licensing exam to make sure that all permanent teachers in the system get a teaching license. 8) Monitoring of teachers is a very weak component of the education system, and makes no contribution towards improving the quality of classroom teaching. 9) More than 95% of the teachers are trained but training is not reflected in the classroom teaching. 67
10) Although there is a performance based teacher promotion system after every five years where the performance component accounts for 35% of the total criteria, last year all the teachers were promoted regardless of their performance in line with other civil servants and under pressure of the teacher unions. TSC 1) Monitoring of teachers is a weak link of the 1) TSC should be strengthened and be made system. Monitors and inspectors are paid autonomous to keep off most political pressure. insufficiently to cover mobility costs, and are not At present TSC only has a 3 member body able to reach out to the stipulated schools and responsible for the service conditions of almost teachers. 150,000 permanent teachers at the Basic and 2) 50,000+ teachers working in schools under Secondary levels, compared with the Public different categories and schemes are expecting to Service Commission with a 12-15 member body be made permanent without fulfilling the responsible for 80,000-100,000 civil servants. interview and test criteria. Many of them have 2) A Golden Handshake scheme should be been teaching for more than 15 years now and offered by the government to teachers who are their stance is that why were they not given the past 50 years of age and wish to leave the opportunity to compete for permanent positions system. This should be done because most of years ago, and now that they have continued the non-performing teachers are in the 50+ age working for lower salaries and benefits, they bracket and are responsible for poor learning should not be made to go through a competitive outcomes of children. process for permanent selection. 3) The District Teacher Service Commission 3) The SMC recruitment system can work well if (DTSC) worked well from 1971 to 1992, but it can ensure merit and transparency. The position was then replaced by a Regional TSC. The of SMC head is prized for many reasons and is DTSC can be reinstated or the existing SMC led contested heavily with the political parties getting recruitment process can continue, but in both involved. Once elected, the SMC head can cases the TSC should be charged with making influence the recruitment process to follow initial district level recruitments and creating a meritocracy or corruption and nepotism. pool of potential candidate for each district, from within which the SMC or DTSC can recruit. 4) Teachers transitioning to head teacher or RP positions must require completion of qualifications and skills for new positions and entry into cadres in teacher education and education management. NCED 1) There are no baselines, impact studies or any 1) Donors need to better coordinate among other research-based data on teachers available themselves and with the Government to avoid with the NCED. Neither the NCED nor any other program duplication and better alignment of programs or projects have collected such data on interventions. For all training programs they teachers. In the absence of any evidence-based must coordinate with the NCED first before information about teachers, designing need based initiating any activities. programs, and modifying ongoing programs for 2) Teacher career ladder should follow a path improvement will not be possible. similar to other civil servants in as far as 2) The ETCs are administratively under the requirement for completion of courses and NCED, but the Resource Centers (RC) and the programs is concerned for each level of Resource Persons (RP) staffing them are under promotion. the administrative control of the DEOs. How can 3) NCED should take the lead for assuring NCED hold the RPs and RCs accountable on quality in classrooms, and may delegate the 68
performance and quality when their reporting implementation function to the DEOs and RCs lines are with the DEO. while doing quality monitoring. 4) As part of the quality function, the NCED can take up research-based impact studies to look at teacher behavior and practice and student performance, and use this information for planning and decision making about teacher management and development. DOE 1) Temporary teachers are demanding that they 1) The TSC should be given responsibility for be made permanent, and teacher unions are recruitment of teachers including handling the playing a lot of politics around this issue. issue of temporary teachers. 2) Even though there are multiple layers of 2) A Teacher Quality Management framework monitoring from the national to district to school needs to be out in place that can be used to level, but quality of monitoring has been a guide teacher promotions, appraisals and persistent issue due to capacity of individuals, decisions about capacity building programs for inadequate numbers, and availability of resources. teachers. On average about 150-200 school visits are required to be made annually by school inspectors and other monitors with NPR 2000/month provided to do this. 3) Teacher overstaffing and shortage in schools requires a rationalized redeployment, and this is being taken at present through a school mapping exercise done by the DEOs. A district/regional level seminar was also held this year and made recommendations on teacher deployment. STRO 1) Some 3000 teachers (mostly those nearing 1) STRO should initiate the updating of teacher their retirement) out of all the permanent teachers data rather than leaving it to the schools and have not yet provided their information forms teachers to provide updated records to STRO, (called sheet rolls) to STRO. According to but STRO staff is over worked and needs more officials at STRO this is mostly done so that support. teachers can continue to work beyond their 2) The budget for STRO should be increased so scheduled retirement, receiving salary and other that it can carry out its monitoring function and benefits. STRO has in the past recovered more other tasks more effectively. than NPR 3.0 crore from such teachers who had continued beyond their retirement. 2) STRO receives NPR 2,000-3,000/year for each district to carry out monitoring visits, which is completely insufficient. Monitoring has been weak link of STRO, as it is in case of other departments as well. 3) There is no system at the STRO for updating the records. STRO relies on the DEO and teachers for providing update about any change of information, but that does not happen. In some cases where some update is provided, it does not carry teacher identification number and without UNICEF 1) With almost 85% of the total education budget 1) A policy or strategy framework for teacher spent on salaries of teachers and other staff under education is needed to guide all teacher the MOE, the return in terms of student management and teacher education planning in 69
performance is disappointing. Nepal. The NCED can become a central 2) According to initial reports from the national coordination body for teacher education doing assessment of students achievements (NASA) quality assurance for both teachers and done for sample class 8 students in the subjects of education managers. Selected RCs and ETCs Nepalese, Social Studies and Mathematics, an can be upgraded to take up an institutionalized interesting finding was that students of teachers role for teacher education implementation. below 45 years of age performed better than those 2) The current re-deployment of teachers who were taught by teachers above 45. Most of undertaken by DEOs is extremely challenging, the teachers over the age of 45 are permanent, and may not be resolved without engaging whereas as many teachers below the age of 45 are teachers and teacher unions in a dialogue for temporary, and without job security. One arriving at a policy decision. assumption could be that in the absence of job 3) A policy can be drafted that all recruitments security these teachers may be feeling more are school based, done for a particular school accountable; another assumption could be that and the teachers will be permanently posted younger teachers tend to do better. there; should they wish to be relocated or 3) There are no teacher base lines of any sort transferred to another school, they must resign available, nor any effort made to carry out any from the current post and reapply for the impact assessments of numerous training position at the other school. programs under the TEP and other interventions. 4) The M&E function was highlighted yet again as a weak link in teacher professional development and teachers’ school level performance. 5) Teacher training for in-service teachers is planned on ad hoc basis and not need-based as such in the absence of any information or data available on teacher performance, practice, and behavior. 6) The implementation of SSRP in the absence of any legal or policy framework is challenging, and will not yield the desired results. 7) There is no national education policy in Nepal, and plans and schemes are largely based on different education acts. An Education Policy Committee at the MOE level exists but it has been dormant. 8) Recruitment and re-deployment of teachers has been devolved to the school level, but without full authority to the SMC or the school. Teachers can be recruited by the SMC but cannot be fired; similarly teacher transfer requires consent of SMCs and teachers at both schools that are involved in transfer, the DEO has no authority on teacher transfer. Rato Bangala It may be useful to do a detailed review of Rat Bangala’s teacher training program and explore possibilities of any collaboration with the NCED. PABSON 1) There is massive drop out between classes 1 1) Government schools should look for strong and 10, almost at 90% (needs verification) in subject-level expertise among teachers. government schools. Only 10% of the students 2) MOE should create policy provisions to 70
who had started in class 1 are able to complete recruit more female teachers as the private secondary school. schools have found female teachers to be much 2) In the last SLC examination, only 36% of the more committed. government students passed compared with 90% of private students. 3) Teacher dedication and accountability is missing in the government schools, resulting in lower output. 4) SSRP does not make any mention of public- partner partnership for improving both the sectors through drawing on each others’ experiences. DEO 1) SMCs have been handed over around 12000 1) Creation of an education management cadre Kathmandu levels (primary, lower secondary and secondary) will help strengthen the school and education of schools for managing recruitment and level management function through recruitment promotion of permanent teachers, but to date have of skilled and specialized personnel. However, not recruited any permanent teachers. They have the creation of cadre should not stop teachers however, recruited temporary teachers under from applying for the post for as long as they relief and per capita schemes. The reason why fulfill the qualifications and skills criteria and SMCs have not done any permanent teacher go through an open competition. recruitment is because the funding for permanent primary level teachers comes from MOE to district development committee (DDC), and from the DDC to the DEO and then to the school. But the DDCs (local elected bodies) are defunct as at present there is no elected member body except one head of the DDC appointed by the government. In the absence of a DDC no funds are provided by the government, and the SMC therefore does not want to recruit any permanent teachers, because if it does how will it be able to pay the teacher(s). 2) The SSRP provisions to contract head teacher from the market, but the practice up until now is that heads are recruited through internal selection from within the same school. There is no separate education management cadre in Nepal, according to the DEO. All teachers promoted to head teacher rank are required to go through 12 days of training at the ETC/NCED, but this does not always happen. In the absence of an education management cadre or pool, and with poor provision of management level training, it is very likely that incapable head teachers are being recruited, and teacher unions are not allowing recruitment of heads from the market. 3) On teacher performance evaluation, the DEO informed that there is a 15 item list that is taken into consideration for teacher performance evaluation, but neither the evaluation is done regularly, or it has any bearing on teacher salary 71
increments and promotions, or teacher’s performance in the classroom. RP and DEO 1) RPs are only able to make 3-4 monitoring and 1) Teachers should be formally required by the Persa follow up visits to schools in a month given the system to improve their teaching standards and fact that they are provided inadequate mobility quality. allowance, and are also engaged by the DEO 2) More resources should be made available to regularly for some of his tasks since his office is the DEO and RPs for their mobility to carry out also severely understaffed. school monitoring and teacher follow up 2) During their school visits, those teachers who effectively. are close to teacher unions do not cooperate with 3) Regular capacity building programs should RPs instructions for improving their teaching be arranged for the RPs so that they are well quality. prepared to respond to the changing needs of 3) The scheme of studies/syllabus provided to teachers in the classroom. teachers is also not followed. Similarly, guidelines provided in textbooks and teacher guides for improved teaching are not followed by teachers. 4) RPs are hardly provided any opportunities for their own capacity building, which is so essential given the changing needs and requirements of teachers and schools. 5) The DEO has more than 400 schools and more than 2000 teachers in the district, but with only one school supervisor and nine RPs to rely upon. There is one old vehicle provided to the DEO, and NPR 40,000/year for fuel, which comes to about Rupees 3300/month, or about 32 liters of petrol or 43 liters of diesel in a month, which is completely insufficient by any standards. 6) The DEO has very little authority and cannot take any action against teachers, whether performance based or conduct based. Every teacher is connected with unions and political parties and gets away with any action taken. SMCs Persa 1) SMCs have been politicized so much because 1) All the teachers under different temporary there is no political process active in the districts categories should be made permanent because at present, and all political parties take interest in they have been teaching for the last 15-20 years SMCs. As a result SMCs have alliances either or so, and it is government's fault to have not with one political party or another. been able to reach at any decision about them. 2) SMC elections have become contesting ground The SMCs recommended that 40% of these between political parties; only a day before the teachers should be made permanent under consultation, 18 people were injured in a SMC internal competition, and the remaining 60% election; people have been reportedly should be given a chance under open killed during teacher recruitments done by SMCs. competition. Those failing in both competitions 3) The SMC head is a prized seat because it should be given a golden hand shake and carries authority to recruit teachers and make relieved. financial decisions about the school. 2) For improving quality of teaching and 4) SMC members also reported that for schools learning in schools, SMCs recommended that that have been upgraded to the higher level and basic facilities like water, toilets, electricity, teachers recruited by SMCs, no salary has been classrooms, and boundary walls that are missing 72
provided by the government, because these in many schools, and their presence could have teacher positions were not allocated by the a big impact on the teaching-learning government but had to be recruited because environment, should be provided soon. children were admitted. Teacher 1) At this point all the temporary teachers are 1) Recruitment should either be taken away Unions Persa under continuous stress because of uncertainty from SMCs, or there should be with their status, and most permanent as well as a district oversight committee headed by the temporary teachers are teaching in a poor DEO or the CDO keeping a check on all working environment without necessary and basic recruitments to ensure that the required process facilities. The stress element and poor working and merit is maintained. conditions are contributing to poor quality of 2) Teachers should be provided with a job teaching in classrooms. description and follow a career ladder that is 2) Poor government policies have created based on professional development. multiple layers of teachers in the system with different salary scales and benefits structure. This is like creating a class system of teachers in one school. 3) One condition to be selected as SMC head is that their child should be enrolled in the same school, and to get elected the SMC heads temporarily enroll their child/children in the school, and after their selection remove the child, so they have no real stake in the performance of school except making some money over recruitments and other schemes. 4) According to the teacher unions, many SMCs are corrupt and recruit on the basis of nepotism. Maximum issues of corruption exist at the primary level where numerous cases of fake degree certificates and teaching licenses have also been reported, and yet these teachers are recruited by SMCs who take money from them for recruitments. 5) Some teaching-learning material is provided to schools by the local resource centers (RC), but since there is no furniture in most schools so the material is kept at head teacher's home and not used. 6) The quality of teacher training programs and RPs is not good. Parents 1) The SMCs are highly politicized. A great 1) Capacity building of SMCs should be on a Union majority of them operate with political motives regular basis in areas like management, account, resulting in irregularities such as appointment of roles and responsibilities, etc. three head teachers in a school in one case when 2) TPAs should be constituted in every school. the outgoing head teacher, the SMC, and DEO 3) School mapping should be carried out and a separately issued appointment letters to three redeployment of teachers should be done to different candidates. The issue is now in the court rationally distribute them according to the for a legal resolution. The eastern region is more school population. politicized than the western region. 4) A school counselor should be appointed in 2) The current decentralized system of school schools to provide additional guidance and 73
governance is good but capacity of the SMCs is a support to students. big issue. 5) Schools must not be used for political 3) Monitoring of schools is very weak, especially purposes and political parties should leave them in case of eastern region. Monitoring done by as Zones of Peace. school inspectors and RPs is very irregular and not effective. 4) Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) are almost non-existent, even though they are very important for ensuring effective functioning of the schools. 5) Teacher absenteeism is a big issue in schools. 6) Teaching quality and methodology is poor and is rote based. National 1) Presence of different categories of teachers in 1) Teachers should be selected on merit as Teacher schools has a direct bearing on declining quality recommended by the TSC and without any Unions* of education. political interference. 2) Lack of basic facilities also impacts the quality 2) Teachers should be present regularly and of teaching and learning negatively. teach for the full 220 days during the academic calendar. 3) Teachers’ code of conduct should be implemented in letter and spirit. 4) PTAs and teachers must meet regularly for better school performance. 5) Capacity of PTAs and SMCs should be enhanced. 6) TSC should be strengthened in terms of staff as well as autonomy and functioning. 7) Teacher selection and recruitment to be done through TSC only, and twice a year under TSC’s annual plan.. 8) All temporary teachers to be made permanent as soon as possible. 9) Teachers should be provided with clear job descriptions. 10) Teachers should have 4-year B.Ed for Basic Level and M.Ed/M.Phil for Secondary Level. 11) Teacher deployment should be based on school mapping. 12) Student to Teacher ratio should be 25:1. 13) There should be a professional Teacher Council that can issue teacher license. 14) The current licensing system must require renewal of license every few years. 15) Head teachers must be selected on competency and seniority. 16) Performance based promotions must be incorporated in the system. 17) Teachers should be involved in the consultative process on education policy formulation. 18) Teacher transfers to be discouraged. 74
19) Teachers must receive regular capacity building programs from induction until retirement. 20) RPs and School Inspectors must undergo capacity enhancement and carry out monthly monitoring visits to the schools. 21) Teacher retirement should occur either at age 50, or upon completion of 25 years of service, whichever comes first. 22) Retired teachers should be included in SMCs. 23) Golden handshake should be encouraged for those who want to leave the system. 24) A roster of teachers should be maintained so that they can be used as consultants and advisors 25) Life insurance offered to teachers should be made attractive 26) Teachers should be in majority in the SMC membership. 27) There should be one national teacher union in Nepal, also working as a professional association. Teachers 1) The programs offered by universities are not of 1) In-service trainings should be classroom a good quality. based. 2) In-service training programs have been 2) There should be one teacher union in Nepal, reduced to training halls and leave no impact on which should not be politically aligned and with the teachers to change their practices. a professional agenda. 3) Community schools are free but many schools 3) Teachers should be focused and take pride in take small donations from parents to make up for teaching and not concerned about seeking the low budgets made available to schools. promotions to become head teacher, or join a teacher union or political party to achieve ulterior motives. 4) SMC membership should have criteria to include educated, informed and socially active individuals as members, and not just those whose children or grand children are attending the school. 5) It should be the school’s (head and teachers) responsibility to keep parents on board whether there is a PTA or not. 6) Citing example of a successful school the teachers mentioned that the school receives NPR 1 crore and 10 lac from the government for some 2100 children, or NPR 5238/child. However, the school generates NPR 1 crore 75 lacs through donation schemes, and spends the remaining amount on more teachers, improved facilities etc., demonstrating that in order to run a successful school by all standards (including 100% SLC result for the last 18 years, 1% 75
dropout rate, no corporal punishment) at least NPR 13571/child are required. With this kind of performance the parents have no hesitation in donating to the school. 7) The teachers are part of the campaign initiated by Sunrise Education Foundation (below) and travel to different districts to demonstrate the effect and motivate other schools and teachers. 8) Government should make a legal requirement for dalits to send their children to schools. CSNTC 1) CSNTC considered as rival by teacher unions, 1) SMC should be given the role to promote even though its objective is to support teachers teachers. professionally. 2) A performance based reward system to be 2) CSNTC does not receive any support from the instituted for teachers. Government because teacher unions who are 3) Those senior teachers who are not interested politically connected have maligned CSNTC in teaching should be voluntarily retired after badly. due compensation. 3) SMCs have no role in any district level 4) SMC capacity should be developed and the activities and are confined to the school only. programs should be need based. 4) DEO seldom visits the schools. 5) Trainings for SMCs should be conducted at a 5) ECD and pre-primary are under resourced and time when the members are not engaged in other need a lot of support from the government. activities. 6) Many schools do not have proper drinking 6) Community schools should provided resource water, toilets for girls, electricity, compound wall, on the basis of their school improvement plan ICT facilities etc. and they have a direct bearing (SIP). on the poor quality of teaching and learning.. 7) Teacher promotion should be purely on the basis of performance. 8) School based recruitment system should be strengthened and must continue. 7) Roles and responsibilities of PTAs should be clearly defined. Sunrise** 1) The current teacher training system is not 1) Develop a media campaign on television and Education need-based. radio to reach out to teachers. Foundation 2) Prepare ten model teachers in each district who can be presented in the campaign for replication by other teachers. 3) Take training to the schools and demonstrate classroom teaching to teachers so they can directly learn what effective teaching is all about. 4) Teachers should be managed at three levels as follows: Local Government teachers Regional or Federal Government teachers National Government teachers Tribhuvan 1) There are no defined professional standards for 1) Universities should have proper entrance University teachers, though intrinsically there are standards exams for students wishing to apply to the B.Ed to be followed as part of the curriculum for or M.Ed programs; at this point there are no different programs. entrance examinations for admission in the 76
2) The university is not linked with the school education faculty. system as such and the programs offered by the 2) Government must prohibit full time teachers university may not be need-based in that sense. from enrolling full time in university programs However, recently under the Teachers’ otherwise they compromise on their teaching as Preparation Courses (TPC), this has been initiated well as studies. by the faculty of education under a needs 3) The status of teaching profession can be assessment activity in which schools of sixteen uplifted if political parties make a commitment districts of Nepal are participating. not to interfere in any process and Government 3) There is no coordination between the displays greater respect for teachers. universities and the MOE. There is a committee 4) MOE and the universities education faculties chaired by Minister of Education and represented should coordinate closely on all matters of by the universities, the Secretary of Education mutual interest. and others, but this committee has not met in 5) The teacher licensing system should be years. strengthened since the questions in the licensing 4) In the education programs offered by the examination are mostly theoretical. The licensed university, classes are not held regularly and incumbents should then be given induction teachers are also not there regularly. Teaching- training before they join the job. The induction learning is based more on rote methods. training must be provided by NCED. Once 5) The university has 416 campuses across Nepal, teachers are given induction training and but the quality of programs is extremely deployed at the schools, they should be peer questionable with no admission criteria, irregular tutored by senior teachers who will act as teaching and poor attendance of students. The mentors and prepare the new comer gradually campuses have poor facilities and students in the for effective teaching. education programs are doing full time jobs, but enrolled only to get the degree.
* The Focus Group with Teacher Unions involved group work on five themes including teacher recruitment process and job description; teacher deployment (political, overstaffing, shortage); teacher career progress (course requirement, performance evaluation); teacher professional development (professional standards, quality of TPD, TEP, need based, linked to promotion and professional association); and teacher retirement. The groups made presentations followed by discussion and finalization of group work.
** This is a non-profit NGO, running a voluntary campaign entitled Teachers Can Make a Difference with the support from Department of Education and many other stakeholders and travels to different districts to create the impact.
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Annex-3 LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN CONSULTATIONS
1. Ministry of Education (MOE) Mr. Janardan Nepal Joint Secretary Mr. Mahashram Sharma Joint Secretary Mr. Hari Lamsal Under Secretary Dr. Tulasi Thapaliya Under Secretary Dr. Nakul Baniya Under Secretary Mr. Narayan Krishna Shrestha Under Secretary Mr. Kamal Shrestha Under Secretary Ms. Meena Regmi Section Officer
2. Teacher Service Commission (TSC) Mr. Udaya Raj Soti Chairman Mr. Khagendra Nepal Joint Secretary Mr. Narayan Bhattarai Under Secretary
3. National Center for Educational Development (NCED) Mr. Laxmi Ram Poudel Executive Director Mr. Krishna Kapri Under Secretary
4. Department of Education (DOE) Dr. Lawa Awasthi Director General Mr. Tek Narayan Pandey Joint Secretary Mr. Chet Nath Bhattarai Joint Secretary Mr. Kamal Prasad Pokhrel Joint Secretary Mr. Jaya Prasad Acharya Under Secretary Mr. Narayan Shrestha Under Secretary Mr. Om Sharma Under Secretary Mr. Ram Sharan Shapkota Under Secretary Mr. Dhana Singh Dhami Under Secretary Mr. Hari Prasad Khanal Under Secretary Mr. Ganesh Poudel Under Secretary
5. School Teacher Records Office (STRO) Mr. Ram Hari Das Shrestha Under Secretary
6. UNICEF Mr. Shiva Bhusal ECD Program Specialist
7. Rato Bangala School and Foundation Dr. Shanta Dixit Director
8. PABSON Dr. Babu Ram Pokhrel President
9. District Education Office (DEO) Kathmandu District Mr. Baikuntha Aryal District Education Officer, Kathmandu District
10. Resource Person (RP) and District Education Office (DEO) PERSA District 78
Mr. Promod Kumar Shah District Education Officer Mr. Promod Tiwari Resource Person
11. Schools Management Committees (SMC) Persa District Mr. Santu Nath Tharu Mr. Chote Lal Prasad Shah Mr. Pramod Kumar Shah Mr. Prem Chandra Kuswa Ms. Meera Pradhan Ms. Shova Sharma Mr. Ashok Kusawa Mr. Shree Lal Prasad Mr. Ram Babu Shah Mr. Upendra Singh Yadava Mr. Yogendra Prasad Yadava Mr. Ram Narayan
12. Teacher Unions Persa District Mr. Bhagawati Choudhari Head Teacher Mr. Pramod Tiwari Resource Person Mr. Ram Naresh Prashad Yadava NGO leader Mr. Niranjan Noupane Akhil Nepal Shikshyak Sangha Mr. Janardan Yadava Social Worker Mr. Laxman Prasad Shah Nepal Loktantrik Shikshyak Mancha Mr. Krishna Mohan Tiwari Mr. Harendra Chouresia Mr. Dinesh Kumar Chouresia Nepal Madhes Shikshyak Mancha Mr. Ram Chandra
13. Nepal Parents Union Ms. Sarita Aryal Central Vice Chairperson Mr. Mani Ratna Bajracharya Central Vice Chairperson Ms. Sujata Ghimire Central Member
14. National Teacher Unions Mr. Gulab Kumar Choudhary General Secretary, Democratic Teacher Union Mr. Upendra Yadava General Secretary, Madhesi Teacher Forum Nepal Mr. Hem Chandra Mahato Member, Madhesi Teacher Forum Nepal Mr. Tulashi Narayan Shrestha Vice-president, All Nepal Teachers’ Association Mr. Ganga Poudel Member, All Nepal Teachers’ Association Mr. Lila Bahadur G.C. Advisor, All Nepal Teachers’ Association Mr. Vijaya Bajracharya All Nepal Teachers’ Association Mr. Ramesh Rupakheti Treasurer, All Nepal Teacher Association Mr. Mohan Jnawali President, Nepal Teachers’ Association Mr. Keshav Niroula General Secretary, Nepal Teachers’ Association Mr. Babu Ram Adhikari President, Nepal National Teachers’ Association Mr. Madhu Timalsina Vice President, Nepal National Teachers’ Association 79
Mr. Babu Ram Thapa General Secretary, Nepal National Teachers’ Association Mr. Dil Bahadur Joshi President, Teachers’ Union of Nepal Mr. Nirendra Kunwar Former President, Nepal Education Republican Forum Mr. Yam Prasad Bhusal National Member, Nepal Teachers’ Association Mr. Tulashi Prasad Ghimire Coordinator, All Nepal Teachers’ Organization Mr. Ram Prasad Adhikari Central Member, All Nepal Teachers’ Organization Mr. Bhola Sapkota Central Member, All Nepal Teachers’ Organization Mr. Shankar Adhikari Central Member, All Nepal Teachers’ Organization Mr. Ishwari Pandit Central Member and District President, Lok Tantrik Shikshyak Union Mr. Bimalesh Kumar Jha District Member, Lok Tantrik Shikshyak Union Mr. Dip Narayan Rajak Member, Akhil Nepal Shikshyak Sangathan Mr. Lal Bahadur B. C. Vice Chair-man, All Nepal Teachers’ Association Mr. Jhak Bahadur Dang CCM GS, Teachers’ Union of Nepal Mr. Ishwor Bahadur Thapa General Secretary, NNTC Mr. Nirendra Bahadur Kunwar CCM, Nepal Educational Republican Forum
15. Teachers Mr. Dhananjaya Nepal Head Teacher Mr. Kanchakaji Basnet Former teacher
16. Community School National Teacher Committee – Nepal (CSNTC-N) Mr. Bed Prasad Naupane Founding President Ms. Januka Nepal Principal, Nil Barahi Higher Secondary School, Tankeswor Mr. Krishna Kunwar Founding Secretary Ms. Lalita Upadhyaya Head Teacher, Nepal Rastriya Nimna Madhyamik Bidyalaya, Banke Mr. Tarka Raj Joshi Head Teacher, Saraswoti Namuna Uchha Madhyamik Bidyalaya, Kailali Mr. Rabi Raj Bamshi Vice-chairperson, CSNTC-N
17. Sunrise Education Foundation Dr. Bidya Nath Koirala Advisor Mr. Hari Bahadur Thapa Chairman
18. Faculty of Education, Tribhuvan University Prof. Dr. Prakash Shrestha Dean, Faculty of Education
19. Counter parts Mr. Jaya Prasad Acharya Under Secretary, DOE Mr. Narayan Bhattarai Under Secretary, TSC Ms. Meena Regmi Section Officer, MOE Mr. Bir Singh Dhami MOE 80
Mr. Moti Lal Mahatara Section Officer, School Teacher Records Office Mr. Deepak Sharma Deputy Director, NCED
20. Bagiswori Higher Secondary School Mr. Mohan Prasad Prajapati Patron Mr. Kashi Lal Prajapai Chair-person, SMC Mr. Krishna Prasad Dhanchha Principal Ms. Shova Pradhan Member, SMC Mr. Gyan Sagar Prajapati Vice-principal
21. Head Teachers Mr. Krishna Prasad Dhanchha Principal, Bagiswori Higher Secondary School, Bhaktapur Ms. Sarojani Joshi Principal, Vidyarthi Niketan Higher Secondary School Mr. Gangadhar Hada Principal, Kanya Co-education Secondary School, Bhaktapur Mr. Saroj Kumar Pandey Principal, Tilingatar Higher Secondary School Mr. Suman Raut Head Teacher, Balambu Secondary School, Balambu, Kathmandu Mr. Shambhu Bahadur K. C. Head Teacher, Siddhimangal Higher Secondary School, Lalitpur Mr. Madhab Prasad Pandey Head Teacher, Tri-padma Higher Secondary School, Lalitpur Mr. Som Prasad Mishra Principal, Mahendra Gram Higher Secondary School
22. RPs Mr. Damber Shrestha RP in lead RC, Chautara, Sindhupalchook Mr. Krishna Bahadur Gurung RP in Melchour RC, Sindhupalchook Ms. Khika Devi Nepal RP in Sangachook RC, Sindhupalchook Mr. Krishna Prasad Acharya RP in Khadichaur RC, Sindhupalchook Mr. Padam Bahadur Basnet RP in Barhabise RC, Sindhupalchook
23. ADB Ms. Smita Gyawali Dr. Bhuwan Bajracharya Mr. Promod Bhatta Mr. Farrukh Moriani
24. Pokhran Consultation DEO Kaski, District Mr. Chandra Kanta Bhusal (District Education Officer) Mr. Damodar Suvedi (Under Secretary) Mr. Hem Prasad Acharya (Section officer) Mr. Nawa Raj Poudel (School Inspector) Mr. Arjun Dhakal (School Inspector) Mr. Bimala Kumari Sharma (School Inspector)
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Teachers Mr. Bam Dev Poudyal, Mahendra Higher Secondary School, Bhalam Mr. Mitra Lal Poudel, Ambika Higher Secondary School, Hemja Mr. Lok Raj Bhandari, Karunanidhi Higher Secondary School, Pokhara-1 Ms. Sarbari Poudel, Biswoshanti Higher Secondary School, Daurali Mr. Amber Bahadur Kunwar, Shree Gourishanker Higher Secondary School, Hemja Mr. Mani Raj Pariyar, Shree Himalaya Secondary School, Mouja Mr. Ghanashyam Regmi, Shree Rastriya Higher Secondary School, Bagar
Teacher unions Mr. Jagannath Adhikary, Chair-person, Nepal Teacher Union Mr. Shiromani Lamichhane, Secretary, Nepal Teacher Union Mr. Bishnumani Lamichhane, Chair-person, Nepal Shaishik Ganatantrik Mancha Mr. Mitralal Sapkota, Chair-person, Nepal Shikshyak Sangha Mr. Durga Dutta Bhandari, Secretary, Akhil Nepal Shikshyak Sangathan Ms. Shanti Devi Regmi, Vice-chairperson, Nepal Rastriya Shikshyak Sangathan Mr. Arjun Dhakal, School Inspector, DEO Kaski, District School community: Bal Mandir Higher Secondary School, Pokhara Mr. Narendra Kumar Shrestha, Chair-person, SMC Mr. Sushil Basnet, Head Teacher Mr. Mana Bahadur Biswokarma, Chair-person, PTA Mr. Rajendra Basnet, Accountant Mr. Anirudra Udas, Teacher, Mathematics and Social Studies
School community: Gyan Jyoti Secondary School, Armala Mr. Ramji Prasad Acharya, Chair-person, SMC Mr. Padam Prasad Subedi, Head Teacher Mr. Lal Prasad Acharya, Assistant Head Teacher Mr. Dina Nath Acharya, Member, SMC Mr. Som Nath Acharya, Member, SMC Mr. Bala Ram Acharya, Former student and parent Mr. Ram Chandra Acharya, Chair-person, PTA Mr. Shaligram Acharya, Former Head Teacher Mr. Kedar Nath Acharya, Parent Mr. Bishnu Prasad Adhikary, Foermer student Mr. Dharma Raj Acharya, Former Head Teacher/Char-person, SMC/Teacher Mr. Damodar Subedi, Officiating DEO, DEO, Kaski Mr. Hem Prasad Acharya, Section Officer, DEO, Kaski
DEO team, RPS, School inspectors and Teachers Mr. Damodar Subedi, Officiating DEO, DEO, Kaski Mr. Harischandra Atreya, Under Secretary Mr. Daya Ram Goutam, Under Secretary Mr. Kedar Raj Acharya, Under Secretary Mr. Rudra Narayan Sapkota, Under Secretary Mr. Hem Prasad Acharya, Section Officer Mr. Nawa Raj Poudel, School Inspector Ms. Bimala Kumari Sharma, School Inspector Mr. Arjun Dhakal, School Inspector Mr. Harishchandra Wagle, School Inspector 82
Mr. Khem Raj Poudel, School Inspector Ms. Mana Kumari Poudel, School Inspector Mr. Mohatta Pokhrel, Resource Person Mr. Til Bahadur Khadka, Resource Person Mr. Krishna Prasad Poudel, Resource Person Mr. Showa Prasad Gurung, Resource Person Mr. Bishnu Prasad Tiwari, Resource Person Mr. Govinda Mani Acharya, Resource Person Mr. Purna Bhadra Subedi, Resource Person Mr. Bodh Raj Bhattaria, Resource Person Mr. Shiva Ram Lamsal, Resource Person Mr. Nil Raju Prasad Goutam, Resource Person Mr. Tulasi Goutam, Resource Person Mr. Krishna Bahadur Thapa, Resource Person Mr. Tol Prasad Aryal, Resource Person Ms. Meena Pandey, Resource Person Mr. Thakur Prasad Subedi, Resource Person Mr. Lekh Nath Lamichhane, Resource Person Mr. Bijaya Nath Sapkota, Resource Person Mr. Jaya Lal Bhattarai, Resource Person Mr. Thakur Prasad Parajuli, Head Teacher Mr. Purushottam Bhandari, Head Teacher
25. Dhangadi, Kanchanpur, Surkhet Districts Teachers Teacher Unions SMC Members DEOs RPs Head Teachers
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Annex-4 LIST OF AGENDA ITEMS FOR CONSULTATIONS
Agenda for focus group, meetings and interviews focused upon, but was not limited to the following items: Do teachers have a formal job description? In the absence of a job description (that has targets and benchmarks/standards), how are teachers evaluated - there is a proforma that is being used, but much more to fulfil formalities for promotions and not to assess performance - more so, if there are no TORs or job description then holding teachers accountable against performance may be difficult. Teacher career progression is on the basis of seniority and years of service - how does professional development come into this. For most civil servants there are requirements to complete courses and programs before they move up the career ladder, what about teachers. Does NCED or Teacher Service Commission offer any structured program as such? Are there any professional standards that are given to teachers to guide them on their performance in school and classroom? Is there a teacher performance baseline available as part of SSRP, that NCED and Department of Education work towards to improve. Are there any impact studies done to look at how various interventions for teacher training performed, and how have teachers transformed between pre and post training? Is there a possibility of developing a teacher education policy or strategy that guides all teacher related matters, administrative as well as professional? How to improve horizontal and vertical coordination mechanisms between and among various MOE departments? How can coordination be increased between MOE/DOE and the universities to engage them more to better understand the needs of schools and teachers and design/revise program accordingly? Can the MOE develop gate keeping mechanisms that will ensure that all interventions (donors, NGOs, private sector) in teacher education/training go through the Ministry or Department? This will ensure better organization and utilization of resources, and avoid duplication and any other confusion. Any suggestions on depoliticizing the teachers and teacher unions, and be more focused on their profession? What are the major issues in relation to teacher’s recruitment, promotion, development, deployment, transfer, post retirement schemes, qualification and so forth with respect to SSRP? Are there any schemes/actions on the way in dealing with the challenges of relief teachers, PCF teachers and others?
The focus group discussion with teacher unions looked at the following agenda items:
How do teacher unions define quality in education, and what role are they playing for attaining quality? How would teacher unions like to comment on the performance of community school children in SLC examinations, especially in comparison with private schools? Why in the opinion of teacher unions is there a trend of migration from government to private schools, resulting in increasing drop out in schools? 84
Why do parents have this perception that private schools are better than government schools? How can teacher unions help increase professionalism among teachers? How about the idea of professional associations of teachers, such as a Math teacher association, or a Science teacher association? What are some issues that teacher unions see with the recruitment system in Nepal? Do teachers receive a detailed job description at the time of appointment? How are teachers evaluated every year - if there is no job description that teachers get, then on what basis are they evaluated? Are teachers provided with any code of conduct document? Are teachers provided with the national curriculum document, do they know the curriculum objectives and guidelines? Are teacher unions satisfied with the current career ladder system for teachers? Are trainings offered by the NCED, ETCs and RCs responding to the needs of teachers? Are these trainings linked with teacher career ladder? Is there any classroom based follow up or mentoring provided to teachers by the DEO? Any comments on the quality of B.Ed and M.Ed programs? At the time of retirement do teachers receive an adequate benefits package and compensation? Will any exit plan as golden handshake be an expected activity especially for senior teachers who would like to leave the job? 85
Annex-5 DOCUMENTS REVIEWED
1. Flash Report 2011-2012 2. Final Consolidate Flash Report 3. SSRP Document 4. Teacher Development Policy Guidelines 5. Teacher Qualification Upgradation Plan 6. SSRP MTR Evaluation Report 7. ADB Project Document for TEP 8. ADB Project Document for School Sector Program 9. Independent Technical Review of TEP 2002-2009 10. Contribution of Teacher Training Programs to Primary Education Development in Nepal 11. TEP – ICSP Completion Report 12. Education Act 2028 (1971) 13. Education Regulation 2059 (2002) 14. Education Act - Eights Amendment Bill (2011) 15. Center on International Education Benchmarking Files - South Korea 16. Center on International Education Benchmarking Files - Finland 17. Center on International Education Benchmarking Files - Canada 18. Center on International Education Benchmarking Files - Australia 19. Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers: Background Report on Korea 20. International Approached to Teacher Selection and Recruitment: OECD Education Working Papers, No. 47 21. Teacher Standards UK 22. School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document, England 23. Various International Education Websites referred to in the main document 24. National Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (NACTE) Pakistan Document 25. Teacher Professional Standards Pakistan 26. Teacher Rationalization and Re-deployment Policy, Punjab, Pakistan 27. EQUIP Afghanistan Documents 28. Teacher Motivation and Incentives in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia - Paul Bennell: 2004
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Annex - 6 STUDY WORK PLAN SEPTEMBER 2012 - MARCH 2013 Sept. October November December January February March Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week Week 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Phase 1: Document and Literature Review SSRP Document Volume I, SSRP MTR Report, Teacher Development Policy Guidelines, Teacher Qualification and Upgradation Plan, Understanding School Process in Nepal, Education Act 1971, Education Act 8th Amendment Bill, Education Regulations 2002, Nepal Education Act and Revised Education Regulations 2011, Teacher Service Commission Regulation, Higher Secondary Education Board Act, Contribution of Teacher Training Programs to Primary Education Development – A Report, Independent Technical Review of Teacher Education Project – A Report, International Literature Review on Teacher Management, including Policy Documents available with the Department for Education in England on teacher recruitment, induction, career ladder, and performance appraisal Phase 2: Field Level Review, Consultations and Data Collection Meetings and discussions with ADB staff Meetings with MOE officials including the Department of Education, NCED, Teacher Service Commission Consultations with Teacher Unions, Teachers, Parents Union, Students Union, Resource Centers Consultations at the district level with different stakeholders Sharing of findings and recommendations with stakeholders for further consolidation Phase 3: Data Analysis and Consultation Reports Collating data, integrating information, analyzing field reports, consultations and meeting notes, other documents. Reviewing international best practices in teacher management. Putting together consultation reports for each field visit Phase 4: Draft and Final Reports Submission of Draft and Final Reports and Schemes and Strategies; incorporating feedback from various stakeholders; stakeholders workshop in Februaru 2013
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Field Visit Dates: September 27 – October 11, 2012 November 26 – December 6, 2012 February 20 - 27, 2013
Inception Report: September 30 Consultation Report: November 18 Recommendations Report: November 25 Draft Schemes and Strategies: February 26 Draft Strategy Report: February 27 Final Strategies and Report: March 18 Implementation Plan: March 31