HAMRO SHIKSHYA PROJECT School Governance and Accountability Situation: A Comprehensive Assessment of Dhanusha, Mahottari and Siraha Districts Final Report NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR EDUCATION NEPAL December, 2016 Research Team Dr. Megh Raj Dangal (Team Leader) Mr. Rebat Kumar Dhakal (Research Coordinator) Mr. Kul Prasad Khanal (Researcher) Ms. Rupa Munakarmi (Researcher) Acknowledgements This study has been possible with the support and contribution of a large number of people. The study team gratefully acknowledges the support and help of all those who contributed to the study. We would like to express our special gratitude and thanks to National Campaign for Education Nepal (NCE-Nepal), Search for Common Ground and GoGo Foundation for their trust in us and for the opportunity given to us in conducting and reporting this study. Particularly, we are grateful to Dr. Bhola Prasad Dahal and Mr. Ram Gaire for providing us with necessary guidelines and support during the entire period of this research. Our thanks and appreciations also go to Mr. Salikram Kalathoki and Ms. Reeza Shrestha who helped in reaching the field and meeting with the local project staffs, who in turn, supported us in accessing the gatekeepers and participants as well as providing us with timely support. Further, we would like to thank the entire team of GoGo Foundation. We heartily acknowledge Mr. Alok Thakur's, regional representative from Search for Common Ground, help in providing us with all the important information and documents during consultation meetings and interviews. The District Education Officials in Dhanusha, Mahottari and Siraha also deserve our sincere thanks. Finally, we thank all the participants for their active participation and sharing useful information with us. Research Team Table of Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 1 Section I ............................................................................................................................................ 4 Background and Context................................................................................................................... 4 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................................... 5 Scope and Limitations................................................................................................................... 5 Relevance and Rationale ............................................................................................................... 5 Beneficiaries ................................................................................................................................. 5 Section II ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Brief Introduction to the Target Districts.......................................................................................... 6 Dhanusha....................................................................................................................................... 6 Mahottari ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Siraha ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Status Updates ............................................................................................................................... 7 Section III.......................................................................................................................................... 9 School Governance in Nepal: Policy Review ................................................................................... 9 School Governance Mechanisms .................................................................................................. 9 School Governance Provisions in Education Policy Documents ............................................... 11 Current Situation, Gaps and Issues to Be Addressed .................................................................. 12 Section IV ....................................................................................................................................... 14 Methodology of the Study .............................................................................................................. 14 Section V ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Findings and Discussion ................................................................................................................. 15 Current Situation of School Governance and Accountability ..................................................... 15 School Governance Scenario .................................................................................................. 15 Accountability and Transparency of SMC, PTA and HT ....................................................... 16 Use of Social Accountability Tools in Schools ...................................................................... 18 Head Teacher Leadership ....................................................................................................... 18 Teacher Regularity and Service Delivery ............................................................................... 19 Child Club Functionality......................................................................................................... 19 Comparative Chart: Dhanusha, Mahottari and Siraha ........................................................... 20 Mapping of Education Stakeholders ........................................................................................... 23 Challenges of School Governance and Accountability .............................................................. 27 Gap Between Policies and Practices ........................................................................................... 28 Section VI ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Conclusion and Recommendations ................................................................................................. 30 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 30 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 30 Strategic Project Interventions .................................................................................................... 33 References ....................................................................................................................................... 34 Annex A: Thematic Guidelines .................................................................................................. 36 Annex B: Guidelines for District Level Stakeholder Consultation ............................................ 39 Annex C: Interview/FGD Guidelines ......................................................................................... 40 Annex D: Sampling Frame of the Study ..................................................................................... 42 Annex E: Key Techniques Applied for Data Collect .................................................................. 43 Annex F: School Observation Checklist ..................................................................................... 44 Annex G: Comparative Chart on the Status of Education .......................................................... 46 Annex H: Supplementary Data Sheets ........................................................................................ 48 Abbreviations CAS Continuous Assessment System CBO Community Based Organization CBS Central Bureau of Statistics CSO Civil Society Organization DDC District Development Committee DEO District Education Office DEP District Education Plan DoE Department of Education ECED Early Childhood Education Development EMIS Educational Management and Information System ERO Education Review Office FGD Focus Group Discussion GATE Girls’ Access to Education GER Gross Enrolment Ratio GoGo Foundation Good Governance Foundation HT Head Teachers I/NGO International/Non-Governmental Organization MoE Ministry of Education NASA National Assessment of Student Achievement NCE-Nepal National Campaign for Education-Nepal PCF Per Child Funding PPE Pre-Primary Education PTA Parent Teacher Association RC Resource Center RP Resource Person SBM School-Based Management SFCG Search for Common Ground SIP School Improvement Plan SLC School Leaving Certificate SMC School Management Committee SS School Supervisor SSDP School Sector Development Plan SSRP School Sector Reform Program T-P-S Teacher-Parent-Student UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund UNRCHCO UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Office VDC Village Development Committee VEP Village Education Plan Executive Summary Background: School governance and accountability discussion is on the rise across the globe, and it has remained a critical challenge in Nepal as well. In this backdrop, the need of some kind of intervention and support are felt