During December we have given our staff "the month off" in Kathmandu! Well, a month off the usual work, and instead given them a month of personal development in which they shared different pieces of training with each other, reported on projects, and studied/discussed educational reform programmes from around the world. Part of this was studying the work of Michael Fullan who I reported as a new "hero" in a previous article.
What you will read below is a summary of an email I have received today from Ladip-ma Kirati, a 23 year old fresh education graduate who cannot find a teaching job. She spent 3 months with us as an Intern before we appointed her as an Education Assistant on a 6 months contract. She has teaching experience, she has intelligence, she has drive/determination, she is a voracious learner. As you read it remember "she cannot find a teaching job" and we at NSA are very glad of it ..... because it means WE have got her instead of a school where the Principal dumbs everything down, has no concern for educational quality or the needs of the children. Read it, judge for yourself:
Recently I have been visiting schools in Kathmandu for the general inspection of their physical infrastructures and informing the Principals about our School Development Program. While doing this I kept in mind that our SDP and its strategies is more focused on the change of the whole school and education system by trying to awaken people of their different roles and their core responsibilities. Surprisingly I found that without understanding their own major responsibilities the Principals of the schools can never LEAD or create an environment of Quality Education at their schools. Which means they will NEVER find a way of change towards development.
During my school visits and observations I could vividly see the real classroom situations and school environment as well as perceiving how the Principal responds to the program when it describes how his/ her teachers' skills could be developed. By talking face to face with them, I could see that almost all of the Principal's biggest concern is regarding the improvement of the physical environment of the school. GOD knows why are they so interested with the this only and donors giving them money to do it.
In general, Principals just seem to enjoy playing with their title and position as well as attending seminars and receiving financial allowances. Most of them have no feeling of citizenship towards their schools and the children. In the schools I visited I could see very little accountability of the Principals towards the Children and their future. They look reluctant. I think they are very good at giving speeches and making remarks and promises but very bad at fulfilling them. They have a lot more things to do rather than participating in the program which would benefit their pupils, simply because they want personal benefits for themselves.
This month we have spent 3 weeks working on our personal development as a team and this included reading, presenting, discussing articles about educational reform by Michael Fullan and I would like to relate what I have written with Professor Fullan's articles on The Power of the Principal to motivate the masses, to drive the education system in a rightful manner which is in the right direction and creating a collaborative learning environment at school.
In conclusion, only the power of our government and the Ministry of Education can help us meet our objective but we should not compromise with our standards and criteria of the School Development Programme just to collaborate with the corrupted government officials so that our program and investment won't fail like any other NGOs' and INGOs' in our country.
1 comment:
Thank you for this reminder and reflection on the role of the school Principal. I share your frustrations with poor responsiveness and apathy from those school principals offered such visionary enthusiasm, free offers of training and up-skilling, and a commitment and a mission to improve education in Nepal and in their schools.
Working on a school transformation in Malaysia (the Trust School Project delivered by LeapEd Services Sdn. Bhd.), I find myself often faced with not entirely dissimilar challenges. One of the key components of our training here is a drive to build systemic capacity, strength and transformation, focusing on the role of leadership within schools. When one considers the situation in Nepal – and the ‘system’ that chooses, selects and promotes teachers to positions of principal – one can see the shortcomings, namely (among other reasons), a system of promotion not always based on merit, qualification or suitability. Societal and cultural views on the place of the child also determine what we want from our schools. I wonder how much thought has taken place at the higher levels of academia and government in Nepal on the kinds of citizens it wants for the latter part of the 21st century. What kinds of men and women does it want to lead the country in 10, 20 or 50 years’ time? What kind of learning will be needed in Nepal in the future? How does this vision compare with what other nations are envisioning? Focusing on buildings, bricks and infrastructure fails to examine the key issue of what kinds of learners and citizens are wanted and needed, and the implications for Nepalese schools. When the latter is considered deeply and honestly within Nepal, the really hard questions which educators all around the world pose for their own national systems as well as those beyond their shores, will become more tangible and urgent in the Nepal context Sadly, at a national level, I do not see this happening much – but applaud and support the efforts of your organisation, Nepal Schools Aid (UK), in trying to work within such constraints.
Small steps. Through your efforts and commitment, may seeds be sown with young (and not so young) minds, whose transfay stive ripples might build a better nation.
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