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Community Managed Schools in Nepal: Glimpses of

Transformation

Quality of Education Conference

New Delhi

October 24-26, 2007

Gajendra Man Shrestha Rajendra Dhoj Joshi

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Part I

• Background information

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Community management framework - I

• School management committee (SMC) accountable to parents comprising: Elected by parents from among parents– Chair person – One female member– Two members Elected by teachers from among teachers– One memberNominated by elected members– Two members Ex-officio– Member of local government– Head teacher as member-secretary

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Community management framework - II

• Government role:– Funding, standard setting, curriculum, textbooks,

technical assistance, monitoring, and examinations (grade 8, 10 and 12)

• Community role:– Management, supplementary funding, monitoring and

examinations• Hiring and promoting permanent teachers, and setting terms

of employment for community teachers• Appointing head teacher• Full financial autonomy

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Evolution of community management

• Till 1951: few government schools• 1951-71: proliferation of community schools

(4,000); government funded 20-25% of operating costs of schools

• 1971-2001: nationalization of community schools • 2001: voluntary transfer of public schools to

community management; over 3,600 schools (out of 23,000 public schools) transferred to community management

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Quality - the driver of community management

• Decline in quality of education following nationalization is the main reason for reverting back to community management

• Adequate resources and their efficient use are prerequisites for quality

• Nationalization led to decline in community contribution to schools and inefficient use of resources

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Community School Support Project

• IDA support to implementation of the reform of community management of schools– Technical support– Support in public dialogue– Funding

• Next part of presentation – an account of CSSP experience

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Part II

• CSSP experience

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COMMUNITY SCHOOL SUPPORT PROJECT (CSSP)

1. Focus and Inputs of CSSP• Focus on providing a support package to

schools transferred to communities• Inputs:

a) School grant- Incentive grant to school opting for community

management (One time grant)- Performance grant for improved participation

and promotion rates

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(Conti) 2 Inputs

- Teacher salary grant

- Matching grant

b) Scholarship

- Booster scholarship for never enrolled children

- Maintenance scholarship for disadvantaged children

c) Support to capacity building of communities in managing school

d) Support to monitoring and evaluation activities

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2. Implementation of CSSP

• At the request of GON, World Bank provided financial and technical assistance for the implementation of CSSP

• Department of Education (DOE) Ministry of Education and Sports (MOES)implementing agency of the project

• CSSP provided incentive grants to 3261schools and intensive support to 250 community managed schools (CMS)

• The geographic distribution of CMS is shown in the following map

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3. Management Transfer to the

Community as a Breakthrough

• Management transfer served as a break in the long tradition of rigid centralization and the total dependence of school on government

• The transfer served as a vehicle of transition toward:- Renewed local ownership- New context of collective responsibility - New trend of parental participation - Beginning of a new direction - New status and sense of authority - Sense of autonomy to address concern of local priority and

aspirations

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4. Changes and Transformations in CMS(Based on field study of 34 CMSs in 6 districts)

• Management improvement• The transfer has made the SMC and PTA more active, responsive

and focused on school improvement activities (SMC meeting 15 in 2006, PTA meeting 5 in 2006)• SMC adopted improved management practices such as- Participatory planning process in preparing annual action plan- Formation of functional committees to monitor implementation of

action plan- Adoption of new school regulations including teacher and student

code of conduct- Transparent teacher recruitment and appointment procedure

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• CMS generated significant resources at the local level– Average Government grant received and local resource generation

for selected years (NRs)

Year Government Grant Local Resource Generation 2004 302935 161511

2005 212938 222362 2006 149344 232020

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• School environment look clean, hygienic and organized as a result of community care and concern

• Physical transformation served as a common ground for further cooperation and commitment to reform in other dimensions of school improvement.

• Improved physical facilities paved the way for stimulating and interactive teaching learning practice.

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* Instructional Transformation• Instructional transformation is most

commonly manifested in :– Reorganization of classrooms, particularly

early grades, with displays to make the learning atmosphere stimulating and child friendly.

– Attempts in introducing English as a medium of instruction.

– Support to teachers through the provision of teaching learning materials and training/ team planning.

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• Parental care and concern about students’ learning made the management and the teachers more serious and responsible in promoting children’s learning.

• Instructional days increased from 175 in 2004 to 189 in 2006

• Instructional transformations range from the total system development to subject-wise improvement through teacher preparation and team work

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Partnership For School Development

• CMS extended partnership to both internal and external partners• Some interesting manifestations of internal partnership:

- VDC mandate for Beni L.S in Myagdi District.

- Merging of Durga Bhawani and Adarsha Primary Schools• SO’s contribution appreciated in the following areas:

- Orientation to SMC, PTA, teachers and parents in school community relationship

- Preparation of action plan.

- Community mobilization, formation of mother’s group, Children’s Club, Youth Club

- Promotion of link with NGO’s and INGO’S for support .

- Social audit.

Emergence of New Alliances - Community School National Network (CSNN)

- Education Journalist Group (EJG)

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5. Outcome and Impact

Outcome • PAD indicators (Based on the follow up study of 30 ISP schools)

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Table. Reduction in out of School Children for Selected Years

S.N Indicators

2004 2005 2006Reduction

in out of

school %)

% as of 2004

Pad Target

Target met

n % n % n %

1Out of School children of

primary age2635 41 2324 36 901 15 27 65 50 Yes

2Out of School children of

Girls1286 42 1145 36 443 15 27 65 45 Yes

3Out of School children of

dalits328 50 278 41 115 18 33 65 40 Yes

4Out of School choldren of

janajati1007 44 901 39 346 15 29 65 40 Yes

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Reduction in Out of School Chidren

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

2004 2005 2006

Years

Out of School children of primary age Out of School children of GirlsOut of School children of dalits Out of School choldren of janajati

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Impact

• A conviction has emerged among CMSs that the community management of the school can make a difference in the look, functioning, and effectiveness of the school.

• A partnership has evolved between the school and the community which promoted the sense of responsibility and accountability in school management.

• Local resource generation and visible physical and instructional transformations in school have enhanced the credibility of the school.

• Several innovative features of CSSP have already been adopted in the EFA programming and budget.

• The policy impact of CSSP is reflected in the statement that the Education For All 2004-2009 is also taking a shift towards transferring school management to communities in view of sustainability and enhanced school accountability (ASIP, 2006).

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Part III

• Implications of CSSP Experience

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Implications of community management - I

• Conclusions drawn are context specific

• Community management helps schools to improve accountability and tap non-government resources

• Community management can help to improve quality (based on anecdotal evidence; large scale surveys are going on)

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Implications of community management - II

• Winning support for community management from teachers is a formidable task, but the support can be own if there is political commitment

• Rallying support of beneficiaries is critical – CSNN has proved to be instrumental for supporting the cause

• Voluntary approach has paid off

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Implications of community management - III

• Success of community management of public schools have paved the way for a new type of community managed schools (schools without government teachers)– 7,000 community schools without government

teachers are to be converted into publicly funded community managed schools (contingent upon agreement not to claim for government teachers)

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Implications of community management - IV

• Confidence set by community management has helped to introduce salary grants for teachers instead of supply of teachers – salary grants equivalent to 14,000 teachers’ salaries already introduced (expected to reach 31,000 in 2009)

• Acceptance of salary funding has paved the way for introduction of per capita (child) financing of salary grants

• Community management has helped to trigger systemic reforms in Nepal