Role of Karnataka State Primary School Teachers Association in Influencing Polices of Elementary Education

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Role of Karnataka state primary school teachers
association in influencing polices of elementary
education a critical appraisal

S.D.Chakrabarti Pradeep Ramavath .J 3, Jul,
2012
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There are at least four centers of power that
can significantly facilitate an educational
decentralization programme if they collaborate
within the context of a shared vision political
parties, national and regional government
institutions, teachers unions and local citizens
Bjork, 2006
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• ........Beginning

• Precursors for the study
• Multilevel hierarchical governance system and
  implicit roles assigned to diverse stakeholders.
• Complex cycle of policy implementation and
  hierarchy in formulation of educational polices
  (Govinda, 1997) .
• Reproduction of culture of negativism
• Curiosity on the long term impact of teacher
  association

• Situating teachers in present context
• Legacy of exclusion of teachers in policy making
  processes
• Sundry works other than teaching, passive
  carriers of centralized decisions
• Programming them to respond mechanically without
  owning their own function.
• Frustration and lack of motivation (Kumar. K
  2008).

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• Title of the paper
• Role of Karnataka state primary school teachers
  association in influencing polices of elementary
  education a critical appraisal

• Duration of the study
• 3 months including conceptualization, review of
  literature , data collection and analysis

Delimitation of the study Only one association
confining to Karnataka state
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• Systemic view of Teacher unionization as a
  process
• Outcome- Blame it on the teachers ( Kumar, 2009)
• Education system - non-participatory hierarchal
  closed system
• Welfare and Wellbeing of teachers are at
  greater risk
• Attribute quality outcomes with performance of
  teachers
• Bureaucracy takes decisions related to teacher
  welfare in accordance with larger political
  intentions
• Loose and probably incoherent coalition of
  interest groups with some foretold adjustments -
  one of the reason for teacher unionization.

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Trade unions V/s Teacher associations

• George Strauss Occupational associations form a
  continuum, from the learned society at one
  extreme, to the economically oriented unions at
  the other
• Trade unions are affiliated political force and
  are mostly aggressive in action for bargaining.
  Mutual interest plays a role through a
  neo-corporate model (Garrity and Picard 1991)
• Teacher association, by virtue of the nature, in
  India are superficially apolitical and they do
  not have any affinity with any political parties
  publicly

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History of teacher associations in India

• Longer history than trade unions (Jayaram, 1990)
• Women's teachers association in Madras 1890
• 1895 Madras teachers guild
• 1909 South India Teachers association
• Non- Gazetted Educational Officers association in
  1920
• Uttarpradesh Adhyapak Mandal 1921
• D.P.Kattry Prof. Sheshadri All India
  Federation of Teachers Associations (1933)
• AIFEA 1966 Survey , 17 National and 65 State.

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Hierarchical associations

• Naik, J.P (1975), was concerned about presence of
  multiple teachers associations in India.
• University teachers - Brahmins of the
  profession.
• Rest college teachers unions
• Teachers in government colleges
• Secondary teachers
• Head teachers of the secondary schools
• and finally primary teachers.
• All have different class and hierarchical
  identities associated with them.
• J.P. Naik (1975) Teachers of all categories
  unite!.

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• Aurora (1970), highlights two important axes of
  internal divisions in teacher organizations
  Geographical and Professional.
• U.S all teacher associations come under a single
  umbrella of National Education Association (NEA)
• Representing public school teachers
• Support personnel
• Faculty and staffs at colleges
• Universities
• Retired teachers,
• Pre-service college teachers.

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Influence on policies and plans

• In United Kingdom difficult to trace the
  influence of National Union of Teachers (NUT) on
  educational policy as there is strong presence of
  educational sub-government
• R.D Coates, (1972) influence of organized
  interest groups outside the education sector in
  England significantly impacting education
  policies of United Kingdom
• Not possible through subjective evidences ( Lodge
  Blackstone, 1985)
• The National Policy on Education (NPE)-1986
  professional integrity, enhancing the dignity of
  the teacher and in curbing professional
  misconduct
• The National Commission on Teachers- II (1986)
  observes that, teachers Association in India must
  certainly strive to improve the material and
  other service conditions of teachers
• Non involvement of teachers in planning
  process(Naik, 1975)

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• Krechner and Mitchell (1989 ) define three stages
• Meet-and-confer generation
• Good faith- bargaining generation
• Negotiated policy generation
• Most of Teacher associations in India figure at
  stage 1, partly in stage 2 and rarely in stage 3
  , The third level negotiation by them demands for
  maturity, mutual respect and understanding from
  both parties and recognizing the strengths of
  each other

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Impact on outcomes

• Learning outcomes and teacher participation in
  union activities are negatively correlated (
  Kingdon Muzammil, 2010)
• Effect of teacher politics on education system is
  negative ( NCT, 1986)
• Extra educational politics (Moe, 2006)- Determine
  the salary and other benefits.

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Why KSPSTA was chosen ?

• Karnataka State Secondary School Teachers
  Association (KSSSTA) for secondary school
  teachers
• Karnataka State Primary School Teachers
  Association is formed by primary school teachers
  strength of 1.85 lakh primary school teachers.
  

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Methodology

• Similar to methodology used by Usha Devi (1995),
  in the study of Teachers Association in Higher
  Education- an Appraisal (1995)
• The documentary analysis of the bye laws, teacher
  association demands, news letter
• Content analysis of constitution of Teacher
  union and Bye laws, demands by teacher union to
  government and education secretary, teacher union
  magazine , proceedings of the SSA executive
  committee meeting
• Interviews - key office- bearers and cross
  section of members
• Government functionaries such as DDPI welfare,
  DDPI planning, Director of elementary education,
  Director of Secondary education, DDPI, BEO
  ,educational researchers,

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Organogram of KSPSTA

• KSPSTA -1972 - registered society, 3400 elected
  members(2011)

President Vice President Chief
Secretary Assistant Secretary Organizing
Secretary Treasurer
State level
President Vice President Chief
Secretary Assistant Secretary Organizing
Secretary Treasurer
President Vice President Chief
Secretary Assistant Secretary Organizing
Secretary Treasurer
District level
Block level
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Key Findings

• Influence of KSPSTA on educational
  administration
• Day to day interference of the union on
  administration - important element bringing
  inefficiency
• Teacher absenteeism, request for extra work such
  as data collection are causes for conflict.

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• B. Demands and memorandum by KSPSTA
• Some negotiations done by KSPSTA
• Time bound increment in pay scale.
• Transfer, posting and promotion
• Training
• Issues of vacation

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• C. Influence on policy
• Training programmes
• English language issue
• D. Influence on curricular issues
• Nali-Kali
• E. Extra educational politics
• Incentives and disincentives
• Nexus between Union members and educational
  functionaries

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• Discussion and conclusion
• KSPSTA very rarely involve in policy planning
  processes.
• Involvement is seen through representatives of
  association in some of the executive committees.
  
• Policies are formulated and placed for acceptance
• Both the parties i.e. government and KSPSTA wants
  to create win-win situation
• neo-corporate model of functioning

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• Discussion and conclusion
• Strong difference of understanding between State
  Teachers Federation of India (STFI)
• KSPSTA further wants to be part of the PPP model
• Strongly believes in Common education system
  and school zone mapping and have issues in
  present form of RTE
• The association is organized through interests
  and characterized by singular, non competitive
  hierarchically ordered representatives.

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• Implications for our work

• They are the important opinion leaders at the
  district level
• Need to involve them in the participatory
  framework
• Enhance their capabilities as policy negotiators
• Using their strengths in large scale mobilization
• Innovating and experimenting few programmes
  involving the associations
• Development of associations into professional
  learning institutions

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A Dream of a Just, Equitable, Humane and
Sustainable Society
Thank You