Understanding Education Decentralization and 'Sustained' Elite Capture – Explicating Cases From Two Public Schools

Abstract

The paper aims at uncovering the practices of educational decentralization in Nepal that started after the restoration of democracy in 1990. Though decentralization in education in Nepal began with the aim of greater community participation and autonomy to the needs and priorities perceived by the local level functionaries in school, it has been subject to elite capture in its governance. Because of control in planning, organization, management, financial liability and different activities for the education system, the paper argues that practices of educational decentralization have been shaped by the local elites who capture the local resources and power to operate the school with their network and 'one-upmanship'. While arguing so, the paper is based on the ethnographic case study of two public schools located in the Mid-Western region of Nepal. Applying the Gramscian concept of hegemony, the paper narrates the process of a 'sustained' selection of the School Management Committee Chairpersons and shows how they negotiate and balance their power to sustain their capture. The paper concludes that the informal mechanisms of individual attributes such as trust and capital are playing an important role in their sustained elitism.

Women Participation in School Management Committee and Their Influence on Decision Making

“…There highlight some barriers of participating in decision making are age, sex, qualification, childcare and family responsibilities, lack of partner support, workplace environment, harassment and violence, lack of knowledge. Furthermore, the women participation decision making is still questionable because head teachers capture single power ofdecision in own hand and do not discuss the financial and other major issues with teachers, parents and students, or take a few powerful SMC members in hand, and dominate the decision-making process (Dhakal, 2017(Dhakal, , 2019Hamal, 2018).…”

“…But in our patriarchal societies women are not conceptualized as holding power, wielding power, being powerful (Barriteau, 2003). Furthermore, the women participation in decision making is still questionable and are dominated the decision-making process (Dhakal, 2017(Dhakal, , 2019Hamal, 2018). Almost management committees are male dominated and women have represented for only to fill the legal gap.…”

“…As a result, they had no experience of how to manage the organizationthat they could not complete their duties without male guardians. In this context, head teacher and SMC chairman take a few powerful SMC members in hand, and dominate the decisionmaking process (Dhakal, 2017(Dhakal, , 2019Hamal, 2018). Similarly, our patriarchal culture does not belief on women, no permission to leave home single without guardian's protection.…”

“…From the above discussion, women member whatever are dominated from male member in SMC meeting in some cases. Furthermore, women participation is dominated in the decisionmaking process (Dhakal, 2017(Dhakal, , 2019Hamal, 2018). On the one hand, they self-realize of hesitation and afraid to raise issues and take responsibility and on the other hand, male member intentionally does not interest to deliver authority.…”

How Are ‘Included’ Excluded and Vice-Versa: Negotiated Participation of Women in School Governance in Nepal

“…In fact, SMC in the Nepali community the school governance system appears to be a 'formal' committees, and thus they are excluded in the governance process. Moreover, studies (Dhakal, 2019;Mncube, 2009) have reported that meaningful participation of the stakeholders in educational decision making is still questioned, especially because Headteachers (HTs) singlehandedly make decisions, and do not discuss financial activities with teachers, parents and students, or take a few powerful SMC members in hand, and dominate the decision-making process-leading to 'sustained elite capture' (Dhakal, 2017;Hamal, 2018). As the most influential and active body of school governance, it is important to see SMC in an organisational context in which the politics and economy besides sociology of human thinking affect how SMC members perceive themselves, and those they work with, as well as how other stakeholders perceive their roles.…”