Teacher absenteeism is as low as 2.5% in govt school: New study
A new research study by the research group at Azim Premji Foundation found that in government schools, teacher absenteeism (absence without legitimate reason) is as low as just 2.5%. This is vastly different from the popular narrative on teacher absenteeism, which often refers to numbers ranging from 20% to 50%. This study makes it clear, along with other similar studies that have been done in the past, that the issue of teacher absenteeism is not as big a problem as it is often made out to be.
The study by the research group at Azim Premji Foundation concludes that the general impression and claims of teacher absenteeism in government schools are vastly exaggerated. The qualitative part of the study explores the background and reasons as to how, many teachers overcome multiple hurdles in their daily work life, and demonstrate exemplary commitment.
While this problem, however small in magnitude, must be addressed, but the focus of policy makers, administrators and educators needs to be on the many other deeper and more important issues in Indian education. The group conducted a field level study to identify the reasons ‘why’ teachers were not present in schools. A sample of 619 schools and 2861 teachers across six states were examined to analyze more closely the issue of teacher absenteeism.
It was found that teacher absenteeism was is in the range of 2.5%. Another 16.4% teachers were out of school – all with legitimate reasons e.g. on training, attending academic meetings, on earned leave.
Many studies do not pay adequate attention to the different reasons because of which teachers’ have to be away from their schools – ranging from official duties (academic & administrative), other departmental work to legitimate leaves that teachers are entitled to under their service conditions. Instead, the teacher being out of school for legitimate reasons, i.e. teacher absence, is equated with teacher absenteeism or truancy in the popular narrative. Equally, teacher absenteeism is often seen as the single most critical issue, a stance that ignores many of the other urgent areas of concern in Indian school education.
Apart from obtaining a numerical sense of the issue, the study also sought to spend time with a selected set of schools and teachers to assess how and why teachers actually maintain attendance and teaching standards in circumstances that place multiple hurdles to the daily routine of a teacher.
“Our experience of 16 years of working with teachers suggests that on the average government school teachers are a committed lot, and many demonstrate exemplary commitment. Their effectiveness is dependent on their work environment and the support they get. Clearly, the matter of teacher absenteeism is not as big an issue as it is made out to be, our study also suggests that”. said Anish Madhavan, Head of Field Research, Azim Premji Foundation. The ethnographic case studies were undertaken at various locations. It was evident that the teachers in these schools maintained high level of professionalism and commitment. And this in spite of difficulty of access to the schools, inadequate infrastructure and often with heavy workload driven by high pupil – teacher ratio.
The study also points out that that targeting and blaming the teachers for matters that are beyond their control or a manifestation of systemic design issues is likely to be counterproductive and to adversely affect the government school system.
THE STUDY EXPLORES THE BACKGROUND AND REASONS AS TO HOW, MANY TEACHERS OVERCOME MULTIPLE HURDLES IN THEIR DAILY WORK LIFE