Role of Karnataka State Primary School Teachers Association in Influencing Policies of Elementary Education: A Critical Appraisal

Abstract

The influence of teacher associations in impacting educational policies is an important discourse at the national and sub national levels. Present study is a qualitative exploration designed to examine the existence of ‘neocorporate’ strategies in educational governance system as demonstrated through the actions of primary school teachers association in Karnataka. Karnataka State Primary School Teachers Association (KSPSTA) is a largest ‘organized interest group’ of primary school teachers which influences the routine administration practices and in turn shapes the extra educational politics at the state and sub-district levels. Its actions have a larger inclination towards personal wellbeing at the cost of systemic educational goals. It is largely grappled with the issues of individual wellbeing of teachers such as, time bound increment in pay scale, transfer, posting, promotion, training and vacation related issues. Its ability to impact policy implementation processes and influencing curricular areas are hardly evident in its actions even after explicit mention of such novel intentions in its constitution byelaw document.Present paper critically examines the organizational practices of KSPSTA vis-a-vis analyses the objectives expressed in its constitution document. An interaction with elected association members, educational bureaucrats at the state and district level has helped to understand the hidden political dimensions of policy implementation processes in school education. Further comparing maturity level of selected primary school teacher association with national and international teacher associations demonstrated on the primitive maturity status of KSPSTA in established policy networks.