Who becomes a teacher in Pakistan and why?

This is an in-person event at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge.

Speaker:

• Dr Faisal Bari, Associate Professor of Education and Economics, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan

Concerned about corruption and nepotism (perceptions and reality) in teacher recruitment in Pakistan, provincial governments decided to make teacher recruitment based on ‘objective’ criteria so that discretion, in selection, could be reduced. The policy was rolled out across provinces, scaled without pilots, and has been in practice for more than a decade. It has not only had impacts on who becomes a teacher and why, but also on teacher career paths and incentives for performance. This seminar will unpack the intended and unintended consequences of the policy choice. With no follow-up rounds of policy change, the consequences have become entrenched in the system with significant impacts on teacher performance and retention as well as on student learning.