Policies for teachers working in the periphery : an international review of the literature

This shift is reflected by changes in policies directed to teachers. Whereas previous policies focused on attracting a sufficient number of individuals, often times with minimum qualifications, to cover the demand generated by goals such as education for all, the tendency now is to concentrate on improving the quality of those individuals who are currently teaching or who plan to become teachers. These attempts have traditionally seen teachers as no more than mere recipients of state mandates placing them at the margin of policymaking and implementation. But while this approach may work in congenial, accessible, or urban areas, it has not worked in difficult, remote, or rural areas. In marginal situations, the challenge for policymakers has been to attract well-qualified individuals, or individuals who have the potential to become effective teachers, and who would stay for extended periods of time in schools and locations where life itself is a challenge. This paper begins with the assumption that future policy for the periphery has to take greater consideration of teachers" needs and seeks to present a number of ways to do this. Some of these policies already have proven viable; others will require further testing and evaluation. This paper reviews the literature in regards to teachers working in the periphery and educational quality. It addresses five questions: What are the major policies that have been developed to increase the quality of education in peripheral areas in relation to teachers? What are the major assumptions of these policies? How effective have these policies been? What is the role of teachers in the design and implementation of policies that will eventually affect them? What are the informational needs and conceptual frameworks for policy-making in regards to educational quality and teachers in a peripheral context? (Author abstract)