An Evaluation of the Implementation of the National Gender Policy on the Upward Mobility of Female Teachers in Secondary Schools: A Case of Selected Secondary Schools in Choma District
ABSTRACT
Several studies that relate to gender have been concluded in the education sector in Zambia but these have usually concentrated on how to increase access and equity between girls and boys at various levels. These studies have evoked a range of explanations on how to reduce the gaps between boys and girls and several policies such as the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and the Re-entry Policy have been drafted to that effect. However, the subject of management positions in Secondary Schools has received very little attention from several researchers.
This study sought to find out if the National Gender Policy was being implemented when promoting teachers to management positions in Secondary Schools in Choma District. Efforts are usually made to implement policy documents that aim to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women in schools but certain subtle elements permeate efforts to increase the number of females in management positions by implementing the National Gender Policy. Some of the factors that made the implementation of the National Gender Policy difficult and made females underrepresented in management positions in Choma District Secondary Schools were: the methods used to promote teachers, lack of support from administrators, patriarchy, few female students in colleges of education, stereotypes, lack of distribution of the gender policy, gender blind policies, lack of application for management positions by females
Several studies that relate to gender have been concluded in the education sector in Zambia but these have usually concentrated on how to increase access and equity between girls and boys at various levels. These studies have evoked a range of explanations on how to reduce the gaps between boys and girls and several policies such as the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and the Re-entry Policy have been drafted to that effect. However, the subject of management positions in Secondary Schools has received very little attention from several researchers.
This study sought to find out if the National Gender Policy was being implemented when promoting teachers to management positions in Secondary Schools in Choma District. Efforts are usually made to implement policy documents that aim to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women in schools but certain subtle elements permeate efforts to increase the number of females in management positions by implementing the National Gender Policy. Some of the factors that made the implementation of the National Gender Policy difficult and made females underrepresented in management positions in Choma District Secondary Schools were: the methods used to promote teachers, lack of support from administrators, patriarchy, few female students in colleges of education, stereotypes, lack of distribution of the gender policy, gender blind policies, lack of application for management positions by females
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