A Study on Policy Related to Teacher Retention in the Rural Primary Schools of Chhukha, Bhutan

Teachers’ attrition rate keeps rising every year and has been observed that mostly teachers from rural and remote parts of the country choose to resign voluntarily or go on long term leave. Teacher’s attrition rate in 2018 is 4.4% and it has risen up to 5.2% in 2019 which is a serious concern to be looked at. Recruitment and retention of teachers in the remote and rural schools remains a significant challenge in low-income countries, including Bhutan, hampering the educational delivery services to the rural population and slows the progress of achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

For delivering quality educational services to the people and improving their outcomes, motivated teachers must be available at the right time and place. The purpose of this study is to determine the factors affecting teacher retention in the rural areas of Chhukha District based on policy and practice. A total of five domains were assessed regarding financial matters, career matters, personal and family matters, working and living conditions, and policy matters. In the past decade, there have been worrying signs that the intellectual quality of teachers is declining. Teachers who are already in schools and are highly qualified may be able to offset this trend if they are retained.

In order to better understand the key factors influencing rural schools' appeal and retention of teachers, this study was conducted. A satisfaction survey was also conducted to determine if their current place of employment offered them the policies, facilities, services, and support that they were seeking. In order to attract or retain teachers in remote and rural schools, the study findings, recommendations, and appropriate strategies were provided to relevant stakeholders for intervention. Therefore, more motivated teachers are available in remote Bhutanese regions. Consequently, teaching services will be of a higher quality. Gross National Happiness can ultimately be achieved by achieving this goal.