Recruitment Policies for Primary School Educators and National Professional Standards: A Qualitative Analysis

A successful recruitment policy ensures the selection of competent and qualified teachers for the education as well as the overall development of students. Primary education is the foundation of the entire education system. but unfortunately, Pakistan stands at a very low position among other countries of the world in Primary Education. The lack of competent teachers is a major issue in Pakistan. This study was designed to analyze the alignment of recruitment policies for primary school educators in Punjab according to eight indicators that were derived from the National Professional Standards for Teachers in Pakistan. This study was qualitative, so, firstly, the alignment of recruitment policies of 2018 and 2022 with National Professional Standards was analyzed through document analysis. Secondly, members of the district recruitment committee were interviewed to explore the assessment criteria of selection for primary school educators. Trustworthiness was ensured with data source triangulation. The findings revealed that recruitment policy is not aligned with National professional standards for teachers. The interview process for the selection of primary educators needs to be strengthened for the evaluation of future educators.