'Birds of a Feather Flock Together!': Rural Teacher Recruitment Policy and Retention in and for Hard-to-Staff Ugandan Schools

This chapter reports on findings from a qualitative case study conducted in four rural Ugandan public secondary schools in two districts fromMarch to October 2018. The study explored why some teachers stay while others leave rural teaching positions. Data collection methods included interviews, policy document analysis and researcher’s journal reflections. Interview data were collected from 20 teachers, 4 head teachers, 3 Parents & Teachers Association chairpersons, 2 Board of Governors chairpersons and 2 community leaders. A thematic analysis of data was pursued using an iterative process. The central findings reported in this chapter include the dynamic interaction between the Ministry of Education (MoE) policy, the government officials, schoolboards, head teachers and parents; the inherent trade-offs, massaged tensions and changing dynamics that have major impact on teacher retention, teacher quality and student outcomes; and the role of history of religion and culture in influencing the staffing of schools.