The Influence of Community Involvement in School Management System in Bhutan: A Perspective from School’s Principal

Decentralization and community involvement within the management of faculty systems at district level may be a concept that was instituted way back in 1990 in Bhutan after careful and progressive study made up by other developing countries. Realizing that community involvement is significant for quality improvement of colleges, the Govt. of Bhutan decided to transfer the college management authority to the community as a reform measure for college improvement. For many years it served the purpose to its zenith but slowly the community participations minimized and took turn in less support in functioning to the school management. School management too gave less importance in community involvement in managing school and for the sake of involvement school selected few board members with less responsibility. Now after many year of decentralizing the school autonomy to the community involvement, it’s losing its participation in class development program. To check on community relationship with school, 38 principals from different levels of schools are chosen as the sample of the study. This paper attempts to debate on the perception of principals on community involvement sharing responsibilities within the management of the faculties. The study revealed that the bulk of the community members attended few meetings to which they were invited. The study further established only a few parents assisted their students with school work while small percentage of the community members discussed school matters with the scholars. The study further established that although there existed a decent relationship between the colleges and therefore the community, only a minority of the community were involved in deciding process in these schools.