Local anchoring at early childhood education centre in Nepal. How is preschool teacher training relevant for diakonia?

Abstract

In this project, I have chosen to do research on the transition from foreign to local Nepali management at ECEC (Early Childhood Education Centre) in Nepal who is offering Preschool Teacher Education (and recently Primary School Teacher Education). The research question is: How was the education at the ECEC (Early Childhood Education Center) in Nepal locally anchored and what factors contributed to making the transition to Nepalese leadership sustainable? Interviews have been conducted with a selection of former foreign management, locally employed Nepalese and partner organizations from Norway and intercultural theory has been used. Summarized the findings are: First, The Given cultural perspective has a limited value and impact. Second: The Cultural Creation perspective is a much better tool. Third: The “emic” perspective gives depth to the understanding of mentalities and cultures, Fourth: An understanding of diakonia as “Gospel in interaction» is supported. Fifth: ECEC’s teacher education can best be understood as a hybrid with the best of Western education contextualized to a Nepali context. Finally: The Christian value-based perspective adds an extra dimension of insight into the interaction taking place at ECEC.