Examining teacher allocation and class-size enrolment patterns in Eswatini high school education: Theory of compensating differences

This study investigates the alignment between teacher allocation and learner enrolment patterns in Eswatini high schools following the 2023 teacher allocation policy, assessing whether deployment corresponds to learner demand and to the policy goals of equity and efficiency. Guided by the Theory of Compensating Differences, it analysed disparities in enrolment and teacher distribution using documentary evidence from enrolment records, class registers, staffing information, and policy documents from 23 high schools, supplemented by contextual observations. Findings revealed substantial variation: some schools faced overcrowded classrooms, while others had enrolments far below the advised threshold of 400 students required for certain staffing provisions, with several reporting between 172 and 286 students. This raised concerns about the effective use of human and financial resources, particularly in high-density communities where staffing levels did not consistently reflect student numbers. The study concludes that reallocating teachers is necessary but complex, requiring a more responsive and context-sensitive model that goes beyond fixed enrolment thresholds to incorporate regular monitoring, redistribution mechanisms, and consideration of demographic and school-specific conditions. Such an approach would better balance educational equity, resource efficiency, and sustainability of teaching provision. Limitations include reliance on documentary and administrative records from a convenience sample of 23 schools, restricting generalisation to all Eswatini high schools. Nonetheless, the study provides valuable evidence to inform refinement of teacher allocation policy and offers lessons for other resource-constrained education systems experiencing uneven teacher distribution and shifting enrolment patterns.