Regarding Australian educational administration, the more it changes, the more it remains the same. When Freeman Butts studied Australian education in 1955, centralization was the dominant, much-criticized mode. Butts proposed devolution to improve educational decision making. His thoughts are once again topical, as Australian states and other…

Explains key issues and forces that shape organization and management strategies of educational decentralization, using examples from Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Nicaragua, and Spain. Core decentralization issues include national and regional goals, planning, political stress, resource distribution, infrastructure development, and job…

Addresses persistent tensions among centralized school governance structures. Examines the literature's claims for devolution's positive benefits and shortcomings and proposes more realistic expectations. Discusses the relationship between devolution and improved teaching and learning. Reconceptualizes devolution and proposes a preliminary…

Compares the proportions of staff in various types of positions in public K-12 education in two Australian states and two Canadian provinces. Joint state department of education/school district (decentralized) education systems appear to require the allocation of a higher proportion of personnel and salary resources to administrative and support…

Examined is the fairly broad consensus that the break with the traditional centralism of Australian public schooling is a progressive move. The social and ideological meaning of this change in the direction of administrative policy against the background of contemporary Australian society is discussed. (13 references) (SI)