Conceptions of education research as independent and serving the interests of truth have come to represent freedoms that emerge from the application of intellectual inquiry. Critiques of education research and its relevance to the enhancement of education, coupled with neoliberal market-led pragmatism, have contributed to the erosion of an…

This study aims to investigate how national education councils are organized in Turkey, shed light on their voting procedures, and examine their perceived challenges, based on data from eight participants of the 18th National Education Council. A qualitative research design was adopted and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. By…

This article discusses changes with respect to university governance structures in six comprehensive universities in Europe. We present an analytical framework on the basis of which we conduct a comparative analysis of the university governance structures along four different dimensions: (a) the internal democratic nature of the governance…

Over the past two decades Malta has been witnessing wave after wave of reforms. Whilst official documents speak of the need for more decentralised forms of governance the reality shows otherwise. Data from a series of studies involving school leaders show that they still feel that a top-down approach is being adopted leaving limited space for…

In England the balance of responsibilities between national and local government for the governance of education is changing. Relationships between schools are shifting and new structures, groups and alliances are being created in response to national policy. The article is part of a project to understand how the new local education landscapes are…

This paper explores the governance of school-based and early education in England under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government (2010-15). It draws on three prominent Coalition policy areas--the academies programme, the pupil premium, and free part-time early education--and focuses on changes to the role played by central government…

Recent reforms in England's education system have been justified on the grounds that other countries have pursued similar approaches to education reform. Many such policies that by-pass or otherwise diminish meso-level institutions demonstrate a commitment to the idea of devolving authority to local actors. The current reforms in England and…

This article examines the trend toward centralization in American education policy over the last century through a variety of lenses. The overall picture that emerges is one of a continuous tug-of-war, with national and local policymakers stumbling together toward incrementally more standardized and centralized policies. There is a center of power…

Based on a comparison of school external evaluation processes in three countries (England, France and Switzerland), this article questions the possible quality turn in the governance of European educational systems. Using materials collected through qualitative methods (91 interviews, surveys of literature and observations) during a sociological…

There has been a trend in state government toward tighter and tighter centralization that, though done in the name of greater economy and efficiency, is in large part a reach for political power. Not all services of the state can be performed well if integrated into a single monolithic administrative pyramid with all other state services and…

Problems in the impending transfer of British polytechnics away from local control and toward centralization are discussed. Political and practical considerations in the decision to centralize are examined. (MSE)

The style of management in higher education has changed significantly in recent decades. The groups that have demanded, and in most cases been given, a share in the governance of the institution are the administration, the faculty, the students, and the non-faculty staff. The problem arises in implementing the claims for a share of authority. Some…

Problems unique to central administrations and board members are discussed, including the line of authority, treating institutions equitably, exceeding statute-imposed limitations, the failure of board members to do their homework, and the extent to which the board should represent the people of the state and the institutions it governs. (MLW)

The body of rhetorical writing and research studies about the interrelationship of faculty bargaining and campus governance are compared and synthesized. The research is emphasized so that the findings can inform and advance the ongoing debate and operational decision about this issue. Qualified, but not complete, support is found for the belief…

The higher education system in Israel is discussed, noting that tertiary education in that country makes a clear distinction between higher (university and academic) education and postsecondary education that is largely vocational. The Planning and Grants Committee (PGC) of the Council for Higher Education is responsible for the budgets of…