This article examines the different roles the State/government plays in coordinating the Chilean higher education system. It proposes a conceptual and analytical framework based on a multi-governance approach, which considers multi-level, multi-actor and multi-agenda dimensions. This framework is used to study the different roles played by the…

Purpose: In the last 5 years, many states have introduced science of reading (SOR) reforms that require increased attention to foundational skills instruction in grades K-3. The fast spread of these policies raises questions about the mechanisms that facilitated their rapid adoption. The purpose of this article is to examine how SOR discourses…

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…

Following his previous article in this journal on the centralisation of power in English education post the 1988 Education Reform Act ("The Era of Centralisation", "FORUM", 50[2], pp. 255-261), the author considers the apparent turn to school autonomy central to the Conservative Educational Revolution. He argues that the power…

Describes debates over general education and the common curriculum in Great Britain and Canada. In Great Britain, the central government's Department of Education and Science supports a core curriculum. In Canada, the National Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, may recommend a common curriculum to the provincial ministries of education.…

The first part of this article provides an assortment of scenarios depicting how control over school curricula is divided up in Canada. While reviewing these vignettes, the reader is encouraged to keep the following specific questions in mind: (1) What content is desirable for the learner? (2) How much of said content is to be prescribed? (3) Is…

British Columbia's College Councils were one province's solution to the need to impose central direction without sacrificing sensitivity to outlying parts. Their creation, particular structure, and demise are described. (Author/MLW)

This paper contends that former Eastern bloc countries, which have rejected centralized, authoritarian political systems, are emulating a United Kingdom school development model which itself is authoritarian, centralized, and coercive. The paper characterizes that authoritarianism and suggests an alternative educational model of centralized…

An educational planning exercise that increased centralization in Britain's public sector colleges in 1984-85 is described, and the issues it has raised about the relationship of government and institutions and the nature of educational policymaking are discussed. The responses of eight institutions to the changes are examined. (MSE)

Traces the post-war development of comprehensive educational reorganization in Great Britain by examining central government policy and local education authority (LEA) practices. Emphasizes the role of LEAs as implementors of policy and discusses the limitations of central control. (Author/KC)

In most developing societies, the state assumes responsibility for control of education. However, in recent years, educational leaders in a number of countries along with policy analysts in the donor community have proposed a number of arrangements for decentralizing education. This paper draws primarily on the experience of Sri Lanka to examine…

This paper notes conflicts among England's education laws and discusses philosophical and practical weaknesses of the National Curriculum for serving students with special needs. European practices are described, and it is concluded that establishing central control can actually discourage curriculum differentiation and encourage the exclusion…

Examines the dynamic aspects and political nature of educational policymaking in France's centralized educational system. Considers the obstacles to the introduction and implementation of comprehensive middle schools, created in 1963 to permit social mobility through education. Contains 48 references. (SV)

Both Brazil's and the United States's educational policies are influenced by centralization of administration and formal objectives mandated by law. Arising from a long division in Brazilian life between government and people, public schools have been seen to be the concern of the government, which has preserved the antiquated division of…

In 1974 local government in England underwent external and internal reform. The external reforms involved changes in governmental structures and functions, while the internal reforms involved the introduction of "corporate management," a concept stressing more centralized administration and fewer local executive bodies. This paper first…