The article tracks the evolution of the English school finance system from 1988 to 2007. Three main periods are distinguished: Establishing Local Management of Schools (1988-1997); New Labour and Consolidation (1997-2002); and Centralizing Labour (2002-2007). Three key criteria are applied in assessing the system--efficiency, equity and…

Examines local management of British schools in term of organizational form theory. The 1988 Education Reform Act was designed to change the local education authority from a unitary to a multidivisional (M-form) structure, though the LEA's regulatory role was left undeveloped. Without a quality assurance function, decentralized management…

Offers an interim review of the implementation of the local management of schools (LMS) initiative. A model for LMS as an organizational form termed "decentralized management" is advanced and applied critically to understand aspects of the restructuring currently taking place within the British educational system. (48 references) (MLF)

Britain's 1988 Education Reform Act mandates increased centralization (through a national curriculum and testing program) and greater managerial decentralization and competition between schools. This article discusses the role of the central government Department of Education and Science in requiring local education authorities to implement local…