Conference:
ECER 2008
Format:
Paper
Session Information
PRE_C5, Preconference; Paper Session C5
Paper Session
Time:
2008-09-08
13:15-14:45
Room:
B3 333
Chair:
Monica Reichenberg
Contribution
This paper is on reaction of local authorities after decentralization and deregulation reform in Sweden. Decentralization in educational field arises as an important issue nowadays. Sweden has unique experience; as once they had quite centralized system, and then started to reorganize the system.
Swedish education has promoted decentralization and deregulation during 1990s. By this process, municipalities got all responsibility about primary and secondary schools. Municipalities and schools now have possibility to decide budget depending on how they are going to implement.
But practically, what has the reform made the education changed, and what hasn’t? Many of previous studies show us how the process went through and what has changed, from the view of central government. But as decentralization is the way to diverse, it is also vital to see how local activities have been changed by that reform. So this study focuses on the changes of local practices.
For looking at the local reaction, fieldworks were done in five municipalities; Danderyd, Göteborg, Nacka, Trosa and Uppsala. Financial data from municipalities and schools, such as annual budget, plural years plan, following up and quality report, are main staffs to be analyzed on. In addition to this, interviews and discussions with the personnel in municipalities were held.
Three topics are raised by this research. First, there’re certain tendencies on budget making according to local situation and background. Local politics, size of municipality, socio-economical background influence whether and how deeply the municipality introduces the educational voucher system. So classifying these tendencies is the first.
The second is about diversity and local autonomy. After decentralization and deregulation, diversity of educational quality is extended. Furthermore, gap of pupil’s performance got widen. Municipalities and schools are trying to make the differences small. So to analyze the effects of local challenges is the second.
And the third part deals with what and how the reform restricted and enabled the local practices. Deregulation did not mean to open the possibilities whatever locals want to do. But it is the way to reorganize the regulations. And decentralization reform changed the structure of relation between center and locals. So that it’s very interesting to discuss what aspects did locals accept and how they interpreted the idea of reform into their practices.
Method
For looking at the local reaction, fieldworks were done in five municipalities; Danderyd, Göteborg, Nacka, Trosa and Uppsala. Financial data from municipalities and schools, such as annual budget, plural years plan, following up and quality report, are main staffs to be analyzed on. In addition to this, interviews and discussions with the personnel in municipalities were held.
Expected Outcomes
Three topics are raised by this research. First, there’re certain tendencies on budget making according to local situation and background. Local politics, size of municipality, socio-economical background influence whether and how deeply the municipality introduces the educational voucher system. So classifying these tendencies is the first.
The second is about diversity and local autonomy. After decentralization and deregulation, diversity of educational quality is extended. Furthermore, gap of pupil’s performance got widen. Municipalities and schools are trying to make the differences small. So to analyze the effects of local challenges is the second.
And the third part deals with what and how the reform restricted and enabled the local practices. Deregulation did not mean to open the possibilities whatever locals want to do. But it is the way to reorganize the regulations. And decentralization reform changed the structure of relation between center and locals. So that it’s very interesting to discuss what aspects did locals accept and how they interpreted the idea of reform into their practices.
References
Kampei HAYASHI "The emergence of the Swedish National Agency for School Development", 2006.
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