Collaborative decision-making and school-based management: challenges, rhetoric and reality

Abstract

School-based management has increasingly become the agreed-upon model around the world for the operation of schools, particularly those in large public education systems. A critical element of the model is devolving enhanced levels of decision-making from the centre (eg the head office) to the schools. While the rhetoric surrounding such actions is usually acclaimed as a positive step for teachers, parents and the wider community to be involved in decisions that affect their children, the challenges particularly for school leaders to achieve these ends is often overlooked. Further, the reality – that is, the nature, extent and impact – of collaborative decision-making appears to be variable in practice.