Alteration of board of education system and autonomy of school management(Reconsidering the Autonomy of Educational Manegement)

Abstract

We had great alteration or change of board of education system in Japan in 2014. It would be effective after April, 2015. The main part of this alteration is to change the relation among components in local educational administration, governor / mayor, board member and superintendent. Under the previous system, school board was independent from the office of governor / mayor. So governor / mayor was not available to implement educational administration directly. After alteration, governor / mayor has big authority to decide main policy on education and assign the new superintendent who is the chair and can conduct board of education. Though there have been many arguments on this alteration, it is not sure whether this alteration would decentralize the local educational administration or not. In this paper I have considered what relation would be between Ministry of Education (MEXT) and governor / mayor. Until now, MEXT has conducted boards of education and schools with its high professional situation. But after now, governor / mayor can deny the interference of MEXT to local educational administration. It should be most important for local educational administration and board of education to provide good education in school for children. So it will be the key point for good education how to combine local educational administration and school management. It is necessary to examine whether this alteration can make decentralization in educational administration or not. It is dispensable for school innovation and good school education to set up the decentralization of educational administration and school autonomy. I have also shown the elements of school autonomy under the decentralization of educational administration. They are as follows; to transfer the authority of school management from the board of education to each school, to improve the inner organizations and to enlarge the participation of students, parents and local people in school management.