The central government had controlled the local government about the education policy. But, after decentralization reform was performed, control of the central government became weaker. The local government came to implement policies like school choice which had not been able to be implemented in 1980's. Moreover, in the local government which is implementing new policies, the mayor and Parliament use strong influence to the superintendent of education or the board-of-education.
It is as follows that this paper clarified.
First, progress of the institutional reform which enabled the local government to implement a unique policy. Decentralization reform law in Japan was enforced in 2000, on the other hand, in an education policy, the institutional reform which advances decentralization was being performed after the second half of the 1990s.
Second, the main actors of the educational administration in the municipalities in Japan are the superintendent of education and the Board of Education. 25% of members of the Board of Education is a former teacher and 70% of the superintendent of education is also a former teacher. In five member of the Board of Educations, two persons are former teacher. That is, it became clear that there is no change in the constituent factor of the policy community of the education in a local government level in 2000's.
Third, it became clear that a politician uses influence to the main actors of educational administration in the local government which implements unique policies.
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