Governance of Education in the United Kingdom: Convergence or Divergence?

Abstract

This article considers how structures and processes of governance in education have changed in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland over recent years, setting this discussion within the context of debates about the nature of governance and governing in public services more generally. It is argued, firstly, that governance needs to be considered as a comprehensive concept that encompasses both the role of the state and the range of other actors and processes through which educational provision is steered; and secondly, that governance is essentially about power: its distribution and its use. The article draws on these key ideas to explore the similarities and differences between the experiences of the four constituent jurisdictions of the United Kingdom over recent years. It considers whether the approaches in the jurisdictions are converging or diverging, the reasons underlying this, and prospects for the future. It is concluded that, while national histories and cultures have served to maintain very distinctive governance identities among the jurisdictions, international trends, and the ways in which governments respond to these, are putting these identities under considerable pressure.

Key Words:

• Governance of education
• United Kingdom education
• devolution
• power
• New Public Management

Notes

1. The term ‘jurisdiction’ rather than ‘nation’ or ‘country’ is used as this avoids complicated discussions of constitutional arrangements and historical/cultural circumstances in each case.

2. However, see, for example, Arnott and Menter (2007).

3. Interestingly also recently suggested in a report on England (McCrone et al. 2011).