Political system and New Managerialism in primary schools – an international comparison

Abstract

The analysis of new managerial policy change in two different countries enables the exploration of the interplay between an ideology dominant across many countries and the local political system and professional culture. England and Switzerland provide an interesting comparison because of the differences of their political system – majoritarian and centralised in England, consensual and decentralised in Switzerland (Pollitt & Bouckaert, 2000). In this article changes in teachers’ teamwork and in the headteacher’s role are examined. Based on a research project involving four case studies, it is argued that the political system influences the enactment of new managerial reform not only at the level of the education system but also at the level of the local school, in particular in relation to the decision making processes and the power relations between management, school governing body and teachers.