Governing education systems: trends and challenges “Decentralization in Education: Creating a Balance between School Autonomy and School Accountability” 4th Round Table on November 8th, Belgrade Gábor Halász ELTE University, Budapest

Questions to be discussed Does the notion of decentralisation help us to understand what happens? What are the major current trends globally and in Europe? What are the Hungarian experiences?

Thank you for your attention! Gábor Halász ELTE University, Budapest

Does the notion of decentralisation help us to understand what happens? A term that creates sometimes more confusion than clarity –What we see as decentralisation is often a complex reshaping of the way to govern the system –There are many forms of sharing responsibilities The same is often true for the notion of institutional autonomy

Current trends Administrative reforms: increasing use of business management methods in the public sphere Adapting governance instruments to growing complexity Developing effective tools for strong state steering

Hungarian experiences A highly decentralised system with multi-level governance Impact on performance Two major weaknesses –too many and too small local self-governments –lack of regular qualitative school evaluation Current changes: open discussions on –the overall system of public administration –the school – municipality – state relationship

The role of the state (following Fukuyama’s „State building”) Strong state Regulatory or steering state Administrative state Weak state Many people mean this when thinking of decentralisation. ►► But in most developed countries this is what actually emerges.

Various forms of responsibility delegation No target – overall withdrawal of regulationsDeregulation Responsibility shifted to linguistic, cultural, national, ethnic communities Community control Responsibility shared horizontally with social partners and civil society actors Participation, partnership Private schools or public institutions controlled by governing bodies behaving as owners Privatisation, „marketisation” Autonomous schools operating as public institutions (power with the school leader or the teaching staff) School autonomy Elected bodies of local and regional communities, self-governments Devolution Lower level (e.g. regional) units of the state De- concentration Target of responsibility transferForm

Types of middle level administration Separated system Integrated system Self-government system State system Type 1 (e.g. elected regional school boards) Type 2 (e.g. regional units of the Ministry of Education) Type 4. (e.g. region al governments and municipalities) Type 3 (e.g. regional integrated government agencies under the supervision of the prime minister’s office)

Institutional autonomy Freedom (we can decide on what we shall do) Lack of freedom (someone else decides on what we shall do) Strong accountability Weak accountability Many people wish to move this way But this is the typical way of moving in most developed countries

Business management methods Strategic management Performance management Quality management The management of human resources Risk management

Governing complexity Multi-level governance: a clear distinction between the macro and the micro levels A move from micro-management towards: –Setting general standards –Defining rules for the micro level –Improving leadership and management at micro level

Tools for strong state steering Strengthening system monitoring and evaluation Strengthening the evidence bases of national decision-making Creating strong feedback mechanisms Using targeted interventions

The PISA results in Hungary Source: PISA 2009 results: learning trends Changes in Student Performance Since 2000 Volume V.

Modest improvement at the top Stronger improvement at the bottom

Financing of school education National level Local level Institutional level Normative financing Budget bargain Standards

Curriculum regulation National level Intermediate level (public and market services) School level NCC NCC & SSLE School level curriculum Textbook supply, school development programs, accredited teaching programs and program packages, assessment, examination tasks etc.