Cenralization Versus Decentralisation
Centralization Versus Decentralization
By Annick M. Brennen
The concepts of centralization and decentralization are important ones to consider as they ultimately affect the effectiveness of schools in educating the children of a nation. Centralization refers to the condition whereby the administrative authority for education is vested, not in the local community, but in a central body. This central body has complete power over all resources: money, information, people, technology. It decides the content of curriculum, controls the budget, is responsible for employment, the building of educational facilities, discipline policies, etc.
Decentralization, on the other hand, refers to the extent to which authority has been passed down to the individual school. Site-based management is an example of decentralization in which individual schools can make their own decisions related to finances and curriculum. However, the locus of power remains with the central body. Advocates of decentralization believe it will result in higher student performance; more efficient use of resources; increased skills and satisfaction for school administrators and teachers; and greater community and business involvement in and support for schools.
In The Bahamas, public education is under the total control of a central administration headed by the Minister. Having experienced first hand the problems associated with such a system, I believe that a degree of decentralization would empower the individual schools to adapt to changes in their external environment and be more responsive to the needs of pupils and the community. My position rests on the following arguments (some of them advanced by Dr. Thomas, 1998): 1. It is virtually impossible to manage large and complex organizations from the top. Inflated bureaucracies are extremely slow to respond to local needs and are not very adaptable. 2. Centralization does not fit the current trends of participatory management, empowerment,
By Annick M. Brennen
The concepts of centralization and decentralization are important ones to consider as they ultimately affect the effectiveness of schools in educating the children of a nation. Centralization refers to the condition whereby the administrative authority for education is vested, not in the local community, but in a central body. This central body has complete power over all resources: money, information, people, technology. It decides the content of curriculum, controls the budget, is responsible for employment, the building of educational facilities, discipline policies, etc.
Decentralization, on the other hand, refers to the extent to which authority has been passed down to the individual school. Site-based management is an example of decentralization in which individual schools can make their own decisions related to finances and curriculum. However, the locus of power remains with the central body. Advocates of decentralization believe it will result in higher student performance; more efficient use of resources; increased skills and satisfaction for school administrators and teachers; and greater community and business involvement in and support for schools.
In The Bahamas, public education is under the total control of a central administration headed by the Minister. Having experienced first hand the problems associated with such a system, I believe that a degree of decentralization would empower the individual schools to adapt to changes in their external environment and be more responsive to the needs of pupils and the community. My position rests on the following arguments (some of them advanced by Dr. Thomas, 1998): 1. It is virtually impossible to manage large and complex organizations from the top. Inflated bureaucracies are extremely slow to respond to local needs and are not very adaptable. 2. Centralization does not fit the current trends of participatory management, empowerment,
References: Argyns, N.S., and B. S. Silverman, "R&D, organization structure, and the development of corporate technological knowledge," Strategic Management Journal 25 (2004). Schilling, Melissa. Strategic Management of Technological Innovation (2nd Edition). Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2008. Centralization vs. Decentralization By Adam on May 24, 2007