*School Restructuring IDENTIFIERS *New Zealand

Ways in which the shape of New Zealand's educational system crucially affected the implementation process of market oriented educational reforms are examined in this paper. The first part discusses educational reform in New Zealand as political management. The Labour government's program from 1987 to 1990 was designed to reduce the size and scope of the state through privatization. Although the educational restructuring established structures to implement neoliberal reforms, the ideologies of the market were largely absent. T*,,s. second part eXamines international influences behind the move to market education. Reforms under the National Party's 1991 budget are discussed in the third part, which argues that the market system will continue to be contested, due to centralization and educators ' belief in equity. A conclusion is that united opposition to reforms is a function of the shape and structure of the education system and New Zealand's history, which are characterized by centralization, belief in equity, and homogeneity among the schools. Although centralization and vulnerability to international trends have facilitated direct reforms, the centralized structure has simultaneously engendered opposition that is absent from other national contexts. (33 references) (LEI) * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document.