The theoretical analysis on the school governing bodies\u27function and role in the school management in England

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the system design about the school governing bodies in England, which is one of models of the school management councils (Gakkou Unei Kyougikai) in Japan, and to get suggestions for Japan. Firstly, in terms of distribution of powers between the headteacher and the governing body, the governing body is dependent on largely headteacher for its decision making. Secondly, in terms of involvement of external authorities, the system is designed as external authorities can play decisive role in the decision making concerning curriculum, personnel, and budget. Then, this paper points out that school management in England is practically getting professionalized including governing bodies though lay governors are formally elected, and that more recent years local councils have been changed to an executive model, sometimes with a directly elected mayor. Taking these circumstances into account, this paper concludes that the existence of school based management is questionable, and that the school governing body system could make it difficult to restrict the power of the central government and to reflect local public opinion on education to the local authority