A contratualização da autonomia das escolas : a regulação da acção pública em educação

Tese de doutoramento, Educação (Administração e Política Educacional), Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto de Educação, 2012A presente investigação teve como objecto de estudo o processo de contratualização da autonomia das escolas, que decorreu entre Janeiro de 2006 e Setembro de 2007, durante o mandato do XVII governo constitucional, inscrevendo-se na política de reforço da autonomia das escolas, iniciada na segunda metade da década de oitenta do século XX. O referencial teórico é constituído pela abordagem da regulação enquanto problemática da análise das políticas públicas. Neste quadro as políticas são entendidas como acção pública e, por conseguinte, a contratualização como processo de instrumentação da acção pública. Este estudo desenvolveu-se com base na pesquisa documental, destacando-se os 22 contratos de autonomia, e em entrevistas aos participantes no processo de contratualização: os representantes das escolas, os elementos das Direcções Regionais de Educação e dos grupos de trabalho de nomeação ministerial, bem como à responsável política. A tese evidencia que a contratualização da autonomia das escolas se insere num processo de (re)institucionalização da acção pública, no âmbito de uma política constitutiva. Esta dinâmica é orientada por um referencial de desdiferenciação, da acção do Estado em relação à sociedade, assente na mobilização dos saberes «gerencialistas», na externalização da expertise e no uso do contrato de autonomia, enquanto instrumento de regulação. Este contrato baseia-se numa normatividade mais assente no consentimento dos destinatários do que na força jurídica, revelando uma configuração de quase-contrato. Assim, no quadro do Estado em recomposição e da modernização da administração educativa, a adopção desta configuração visa ultrapassar as críticas ao modo de regulação burocrático e, ao mesmo tempo, promover uma legitimação baseada no processo de acção pública.The study subject of this investigation is the contracting process of school autonomy. This process took place from January 2006 to September 2007, during the XVII Constitutional Government. This contracting process is inscribed in the policy of strengthening the autonomy of schools that has began in second half of the eighties of the twentieth century. The theoretical approach is the regulation process as a problem of public policy analysis. In this context policies are seen as public action and, therefore, the contracting process as an instrumentation of public action. This research was based on documentary analysis, highlighting the 22 contracts of autonomy, and on interviews to the participants of the contracting process: the representatives of schools, the elements of regional directorate of education, the elements of working groups and the minister of education. The thesis shows that the contracting of school autonomy is part of a process of (re)institutionalization of public action. This dynamic is driven by a reference of dedifferentiation of state action in relation to society. This dedifferentiation is based on the mobilization of managerial knowledge, on the expertise externalization and on the use of contract autonomy as an instrument of regulation process. The normativity of this contract is based more on the people consent than in the law showing a configuration of quasi-contract. Thus, within the State reconfiguration and the modernization of educational administration, the adoption of this instrument reconfiguration is intend to overcome both the criticisms of the bureaucratic model of regulation and promote the legitimacy process on the public action.The study subject of this investigation is the contracting process of school autonomy. This process took place from January 2006 to September 2007, during the XVII Constitutional Government. This contracting process is inscribed in the policy of strengthening the autonomy of schools that has began in second half of the eighties of the twentieth century. The theoretical approach is the regulation process as a problem of public policy analysis. In this context policies are seen as public action and, therefore, the contracting process as an instrumentation of public action. This research was based on documentary analysis, highlighting the 22 contracts of autonomy, and on interviews to the participants of the contracting process: the representatives of schools, the elements of regional directorate of education, the elements of working groups and the minister of education. The thesis shows that the contracting of school autonomy is part of a process of (re)institutionalization of public action. This dynamic is driven by a reference of dedifferentiation of state action in relation to society. This dedifferentiation is based on the mobilization of managerial knowledge, on the expertise externalization and on the use of contract autonomy as an instrument of regulation process. The normativity of this contract is based more on the people consent than in the law showing a configuration of quasi-contract. Thus, within the State reconfiguration and the modernization of educational administration, the adoption of this instrument reconfiguration is intend to overcome both the criticisms of the bureaucratic model of regulation and promote the legitimacy process on the public action