After managerialism: Towards a conception of the school as an educational community

Abstract

Managerialism has changed the nature of the curriculum and imposed upon us new conceptions of the teacher and teaching. In this paper a brief outline and critique of it are provided and its reductionist effects noted. Against this managerialism a conception of the school as an educational community is developed, based on Oakeshott's work. From within this conception a critique of planned or utopian change is mounted and a concept of incremental change outlined. At the same time a concept of teacher autonomy is elaborated which is in contrast to rational autonomy but which restores a voluntaristic role to teachers.