Changing Educational Governance in Spain: Decentralisation and Control in the Autonomous Communities

Abstract

This article explores the impact of change in the governance of education in Spain by exploring the views of system actors engaged in education policy-making in two autonomous communities within the Spanish state. The interviews reflect on the long process of reform of education in Spain, and the shaping principles of that reform. They also consider the ways in which the process has altered as Spanish society has changed. A key issue is the tension between the legacy of a history of centralisation and the pressure for modernisation, which is seen to require decentralisation. Issue that relate to the definition of ‘national identity’ within a decentralised education system are also considered.