Abstract: | School-based management is being increasingly advocated as a shortcut to more efficient management and quality improvement
in education. Research, however, has been unable to prove conclusively such a linkage. Especially in developing countries,
concerns remain about the possible detrimental impact of school-based management on school quality; equity among different
schools in the same system; the motivation of and relationships between principals and teachers; and financial as well as
administrative transparency. The present study defines school-based management and, in view of its implementation in different
world regions, examines some of its advantages and disadvantages. In particular, the author explores the strategies which
must accompany school-based management in order to ensure a positive impact on quality. These are found to include (1) guaranteeing
that all schools have certain basic resources; (2) developing an effective school-support system; (3) providing schools with
regular information on their performance and advice on how they might improve; and (4) emphasizing the motivational element
in the management work of the school principal. |