The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms: A Postmodern Catalyst for Change in Educational Administrative Practices

In an unstable social climate, the effects of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on administrative practice in educational institutions may be perceived as a postmodernist manifestation of that social instability. Three foci (administration/management; social instability; the law) identifying postmodernism are described and the particular impact of two of them on administrative practice is discussed. The sequential importance of the Canadian Constitution Acts of 1791, 1867, and 1982 are also discussed. In conclusion, a number of points are addressed to identify areas administrators would be well advised to consider in the course of carrying out their responsibilities with the contexts of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and postmodernism.