Faculty of Education - Theses

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Start date: 1972 × End date: 1972 × Author: Neil, A. B ×

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    A comparative study of three New South Wales directorates
    Neil, A. B ( 1972)
    Eleven regional directorates have been established in New South Wales over the past 25 years for the purpose of 'decentralizing' to some extent the formerly highly centralized administration of the N.S.W. Education Department. The introduction of the area system was expected to bring about a number of benefits relating to the , maintenance and staffing of schools, the professional morale of teachers, and the level of community interest in and support for local schools. A comparative study of three N.S.W. directorates was carried out (during 1971-2) by this researcher. My conclusion is that the area system has not in fact led to educational decentralization, and that claims for its success as an administrative innovation have been characterized by optimism rather than by accuracy. With respect to buildings maintenance, certain benefits have followed the area systems introduction, particularly in rural areas where superior provisions are currently being made for school maintenance than in the metropolitan areas surveyed. With greater autonomy and less dependence upon the Public Works Department, directorates would experience even greater benefits in this field. However; the impact of the system upon the average classroom, teacher has not been that personalized administration which is often referred to as being one of the significant gains resulting from the establishment of area directorates in N.S.W. The average teacher seldom comes into contact with the area director or his staff, and Area Office is still generally regarded as a clearing house for correspondence to Head Office, where most important decisions are made. This tendency appeared to be more pronounced in the metropolitan directorates studied; it was also more common amongst secondary teachers than primary staff. Possibly some reduction in the present size of all directorates would assist area directors and their officers to become better known to local teaching personnel.