Autonomy and Local Policies in Norwegian Educational Authorities

Abstract

Abstract: Lindbekk, T. 1987. Autonomy and Local Policies in Norwegian Educational Authorities. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 31, 181‐190. The increasing local autonomy in Norwegian educational policy is analysed on the basis of the budgets for several municipalities. Rearranging the budget figures for three of the larger cities (1982), the author estimates an area for local ‘optional choice’ in the magnitude of 10 per cent of current expenses. Different expense profiles in these cities are pointed out, and the different solutions chosen in several parallel cases, indicating different educational ideologies. Looking into the ‘careers' of the 1700 cases treated by the three authorities in 1982, the author argues that the autonomy of the local authorities in relation to other authorities is great, and that the politicians have a stronger role in the decision‐making than is usually assumed.