Reducing school administration to a technicality? Philosophical reflections of senior German school administrators in the context of New Public Management‐based vocational school reform

Abstract

Vocational schools in Germany are currently undergoing administrative reform. The main idea behind this reform, taken from the administrative paradigm of New Public Management, has been to grant schools extended autonomy but to make them more accountable for their results. Critics emphasize that such reform tends to reduce school administration to a mere technicality. Specifically, it is held to diminish philosophical reflection that is an important part of the schools’ educational fabric. This article provides evidence of administrators’ ontological, ethical, and epistemological reasoning in the context of the current reform. Evidence shows that the administrators view administrative reform as an opportunity to put their philosophical reasoning in place. Given the specific background of German vocational schools, the article concludes that additional reporting procedures and external evaluation will not necessarily diminish the relevance of the administrators’ philosophical reflection for the administration of their schools. However, philosophical reasoning is an important component of the implementation of the reform and should be encouraged when training school administrators.