Gouverner et construire : le difficile dialogue entre pouvoir central et gouvernement local et ses conséquences sur les programmes de construction scolaire en Angleterre (1997-2010)

Abstract

This paper aims to highlight the issues at stake, the terms of the dialogue between central and local government and their consequences on the implementation of school-building programmes in England between 1997 and 2010. Two main aspects will be discussed here: the funding issue and the educational objectives. The Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, a widely publicised feature of New Labour's education policy, offers an opportunity to examine respective standpoints and communication between the two tiers of government. The study of BSF shows how growing centralisation and political intervention constrain local policies, disrupt the organisation of schooling in local authorities, and ultimately result in a degree of uncertainty and discontinuity in school-building programmes.

Keywords

• education policies
• school building
• local government
• Building Schools for the Future
• decentralisation