The Conceivable Benefits of Being Comprehensive--Finnish Local Education Authorities on Recognising and Controlling the Social Costs of School Choice

Autor/inn/en	Varjo, Janne; Kalalahti, Mira
Titel	The Conceivable Benefits of Being Comprehensive--Finnish Local Education Authorities on Recognising and Controlling the Social Costs of School Choice
Quelle	In: European Educational Research Journal, 14 (2015) 3-4, S.312-330 (19 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1474-9041
DOI	10.1177/1474904115589036
Schlagwörter	School Choice; School Districts; Educational Benefits; Foreign Countries; Educational Change; Interviews; Urban Areas; Equal Education; Educational Opportunities; Disadvantaged; Neighborhoods; Competition; Social Systems; Institutional Cooperation; Educational Quality; Specialists; Elementary Secondary Education; Finland + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Choice of school; Schulwahl; School district; Schulbezirk; Bildungsertrag; Ausland; Bildungsreform; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Urban area; Stadtregion; Bildungsangebot; Bildungschance; Neighbourhoods; Nachbarschaft; Wettkampf; Social system; Soziales System; Institute; Co-operation; Cooperation; Institut; Kooperation; Quality of education; Bildungsqualität; Finnland
Abstract	Since the 1980s, numerous education reforms have sought to dismantle centralised bureaucracies and replace them with devolved systems of schooling that emphasise parental choice and competition between increasingly diversified types of schools. Nevertheless, the "Finnish variety of "post-comprehensivism" continues to emphasise municipal assignment of school places, in the form of the "neighbourhood school principle"; albeit, in its current form, with the possibility for locally controlled choice and competition, channelled especially through classes "with a special emphasis". Based on nine in-depth thematic interviews with experts in provision, management or evaluation of local level compulsory education, this paper focuses on how the conceivable costs and benefits of school choice are recognised and controlled in urban Finnish municipalities. Two distinctive discourses were found to be embodied in the portrayals of the costs and benefits of choice: the "legitimization of school choice"; and "promoting the comprehensive system". The legitimation of school choice discourse is built on the acceptable, but strictly limited reasons for choice, and necessity of school choice. In contrast, the discourse of fostering the comprehensive system is based on the ideology of equality of educational opportunities. It is constructed upon the traditional, universal, non-selective features of the comprehensive school. Against this background, possibilities for school choice can be, and must be, locally controlled--even restricted, if needed--in order to prevent a vicious circle of failing schools in deprived neighbourhoods. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01