Regional and Municipal Models of Social Policy in Secondary Education (Part 1)

Abstract

The object of the study is regional and municipal models of education policy. The newly legislated Law on the General Principles of Organization of Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation requires the reorganization of financing of the education system; this is what makes the present study relevant. The authors use empirical data collected in 4 Russian regions (the Yaroslavl, Tver, Samara regions, and the Chuvash Republic). Detailed interviews with a representative of the Education Department and from 4 to 6 managers of municipal education departments were conducted in each region. In addition, from 5 to 6 secondary school managers in each municipal district also filled in a questionnaire. The analysis of the data showed the existence of 3 models of education policy in the regions: a liberal policy, a social policy, and a centralized policy. They are characterized by different degrees of reliance on economic and administrative mechanisms.