Challenges and Risks of Centralization of Powers in Education Management

Abstract

Aleksey Mayorov, D.Sc. in Pedagogy, Deputy Prorector of the National Research University — Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russian Federation. Email: anmayorov@hse.ru 

The author uses the fundamental management theory to analyze how the model of separation of powers is realized in education, and how it can be improved in the future. The period from 2004, when an administrative reform was launched and when the united Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation was formed, until the spring of 2012, when there was a change of government, witnessed a shift in powers from the legislative to the executive branch and from regional to federal authorities. 

Such a significant shift in educational powers from regional to federal authorities violates the very essence of federalism where powers should be separated in order to find appropriate solutions for each specific region and situation. Educational policy has been deregionalized lately, making it too hard for the center to cope with its powers. As a result, the center suggests standard solutions when they are totally inappropriate. Thus, the shift in powers and its practical effects have produced two essential educational phenomena: the low level of trust between federal and regional authorities, and the low independence of regional authorities. Challenges and risks of centralization of powers are investigated through specific examples of management practices. 

The author analyzes the solutions to centralization of powers proposed by different authorities and offers solutions of his own. He also argues that we need to find and trigger the mechanisms of promoting the feedback between people and regional and municipal authorities.