Administrative decentralization process in education: An evaluation from the perspective of managers of central administration and municipalities in Turkey

There are various problems between individuals, educational institutions and management in the education system. One of the suggestions for the solution of these problems is decentralization in education. The ultimate aim of decentralization in education is to support economic and social development by ensuring that citizens receive more effective and efficient education services. Moreover, decentralization in education will contribute to ensuring equal opportunities. Equality of opportunity in education is aimed at ensuring that all individuals have access to equal educational resources and that the benefits obtained from education services are equalized among individuals. It is important here to provide equal or equivalent opportunities to all students. It is necessary to carefully evaluate the decentralization process of education services in terms of ensuring equal opportunity in education. It should not go unnoticed that some problems may arise in case of localization in education services. Starting from here, the aim of this study is to evaluate the expected problems, suggestions and results that may arise in case of decentralization in education. With the answers to the question of what level of localization should be achieved in education services and what kind of benefits can be obtained in case of localization, the targets expected from localization can also be revealed. In the empirical part of the study, a questionnaire was conducted with the stakeholders of the subject, the directors of the provincial directorate of national education and the municipality managers. The questionnaire is applied in 21 provinces from 7 regions. In the case of decentralization in education, it was examined whether there is a difference in the views of managers of provincial directorates of national education and municipalities. In the analysis of the questionnaire, problems, solutions and results scale were developed. Problems scale was explained by two factors as level problems and political problems. Among the level problems, the decentralization of vocational high schools has emerged as the problem with the highest factor weight. Among the political problems, the lack of political culture for decentralization in educational services has emerged as the problem with the highest factor weight. The scale of the solutions is explained by two factors: progressive solutions and management structure solutions. Among the gradual solutions, the decentralization of public education directorates has emerged as the solution proposal with the highest factor weight. The results scale was explained by two factors as financial and physical-human. It could be suggested that the performance of the employees will increase by solving their economic problems. It was found that the success of economically less developed regions in education will increase in the case of decentralization. According to the physical-human findings, decentralization in education will decrease the problems in the employment of administrative staff.