Paper short abstract:

As this case study shows, government officials are willing to allow key players to act independently in the interests of creating a stronger school but will do so only so far as those entrusted with taking ownership of the major decisions made at a local level do not exceed the authority granted to them. Ultimately those who govern own government schools.

Paper long abstract:

Is it true as some scholars argue that government institutions belong to all of us? My research, a fifteen month ethnographic study of neoliberal policy in practice in a Western Australian Government secondary school, suggests that claims to ownership of decision making in schools is situational. The gap between the ideals of a devolved model of governance and the lived realities was striking. While all tax-paying citizens can claim some stake in government schools, particularly those whose children attend these institutions, the fact is that very few choose to play an active role in the running of them. Teachers are often happy to hand responsibility for major decisions to the Executive and the bureaucrats tended to be "hands-off", until the Principal started to act too independently that is. The Principal was correct to point out that it was she who had to carry the burden of responsibility for decisions taken at the local level. However, this does not mean that she owned the school. As this case study shows, while government officials are often willing to allow key players to act independently in the interests of creating a stronger school, they will do so only so far as those entrusted with taking ownership of the major decisions made at a local level do not exceed the authority granted to them. Ultimately those who govern own government schools.