ABSTRACT
One of the recurring questions in the administration of education is that of professional participation in decision-making vs. political/managerial control of the decision system. This chapter explores an aspect of that contest during the period of local government reorganization, using the concept of system politics. The 1978–79 study examined corporate planning/corporate management and its impact on education policy-making in four local authorities. The conclusions focused on the system at the top: the majority party leadership, the chief executive, the director of education and the officers' management team. The post of deputy director of education is one which the director can use to delegate a number of duties or none at all. About the only set task is to deputise for the director when he is out of the authority. But the deputy has experience in educational administration on which the director can draw in assigning responsibilities to the number two officer in the department.
