ABSTRACT
The concept of total quality control is as relevant to the local authority as it is to every self-managing institution. The advantage of sophisticated mechanism would be to remove the barrier between statemented and non-statemented pupils, offering self-managing schools the opportunity to respond to educational needs as a community. Whatever the outcome, the immediate and intermediate goal of the local education authority remains as J. Sayer and subsequently others have suggested, that schools should accommodate individual difference. The locally-controlled resources are a fundamental aspect of meeting special educational needs within the mainstream is well explored by G. Thomas. The Kent Education Authority response to funding special educational needs, both within mainstream schools and within delegated units and locally managed special schools is a very good example of how the local authority can play a strategic role in the school development planning process.
