Abstract

Managerialism has changed the nature of the curriculum and imposed upon us new conceptions of the teacher and teaching. In this paper a brief outline and critique of it are provided and its reductionist effects noted. Against this managerialism a conception of the school as an educational community is developed, based on Oakeshott's work. From within this conception a critique of planned or utopian change is mounted and a concept of incremental change outlined. At the same time a concept of teacher autonomy is elaborated which is in contrast to rational autonomy but which restores a voluntaristic role to teachers.