Pre-figurative practice and the educational leadership of Sir Alec Clegg in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England (1945–1974). (2nd October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wood, Margaret; Pennington, Andrew; Su, Feng
• Is Part Of: Journal of educational administration and history. Volume 50:Number 4(2018)
• Page Start: 299
• Page End: 315
• Publication Date: 2018-10-02
• Subjects: Alec Clegg -- education leadership -- education policy -- local authority -- schools; School management and organization -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Administration scolaire -- Grande-Bretagne -- Périodiques; 371.2
• DOI: 10.1080/00220620.2018.1501010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0620

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article recalls a time when local government infrastructure was strong and a Chief Education Officer's (CEO) vision could be realised across a region, in Clegg's case the West Riding of Yorkshire, one of the largest of the pre-1974 counties in England. It is timely to revisit Clegg's educational leadership and practice from 1945 to 1974, as a valuable source of learning, and challenge to the current ideologically-informed policy rhetoric which has undermined the framework of democratic educational decision-making. The authors identify four possible areas to learn from Clegg's work. Firstly, the need for CEOs or their modern-day equivalents or successors, to consider their potential as political and community leaders; secondly, Clegg's leadership style prefigures some of the recent discussion about the leadership of public services in uncertain times; thirdly a re-evaluation of administration and bureaucracy; and lastly the need for supportive partnerships to enable schools to thrive.