Nevertheless, the decentralisation of power in educational
administration and management needs to take into consideration the
following principles: 1) Readiness and suitability in performing duties
of the Committees responsible for the supervision of educational
service areas, the Office of Educational Service Areas and schools; 2)
Laws, regulations, rules, announcements or the minutes of Ministers’
meetings concerning the decentralisation; 3) Unity of educational
standards and policies; 4) Autonomy and flexibility of educational
administration and management; 5) Emphasis on participation from
community and stakeholders; 6) Strength and flexibility of schools
achieved from the decentralisation of power; 7) Enhancement of
schools’ quality and efficiency; and 8) Empowerment of responsible
persons in decision-making.
4.2 Increase of Educational Service Areas
In 2003, 175 educational service areas were established. An
evaluation of their effectiveness indicated that some educational
service areas could not oversee schools under their supervision
appropriately. The problems of these educational service areas ranged
from the geological restraints in some remote mountainous areas,
which obstruct transportation and communication, to the violence
and insurgency emerging continuously in the three Southern border
provinces. With advice from the Office of Education Council, the
Ministry of Education proposed to the Council of Ministers that 10
additional educational service areas be established. In 2008, there
are altogether 185 educational service areas.
The Ministry of Education originally designed the educational
service areas as local education authorities providing educational
benefits for children and people in accordance with the locality,
identity and ways of life in their communities. Following the
promulgation of the Ministerial Regulation, the Office of the Basic
Education Commission made its announcement concerning the
decentralisation of power in educational administration in July,
2007.
The announcement decentralises the power in educational
administration of the Secretary-General of the Basic Education