Towards decentralized management in United Arab Emirate (UAE) schools

The Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced that changes will be made in the ways in which its schools are managed. At present, most decisions are made centrally by the Ministry of Education, but moves have begun to decentralize some responsibilities and decisions to schools. The success of such reform is likely to be dependent on many complex issues, a major one of which is the willingness of staff members of schools to implement the changes. This study explores perceptions about decentralization that are held by teachers and principals of 6 schools in 1 city in the UAE. The findings will provide valuable assistance for policy-makers, the Ministry of Education, as well as schools and their communities as the decentralization of school management continues to be implemented.