Educational Policy Explained: Who Decides What Children Learn in Schools?
- Eduettu
- Oct 7, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 17
Educational policy shapes everything students learn in school, from national curriculum standards to classroom teaching practices. Decisions about what children learn are rarely made by a single authority. Instead, they involve governments, ministries of education, curriculum specialists, school leaders, and international organisations such as UNESCO and OECD. Understanding how educational policy works helps teachers, parents, and leaders see why curricula change and how education systems evolve.
What Is Educational Policy?
Educational policy refers to the laws, guidelines, and strategic decisions that shape how schools operate and what students are expected to learn. These policies influence curriculum design, assessment systems, teacher training, and school governance. In most countries, educational policy is developed by ministries of education in collaboration with research institutions, international organisations, and local school authorities.
1. National and State Governments Policy
National and state governments play a critical role in establishing the broad framework of educational policy. In many countries, the national government, through its Ministry or Department of Education, sets overarching education standards, including national curricula, assessment frameworks, and guidelines for teacher qualifications. For example, in the United States, the federal government provides funding through programs such as Title I, but it is primarily state governments that control educational policy, as education is largely a state responsibility.
National governments also influence education through legislation. Policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act or Every Student Succeeds Act in the U.S. are examples of national legislative efforts to standardize and improve educational outcomes. Similarly, in countries like the U.K., the National Curriculum outlines the essential content and skills that students are expected to acquire at different key stages of their education.
However, while national governments set broad goals and allocate funding, much of the decision-making power about what children learn lies at the state or provincial level. State education boards determine how national guidelines are implemented, develop specific curricula, and oversee standardized testing requirements. In addition, they regulate schools, teachers, and educational standards within their jurisdiction.
2. Local School Boards and Districts
At the local level, school boards and districts have considerable influence over how educational policies are interpreted and enacted. Local school boards, often composed of elected officials, are responsible for making decisions that directly impact the operation of schools within a specific community. These boards set policies on curriculum implementation, school budgets, teacher hiring, and student discipline.
Local control means that curriculum choices can vary from one district to another, even within the same state. While state and national standards must be adhered to, local school boards decide how to meet those standards. For example, while the state might mandate the teaching of science, the local school board could decide whether to emphasize environmental science or traditional biology at different grade levels.
Parents can have a direct impact on these decisions through participation in school board meetings and local elections. Being informed and involved at this level is crucial for parents who wish to have a say in the educational direction of their children’s schools.
3. School Administrators and Educators
While governments and school boards set policies and curricula, teachers and school administrators are responsible for implementing them in the classroom. School principals and administrators ensure that district and state policies are followed and manage school-specific decisions such as scheduling, resource allocation, and teacher professional development.
Teachers, meanwhile, play a direct role in deciding how to deliver the curriculum to students. Although they follow prescribed curricula, they have professional autonomy to adapt lesson plans, teaching methods, and assessments to suit the needs of their students. A teacher's experience, knowledge, and creativity can greatly influence the way subjects are taught, making the classroom experience highly variable even within the same school.
Moreover, educational policy increasingly encourages teachers to personalize learning to meet the diverse needs of students. Differentiated instruction, where teachers modify lessons to address different learning styles and abilities, exemplifies how educational decisions at the classroom level impact student learning.
4. Parents and Communities
Parents and communities are vital stakeholders in shaping what children learn, though their role is often more indirect. By engaging with their children’s schools, attending parent-teacher conferences, and participating in local school boards or parent-teacher associations (PTAs), parents can advocate for curricular changes and influence educational priorities.
Community values and concerns often play a significant role in shaping school policies. For instance, debates over sex education, the inclusion of critical race theory, or the teaching of evolution versus intelligent design are often driven by parent and community groups. These discussions reflect broader societal concerns and can lead to changes in what is taught in schools.
Additionally, parents influence educational policy through voting on local referendums, supporting school bond measures, or electing representatives who prioritize education in government. In this way, parental involvement in the political process indirectly impacts the broader educational landscape.
5. Special Interest Groups and Educational Experts
Special interest groups and educational experts also play a significant role in shaping educational policy. Advocacy groups, ranging from professional teacher organizations to parents’ rights groups, lobby for particular issues, such as curriculum reform, standardized testing, or the allocation of funding. These groups can have a profound impact on policy decisions by influencing lawmakers, organizing campaigns, and mobilizing public opinion.
Educational experts such as researchers, curriculum developers, and think tanks also contribute by providing evidence-based recommendations on best practices in education. Research on cognitive development, instructional strategies, or equity in education can lead to changes in national or state policies aimed at improving educational outcomes. The inclusion of digital literacy or social-emotional learning into curricula in many school systems reflects the influence of such expert-driven research.
6. International Influences
In an increasingly globalized world, international organizations and comparisons also shape educational policy. Agencies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and programs like PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) influence how countries assess and reform their education systems.
Countries often look to international benchmarks to measure their educational progress. For example, countries that perform well on international assessments may serve as models for education reform in other regions. This global context means that what students learn locally may be influenced by international trends and standards in education.
Policy is shaped by a complex interplay of national, state, and local governments, school boards, educators, parents, and special interest groups. While broad guidelines are often set at the national or state level, much of the day-to-day decision-making about what children learn happens locally in school districts, classrooms, and homes.
Educational policy ultimately shapes the knowledge, skills, and values passed to the next generation. While governments set curriculum frameworks, teachers, schools, and communities play an equally important role in interpreting and delivering those policies in the classroom. Understanding how educational policy works helps educators and parents engage more critically with curriculum debates and education reform.
Would you like a more significant say in your child's schooling? Do you think too many decisions are made for you rather than with you? Let us know in the comments below.