Participation of Civil Society in School Governance: Comparative Research of Institutional Designs in Nicaragua and Brazil

Examining the educational agenda in many countries in the last two decades reveals increased participation as one of the most important issues educators face. The idea that all members of a community should participate in the education decision-making process has been supported by people of different political and ideological origins. In Latin America, the issue of broad participation was included in many education reform agendas during the democratization process in the region. Decentralization, school autonomy, and civil participation are some of the key terms often used to describe the process of achieving greater equality in education.

The reform projects analyzed in this chapter are based on the idea that equality in the education system can be pursued by opening the possibility of participation to all members of the educational community. This broadening of the use of voice should provide for a better opportunity for all demands to be heard and taken into account on an equal basis. This research is based on the assumption that different institutional designs, understood to mean the laws, values, conventions, and regulations that govern social action, have an impact on popular participation in school affairs. Therefore, an appreciation of the key features of institutional design is necessary for an understanding of civic involvement in education.