This thesis reports on a study which investigated the impact of the decisionmaking process under the remit of the Education Act 1996 s. 19, on local education authority (LEA) arrangements for educating children out of school by reason of illness in order to contribute to policy development in the area of parental involvement. A multiple site case study of the administration of exceptional provision in English LEAs was conducted. Fifteen contrasting LEAs were contacted. Seven LEAs volunteered (two shire counties; one metropolitan district; one unitary and three London). Twenty one LEA professionals who were responsible for hospital and home tuition services, and 35 parents of 35 children (24 children residing in case study LEAs; 11 children residing in non case study LEAs) volunteered to participate in the study. In-depth qualitative data were collected between March 1998 and March 1999 by means of semi-structured interviews and document collation. Overall, the data from parents suggested that diversity existed in the type and quality of provision, but less diversity existed in the quantity of provision that pupils received. Consistency existed in the pragmatic nature of factors related to the outcomes described by parents, and the data from LEA documents and professionals' perceptions. Enabling legislation and inconsistent levels of accountability allowed LEA professionals substantial discretion in decisions about the type of provision that pupils received and the quality of the arrangements. The diversity of family provision contributed to the diversity of the outcomes for pupils also. The data from LEA professionals suggested that the main effects of professional decision-making in the administration of provision were rationing and displacement of responsibility to the school and parents. Given the pragmatic nature of factors responsible for the diversity in the type and quality of LEA provision that pupils received, together with evidence of rationing the quantity of resources allocated, the study concluded that the determining factor influencing professional decisionmaking was inadequate resources to fund LEA provision. The data from LEA documents, professionals and parents suggested that the main effects of the informal involvement of parents in professional ecision making was parental influence on the type and quality of provision, but not the quantity of LEA provision. Given the limiting factor of inadequate resources and the lack of influence of parents on the quantity of LEA resources allocated, it was likely that financial pressure within the LEA caused the displacement of responsibility for provision to schools. The discourse of participants suggested that professionals were in control of the decision-making process and parents accepted responsibility to liaise between stakeholders. The diversity of parents' needs was related to the effectiveness of the parent to influence decisions or situations that impinged on the type of provision and quality of the arrangements that pupils received. The implications of the findings for decision-makers and possible areas for policy development are discussed.
Permanent link to this resource: https://doi.org/10.24384/m5yw-hc06
Davies, Susan M.
Supervisors: Davis, Terence; Nind, Melanie; Simmons, Katy; Thomas, Gary
Faculty of Humanities and Social SciencesSchool of Education
Year: 2001
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