KAMINSKY'S ADDENDUM TO THE “FREEDOM AND AUTHORITY” MEMORANDUM: A PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATION IN A CONTEXTUAL VACUUM

Abstract

This paper has five objectives. First, to draw attention to serious weaknesses in Kaminsky's analysis of the South Australian “Freedom and Authority” memorandum. Second, to sketch out how Kaminsky could have presented a more realistic picture of A.W. Jones's position both with regard to the memo, and school governance in general. Third, to show that had Kaminsky pursued this suggested line of analysis he would have found that Jones confused ends‐type policy‐making with technico‐professional decision‐making, which led Jones into error concerning the respective roles of lay people and professionals in educational policy‐making. Fourth, to illustrate how Jones's radical indictment of the lack of “democracy” in Australian schools in the mid 1970s was conjoined with conservative and technocratic decisional proposals. Finally, to suggest that the issues raised in my criticism of Kaminsky and Jones are of crucial importance to all those interested in school governance.

Citation

SMITHSON, A. (1983), "KAMINSKY'S ADDENDUM TO THE “FREEDOM AND AUTHORITY” MEMORANDUM: A PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATION IN A CONTEXTUAL VACUUM", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 79-92. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb009870