Empirical research on the effect of decentralization in school education-Analyzing policy on class size reduction by local government in Japan

本研究的目的是透过聚焦福冈县地方政府的减班政策，来厘清分权对教育的影响。本研究的结论如下：(1)福冈县教育委员会在地方政府缩减班级规模的政策制定中没有很强的参与，16个地方政府已经出台了与教师雇佣和班级规模相关的法令；(2) 16个地方政府的财政能力需求与其他44个尚未出台减员政策的地方政府的财政能力需求没有统计学差异；(3)部分财政实力较弱的地方政府为解决国家学业水平考试暴露出的低分问题，由市长主动出台了减员政策。

The purpose of this study is to clear the effect of decentralization in education by focusing on policy on class size reduction by local government in the Fukuoka prefecture.This study concludes as follows: (1) the board of education in the Fukuoka prefecture don't have any strong involvement in policy making on class size reduction by local government, and 16 local governmets have already introduced ordiences relating to teacher employment and class size, (2) there is no statistically difference in financial capability needs between 16 local governments and the other 44 local governments that still don't introduce policy on class size reduction,(3) the policy on class size reduction is introduced by mayor's initiative in some local governments in low financial strength because of solving problems of low test scores exposed by National achievement exams.