Centralization and Decentralization of the Educational Administration in Palestine from the Principals of Governmental Schools in the Northern Palestinian Governorates Point of View

This study aimed at knowing the perspective of the of governmental schools, principals in the Northern Palestinian Governorate about the centralization and decentralization patterns in the educational administration in Palestine, and also to determine the effects the independent variables: scientific qualification, educational qualification, years of administrative experience, gender, the school stage, and the directorate; these variables were constructed as null hypothesis. The researcher developed a questionnaire, consisted of (61) items, depending on the educational literature and previous studies. The questionnaire represents six educational administrative fields: curriculum, teaching methods, personnel affairs, pupils affairs, school buildings, and financial affairs. After proving the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, the researcher distributed it on a sample of (300) principals of governmental schools in the directorates of Nablus, Jenin, Qabatya, Tulkerm, Qalqilia and Salfeet; the valid questionnaires, that were attained, were (153) for male and (124) for female principals. The most important results that emerged of the study include: 1-The tendency of the principals is toward the decentralization pattern. The school level obtained the highest percentage (44.4%) of a response for the total grade of the fields of the study, the directorate level is the next with a response of (34.2%), and both levels represent the field of the educational administration. That is the pattern of decentralization in educational administration is chosen by a big percentage of (78.6 %), while the ministry level, that represents the centralization pattern, is chosen by a percentage of (21.4). 2-The principals have chosen school level as the desired administrative level to take decisions related to four educational fields: financial affairs, school buildings, teaching methods, and pupils affairs, they also have chosen the directorate level for the field of personnel affairs.These pro decentralization pattern results are emphasized if they are considered together.While they have chosen the ministry level for one educational field: the curriculum, i.e. their tend is for decentralization pattern for it. 3-There are significant statistical differences at the level of indication (α= 0.05) between the desired administrative levels to take decisions bases on the variables: the scientific qualification, the years of administrative experience, the gender, the school stage and the directorate. While there isn't such differences due to the educational qualification variable. In the light of the study results, the researcher recommends that the Ministry of Education to continue supporting the tendency towards decentralization pattern in the educational administration in Palestine. He also recommends that more scientific studies about this subject must be implemented.