SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SCHOOL POLICY: A CASE STUDY OF A SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Tony Rossi, Frank Crowther, Bronwyn Herbertson

The School Leadership Institute, Faculty of Education,

University of Southern Queensland

Introduction

The term, 'social justice' appears to have different meanings to

different people. On occasions, the meanings are grounded in certain

ideological apparatus (Althusser,1971). Ideological interference in

Queensland was apparent when the current government upon its election

to office removed the nomenclature 'social justice' from school policy

making in favour of 'fair and equitable'. Such a change would confirm

perhaps what Apple (1993) sees as the rightist resurgence in

educational policy making. Whether this is so of course is a matter of

standpoint. What is not contested is that since the introduction of a

broad concept of social justice into the educational language of

schools in Queensland, it has proven particularly elusive to define.

The research project focused on practicing educators who were mostly in

leadership roles and the diverse range of managerial structures within

their organisations. Emphasis was placed on the perceptions of social

justice within these structures, how they came to be in place and how

these perceptions affect the day to day practice within the school. It

was felt that an increased understanding of social justice and its

practice would aid the educational institutions themselves and other

educational providers to develop a deeper insight of how to create or

further enhance a socially just environment.

It is apparent that government economic policy effects how social

justice is attained and how its implementation by institutions and

individuals is controlled. The policies have been justified as

providing opportunity of individual choice to all Australians so that

all have equal chances and fair access to the resources of the nation.

This notion of a 'fair go' is institutionalised in the Australian

psyche (Rizvi and Lingard, 1993), even if its societal manifestation

falls short of this ideal particularly under the structures of

governmentality which have prevailed for close to 20 years. Indeed,

Troyna and Vincent (1995) suggest that social inequality as an

indicator of social injustice is as prevalent today as it ever was.

Theories of social justice tend to be complicated by notions of 'just',

'desert' and 'fairness' (Rizvi, 1993; Fisher, 1985; Rawls, 1973,

Connell 1982) though Raphael (1994) indicates that such language use

should be assigned to 'justice' rather social justice. The

distributive theory of justice is also prominent and attempts to

account for the equal distribution of social goods (Lingard, 1995;

Kemmis, 1994; Young, 1990). Young (1990) however argues that it is

the institutional factors which should be addressed and that domination

and oppression should be the focus of social justice theorising and

research (see also Kemmis, 1994; Troyna and Vincent, 1995; Hughs, 1995)

Three specific areas relating to social justice, access, participation

and outcomes from education tend to be given the most attention in

relation to policies specific to education. It is emphasised in the

literature that inclusion of education about social justice as well as

the practices of social justice is important to the education system.

(Reid, 1993)

This study

The School Advisory Council at Mackenzie State High School, a school

located in the south eastern corner of Queensland was identified as an

potential site for an investigation into social justice and school

policy since there exists a social justice policy which is enshrined in

the mission statement and the working documents of the school. Council

members themselves were enthusiastic in their support of the

undertaking and committed themselves to it knowing that they would be

heavily involved in all aspects of its planning, data gathering and

completion.

Purposes of the study.

The case study had two main purposes:

¥ To uncover meanings of social justice that are embedded in the functioning of the/an Advisory

 Council of the/a school, with a view to arriving at shared understandings;

¥ To critique processes of school policy development and decision making at Mackenzie State High School, with a view to conceptualising the policy process.

To fulfil these purposes, the study was framed by three broad research questions:

1. What conceptions of socially just practice are expressed by members

of the student body (year 12 students were chosen for reasons detailed below)?;

2. What perceptions of socially just practice are expressed by the

members of the School Advisory Council (SAC)?;

3. What approach to policy development is undertaken by the School

Advisory Council to achieve a socially just educational environment?

Research Method

The study drew upon the traditions of the qualitative research

paradigm. In particular, a mutualistic form of inquiry was attempted.

That is, roles were negotiated, and the findings of the research were

shared as they emerged and outcomes agreed upon. Every attempt was made

to ensure that the various participants in the research used their

specialised knowledge and skills to full advantage while maintaining a

fully respectful relationship and independence of viewpoint. Both the

research process and the research outcomes were regarded as part of an

on-going learning process for both parties - the University

researchers and the School Advisory Council.

The University research team led preliminary discussion regarding the

design of the study. Following consideration by Council Members, it

was decided to make major use of strategies of interview/narrative

coupled with observer field notes of Council meetings and of document

analysis.

The team proposed that to gain a clear picture of the Council

operations it would require data from two sources:

¥ from members of the student body who had 'lived through' the life of

the Council and had perhaps experienced the outcomes of its work. A

sample of year 12 students (N=25) was suggested.

¥ from the membership of the Advisory Council

These procedures were agreed upon by both parties. In the conduct of

the study however, the USQ research team came to feel that the

designated student sample might, be skewed towards high academic

achievement. If correct, this bias might have serious implications for

any conclusions that could be drawn. Therefore, a second student cohort

(N=5) with a different academic profile was identified and included in

the sample. Finally, to confirm the validity of conclusions drawn from

both of the previous student samples a third group of Year 12 students

(N=6) was interviewed. It should also be noted that upon the

submission of a report for the school, acceptance of the report was

declined in favour of further work and interpretation. Given the

mutualistic nature of the research, this was subsequently undertaken.

The data from both sources (student body and Council members) were

gathered using semi-structured interviews and analysis of policy

documents. Additionally, four meetings of the Council were attended for

observational purposes. Interview questions were framed in such a way

as to allow free discussion of issues as they emerged. All interviews

were tape-recorded but were not fully transcribed.

Analysis of the data

Data that were collected during the research were reviewed by the

individual researchers prior to team consideration. This was not in

contravention of the shared design rather it was the preferred approach

of the membership of the Advisory Council. The USQ team did however

recognise that it was not its role to impose interpretations of the

data on the Council. To this end, tentative interpretations derived by

the team were presented to the Council for further discussion,

confirmation and adjustment . This process was conducted through a two

hour workshop at a Council meeting. As a result of this action, further

examination of the interview data was undertaken and findings presented

in more detail to develop a revised report of the project.

The conclusions that emerged from the research are presented below in

the form of a series of generalised conclusions. The richness of

individual viewpoints may be compromised in this approach, but insights

into the ethos and culture of the school and of the School Advisory

Committee are hopefully explicated by it. In our view it provides

evidence of a process of major cultural shift in the school in terms of

management and policy development, the success of which warrants

further investigation and analysis.

Presentation of the findings

The data are presented under the broad headings of the research

questions. Within these headings the findings are organised along

thematic lines with some conclusions offered for scrutiny.

Research Question 1:

What conceptions of socially just practice are expressed by year 12

students?

Interpretation of the Findings

From the data collected, three broad themes can be identified. In some

instances, the views of individual students manifested two, or even all

three of these themes, but it is probable that one theme was dominant

in the views of each individual.

Theme 1. Justice is a "Level Playing Field"

Thirteen (13) students made comments that could be perceived as

representing a dominantly liberal individualistic view of social

justice (Rawls, 1973; Nozick, 1976). That is, they placed emphasis on

the freedom of the individual to succeed or fail. The notions of

'fairness' and 'desert' are central to this philosophy. That is, it is

supposed that a level playing field is created, with students being

given a fair go in the beginning. (Fisher, 1985)

For example:

Students do generally stand by the 'get what you deserve' theme.

Everyone is given a fair go at the start, it's just how they take

advantage of the opportunity.

If kids are coming to school, regardless of their situations, they are

agreeing to adhere to the school policy.

Some people are treated better then others. Everyone is given a fair go

at the start, it's just how they take advantage of the opportunity.

Those who do the work and behave are better off. People who are going

to give the school a good name are more important to the school

It implies that, regardless of background considerations, the secondary

school is a level playing field where individuals make their own

opportunities and determine their own fate.

Theme 2: Justice is "Compensating for Differences"

Several students' views of school practices appeared to align

dominantly with the 'social democratic' theory of social justice where

people's circumstances and differences are to be catered for and

intervention is used to promote fairer competition. (Bartlett, 1991).

To quote three different students:

The school tries to do what is best for the individual student even if

that means putting him/her back into the classroom and disadvantaging

the rest of the class

Equity is making up for differences, groups are treated differently but

fairly.

Poor students are given help with uniforms and shoes but this is fair

in the circumstances as they have to comply with the uniform policy.

The Queensland Government's Social Justice Strategy 1994 - 1998

appears to provide a policy framework in support of this viewpoint. One

of the nine target groups described as needing special attention

pertains to students perceived to be 'at risk'.

A range of personal and social circumstances can combine to put some

students' at risk' of not completing their schooling. Factors that can

reduce educational access, participation and outcomes - domestic

violence, sexual, physical, emotional abuse, interrupted

schooling, poverty, homelessness, adolescent parenthood.(p.13)

This category of disadvantage appears to be indicative of the students

that were identified in the interviews as suffering from some form of

discrimination, or being deserving of extra assistance. It is a

category that is not as obvious as race, gender or disability,

especially when only a select group of peers are aware of the

individual student's circumstances. The students who espoused theme two

indicated a concern that allowances were made for each other's

background circumstances. Six(6) students identified a distinct group

in the school that they felt was subject to discriminatory treatment in

some form. This group encompassed students with perceived poor social

and communication skills and who were thought to have troubled home

lives. The interviewees recalled instances of these students being

blamed automatically for actions in which they may have been innocent.

The six students in this second category indicated that they were

keenly aware of what each other's home lives were like and that on a one

to one basis, they felt sympathy for those students who were having

problems at home or at school.

Many of the students interviewed basically espoused the liberal

individualist view (Rawls, 1973, Nozick, 1976) and appear to have

little tolerance for those who break the rules.

We take each others problems into account on an individual basis. But

if a student uses his or her family life to justify bad behaviour we

have no sympathy.

Theme 3: Justice is "Ignoring Differences"

Some of these interviewees also pointed to perceived inequities

emanating from teachers' preferential treatment of high achieving

students and a suggested 'automatic reflex' when it comes to

disciplining low achievers or those known to be trouble makers. For

example:

If you are a brighter student and you behave well, teachers will treat

you well.

Authority figures brand some people and keep picking on them. They are

isolated individuals with low self-esteem and poor communication

skills. They are unable to defend themselves verbally. Every grade has

two or three people that get dumped on.

Discrimination does occur with social groups - those from poorer

families who are always in trouble.

Strike et al (1988) discuss the differing approaches taken by teachers

in time and resource distribution. They identified one group as

'elitists' or 'utilitarianist' who are those that teachers aim to give

the most to those that will utilise it the best. The other group was

identified as following the 'levellers' or 'justice as fairness'

approach hoping to ensure that those disadvantaged students have a

better chance to succeed through access to resources and attention.

In the opinions of the students, the school should make every effort to

turn a blind eye to differences emanating from socio-economic

background, whether they manifest in others privilege or disadvantage.

Research Question 1 - Conclusions

In summary, the dominant values that appeared to underlie the

interviews were associated largely with achievement and school image,

supported by a concern for the well-being of peers whose circumstances

create disadvantage in one way or another. Students tend to view

themselves as obliged to strive for high levels of achievement in the

interests of both themselves and their school's image. They also tend

to regard it as important to respect the diversity of the student body

in all respects except for instances of disruptive or destructive

behaviour.

The question of how to cope with deviant situations, within a socially

just framework, emerges as extremely complex. It is clearly

unreasonable to expect that all students will at all times be hard

working and model citizens. With the increasing complexity of problems

that some students bring to school with them, it is also unreasonable

to suggest that deviants can simply be excluded or rejected. Indeed,

some would say that the school has a responsibility to model tolerance

and an understanding of complex background factors like socio-economic

disadvantage, cultural values or language difficulty. This would be

consistent with both the State government policy and perhaps would go

some way to addressing Young's (1990) concerns that it is oppression

that should be the focus of any social justice policy. However, there

is a tension in these data where school achievement which may be

underpinned by liberty and ideology of individualism collides head on

with tolerance and understanding and support which may be underpinned

buy notions of community and social justice. One must ask whether this

juxtaposition is a product of underdeveloped social justice policies in

the school or whether the pervasive features of an over competitive

society are simply too overwhelming

Perhaps most difficult to come to terms with is that for the most part,

it appears that students see their school as working towards the goal

of a socially just position. Whether this direction derives from the

Council's explicit emphasis on socially just practice, from school

leadership, from Government policy and legislation, from a humanistic

outlook in the teaching and para-professional staff, from the

expectations of parents in the community, or from other sources is an

important but unresolved question.

Research Question 2:

What perceptions of socially just practice are expressed by the members

of the school advisory council?

From the data collected it is apparent that the members of the S.A.C

hold somewhat differing views in relation to both the meanings of

social justice and their applications in educational practice.

Quotations have been selected from interview transcripts to illustrate

dominant themes in the viewpoints of each S.A.C. member.

Interpretations of the Findings

The essence of social justice as being about 'equity' came across

strongly throughout the interviews. The term 'equity' has as many

meanings as the term 'social justice' and it is only by reading the

comments of each interviewee in a holistic sense that the

interpretation of the word by each of them becomes clear. The complex

nature of the issue was recognised by some of the members:

We have all found it hard to define. It's a state of mind.

Equity is a beginning term while justice is an after term.

We are all equal in the eyes of God.

Some members indicated that specific categories of students,

particularly those who are economically disadvantaged, should be given

special support. (With the exception of special education students,

however, this did not extend to include target programming). It can

also be seen to be consistent with the social democratic viewpoint of

social justice which we have termed 'Justice is complex equality.' This

represents a way of describing the need to weigh up and make allowances

for differences in order to produce a fair result. Such a view has many

different aspects which must be accounted for, including the balancing

of competing interests, and the complex question of rating disadvantage.

The dominant position tended to be that the individual needs of every

student should be respected and accommodated if possible. Once this

has been done it is up to individual students to assume personal

responsibility for their own well-being. One member argued in this

vein that social justice involves the right to a non-disrupted

education, free choice of subjects and with each student "able to

attain their level of education appropriate to their level of

ability". The idea that it is up to each student personally to

succeed or fail relates to the idea of 'horizontal equity' or 'equal

treatment of equals' (Simkins, 1995). In this vein of thought, everyone

is given the same opportunities and it is assumed that they have the

same abilities to make the most of them.

The S.A.C. members expressed views that, compared with those of

students, appear to reflect a high degree of empathy for persons who

are disadvantaged. While the majority of students espoused the position

that it is up to the individual to succeed through hard work, the

S.A.C. members generally equated equity with giving more assistance to

those who need it.

Theme 1 : Justice is "Complex Equity".

Variations on this theme were expressed by eight (8) of the S.A.C

members interviewed. They represented a 'social democratic' view of

social justice in that they advocate a concern for taking people's

differing needs into consideration in educational policy-making and

practice. Walzer (1983) discusses this view in the concept of 'complex

equality' as opposed to 'simple equality' (complex equality involves a

thorough process of ascertaining which intervention would produce the

most just outcome). It allows for outcomes to be achieved by

recognising that there are differences that have to be weighed up

before a decision about resource allocation, reward or penalty is made.

As one member stated:

social justice involves principles of equity, access, participation.

All eight (8) members who expressed this view of social justice

stressed the importance of policies and practices to foster the

development of a "just" school community. They also articulated the

importance of seeing the school community as encompassing parents and

others involved in the institution:

Social justice is equity across all levels and it applies to whole

school community.

It is the basis on which all public institutions should be run.

Equity is an ongoing process. Social justice should be there all the

time in the operation of schools. Fairness and justice for all,

especially the underdog.

Examples were also provided of how socially just policies have been

translated into practice at Mackenzie over the period of the past five

years or so:

¥ A perceived change in the school culture from one of punishment to one

¥ Increased recognition of the rights of students.

¥ The modification of the uniform policy to allow for the expression of

¥ The modification of the uniform policy to remove perceived gender

¥ Investigations into the allocation of resources (such as use of the

¥ The instigation of cultural awards as opposed to academic and sporting

¥ Ensuring access to education for those students 'at risk', for example

One member of the S.A.C. addressed this issue in relation to Aboriginal issues:

We are all individuals. You shouldn't lump people all in together.

Social Justice is not keeping score.

Theme 2 : Justice is "Full Opportunity"

Ideas relating to individual responsibility and initiative were

expressed by four (4) members of the S.A.C. The idea stressed is that

it is socially just to give all students the same opportunities and

that it is up to the individual students to make the most of those

opportunities. The emphasis is on the rights of the individual to

succeed.

For example:

People will always try to manipulate situations for their own good

-regardless of others needs.

Certain people can be counselled, but if you speak to people two or

three times and they continue to offend then they are out.

Everybody is entitled to be considered as an individual - with needs,

wants, rights, privileges.

This view is a reappearance of the liberal individualist philosophy

(Rawls, 1973; Nozick, 1976) which emerged strongly in our discussions

with the year 12 students. It was further recognition that individuals

will always act in self-interest and that individual liberty is a value

which precedes social justice. Again, this signals a tension which is

difficult to reconcile. As one member stated:

Some children are deserving and need assistance. Others are just

rebelling against authority.

Several members of the S.A.C. discussed these ideas of 'horizontal

equity' ('equal treatment for equals' Simkins, 1995) such as:

Social justice involves principles of equality for everybody in the

school, regardless of age, sex, race.

Research Question 2 - Conclusions

The Council was generally perceived as responsible for setting an

example, through its mission and goals, of respect for every

individual, high expectations for achievement and behaviour and a

degree of understanding when the goals of the School Council would

sometimes not be achieved. However, some members argued that social

justice ideals might not be practised because some school policies (for

example the behaviour management policy) were likely to affect

disadvantaged students more than other students. In this sense, there

was a belief that the school is perhaps not addressing social justice

fully, or at least only addressing it selectively. It can also be

concluded from the interviews that there is a range of opinion within

the Council as to the degree of understanding that should be shown when

students fail to meet what might be regarded as reasonable expectations

for behaviour and in this regard it can be argued that the council has

within it diverse visions of social justice in spite of the council's

very existence being based upon the ethics of social justice. This

could have implications when operating a consensus based system as well

as hindering clear communication when using these terms in discussion.

Members were unanimous, however, that the broader community lacks an

adequate strategy for dealing with the problems of acceptable codes of

behaviour, degrees of tolerance and the ability of the school to cope

with broader problems of equity and justice that have their origins

beyond the school gate.

It was felt that the pursuit of social justice must be ongoing. It was

felt also that it must be viewed broadly (economic background, race,

ethnicity, etc.). Indeed, there was support for social justice being

concerned with all aspects of school life. It seems fair to say that

the Council members have not to date considered the question of whether

their policies impact on student outcomes. This should be seen as

something of a shortcoming of the council since it is tantamount to

management without purpose and if the council is found not to have any

affect according to its charter, then its very existence must be

questioned and the policies upon which its existence is based to be

redundant.

Research Question 3:

What approach to policy development is undertaken by the school

advisory council?

From the data collected during interviews with the S.A.C members',

several views of the policy process emerge.

Interpretation of the Findings

A high level of confidence in the policy process and the mandate of the

Council was expressed by Council members. What emerges from the data

are two different conceptions of school-based policy:

¥ "policy" as concrete, formal guidelines for action, based on

articulated values and structures and roles. (Crowther,1993) Crowther

(1993) identified five characteristics that are necessary elements of a

good school policy:

1) It articulates an important educational purpose and a desired

2) It provides evidence of a defensible process of generation.

3) It is responsive to the values of the school's communities of

4) It is clearly linked to the legislative authority of the systems in

5) It indicates procedures by which decisions that emanate from it may

¥ "policy" as a process that has the potential to generate consensus

and raise consciousness in the community about contentious on unclear

values, including those relating to social justice.

It is clear that some Council members have a preference for the former

conception of policy and some for the latter, with an integration being

generally accepted.

The views that were expressed by S.A.C. interviewees indicated that the

perceived strength of the Council's policy process were in the value of

broad contributions of a range of members from varied backgrounds.

Many members referred to stakeholders as being an integral part of the

process. It was felt that this contribution is made to the working

parties and committees.

There was great emphasis placed on the role of the Council as being

advisory ie., providing advice for the Principal to act upon or

otherwise. The relationship of the Principal to the Council is an

integral one. Studies of school councils have highlighted that the

amount of control that the principal has over such aspects as agenda

preparation can influence the operation of the Council. (Probert,

1984; Rigter, 1986)

There was approval for the involvement of students on the Council

though there was some concern that they were sometimes overawed by the

situation and that this affected their ability to contribute, (this was

raised by some members as a social justice issue). When discussing the

roles of players in a policy process, Ball (1994) uses the term

'discourse' to describe the subtle pressures that are created by the

process system itself and the effect that can have. The students may

be feeling intimidated by some aspects of the process, (for example the

vocabulary being used) as well as being outside the adult 'policy

system' (Considine, 1994).

Research Question 3 - Conclusions

Council members view themselves as playing a vital role in ensuring

that the ethos of the school is based on principles of social justice,

equity and humanistic regard. A strong view exists that the school must

nurture confidence, loyalty and affection in students and model

compassion, tolerance and the dignity of all. The school's mission is

regarded as representing this stance and subsequent policy developments

are generally thought to mirror it. Specific actions, including the

work of the School Liaison Officer, handling of some highly contentious

issues (eg. drug abuse) are also regarded as evidence that the Council

is seriously attempting to practice what it promotes.

Most members felt that the culture of the school had changed radically

in recent years, that the evolving culture is educationally and morally

defensible and that the Council's role in this on-going process is

significant, though far from complete.

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DRAFT ONLY

NOT FOR CITATION

Social Justice and School Policy: A Case Study of a School Advisory Council

Paper prepared for the 1997 AARE Conference, Brisbane, 30 Nov-4 Dec.