Decentralization and centralization are as opposite trends in educational policies, as much as they are in economics and politics. A preliminary assumption considers the existence at European level of two main forces having a major impact in educational policies. First: the ideal of a common European identity, an economical and social community, which claims for common goals, unified policies, that is centralization. The second group of forces can be related to the importance of the individual and local level to be involved in decision making in education, the diminishing of the role of central authorities and the partnership market & education. This, on the contrary, is assumed to claim for decentralization in educational policies.

With the above as a conceptual point of departure the First International Workshop attempted to initiate a debate and search for answers to questions such as the followings: In which ways this apparently “opposite forces” could strive towards the same goals?, Which criticism could be put forward to the approach presented above? Are there other perspectives to consider when scrutinizing decentralization and centralization in education? What is possible to do in terms of research to approach this problematic? The keynote speeches and papers included in this report approach some of these questions or deepen into others relevant with a perspective covering from research experiences to local issues.