Mid Sweden University

Criticism has been directed towards New Public Management (NPM), such as its detrimental impact on the public sector, its lack of concrete content, and the exaggeration of optimism surrounding its governance philosophy. Despite this, Sweden is said to be one of the earliest adopters of NPM within the public sector.

The aim of the following study is to examine whether the Swedish school system, specifically the role of the Swedish primary school principal, has been influenced by ideas associated with NPM in relation to the three governance logics of professionalism, bureaucracy (managerialism), and market logic (consumerism). This is initially conducted through a historical analysis of three curricula, Lgr62, Lpo94, and Lgr22, to explore potential changes in governance logics through a qualitative content analysis.

Subsequently, semi-structured interviews with five primary school principals in Sundsvall municipality are utilized to investigate how NPM has been implemented in the principal's role today, in relation to the three governance logics.

The study's findings and conclusions indicate a shift in governance logics within the curricula, from an emphasis on professionalism in Lgr62 to a stronger emphasis on NPM, managerialism, and consumerism in Lpo94 and Lgr22. Similarly, among the principals, NPM, managerialism, and consumerism are more pronounced than the traditionally dominant governance logic of professionalism.