Abstract: Based on the intrinsic links between society,economy and education,this paper systematically examines the four historical periods in which education in the UK,particularly in England,has moved from traditional education management to modern education governance that is “flat,decentralized and of multiple checks and balances”:the period of the “nationalization” from 1940 to 1978,the period of the “marketization” from 1979 to 1996,the period of “the third way” from 1998 to 2010,and the period of the “post-financial crisis” from 2010 to the present. It can be seen that the distinctive features of British education governance are decentralization,encouragement of multiple participation,and strengthening of accountability and supervision. As a result,British education has basically achieved a comprehensive transformation of governance,which not only improves the corresponding governance system,but also effectively enhances the relevant governance capacity. The basic experience of British education governance includes:clarifying the boundaries of power,deepening the construction of the governance system,encouraging the participation of pluralistic groups,continuously improving the governance capacity,perfecting accountability and supervision,and continuously stimulating the vitality of schools.

Key words: British educational governance, decentralization, multi-governance, accountability supervision