Abstract:
This research aimed to 1) test the compatibility of the New Public Service (NPS) concepts and the practices of educational service of local administration in Thailand and 2) study the causes of the compatibility and incompatibility. The research data was collected by using 1,036 questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The sample divided into two groups. The first groups are service providers; mayors, municipal clerk, education director, the board of directors education, administrators of educational institutions and teachers. The second groups are service recipients-who are parents in the 62 municipalities in Buriram province which includes 3 towns and 59 sub-districts. There are 148 education services in these municipalities which are 7 schools and 141 child care center. Findings can be summed up as follows; 1) In the overall picture, the practice of educational service of local administration is incompatible with and the concepts of the New Public Service (at 0.05 level of significance). When considers point by point, those compatible with each other are the Serve Citizens, not Customer, Think Strategically, Act Democratically, Recognize that Accountability Isnt Simple, and Serve Rather than Steer. Those incompatible are Seek the Public Interest, Value Citizenship over Entrepreneurship, and Value People, and Not Just Productivity. 2) The compatibility between the concepts of the New Public Service and the practices of educational service of local administration stemmed from 4 reasons. First, it happened because of the trend in building citizenship. Second, the local administration principles imposed on local government units are compatible with the concepts of the New Public Service. Third, regulations and rules enacted by the Department of Local Administration concerning educational management are compatible with the concepts of the New Public Service., Democratization trend in Thailand is another reason. For the incompatibility, the reasons are, on the one hand, the utilization of the New Public Service concepts and the Old Public Management concepts at the same time and on another hand, the application of the New Public Service concepts while following the New Public Management concepts.