Bending the rules in favor of the child in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas: principals as street-level bureaucrats

The aim of this study is to examine school principals’ work-related considerations and decisions, and how they navigate tensions between state policy and children’s needs, while leading School-Age Educare Centers (SAECs) in Swedish socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Drawing on interviews with principals, the framework of street-level bureaucracy, in addition to vertical and horizontal governance, is applied. Findings reveal that principals exercise discretion to bend the rules, to adapt or deviate from policies, for example by admitting all children, extending the school days and recruiting staff based on relational competencies rather than formal qualifications. It is suggested that horizontal contextual culture may be an important lens for understanding how collective norms and contextual knowledge shape policy enactment, particularly in relation to how schools navigate or compensate for structural inequities. The principals’ decisions reflect balancing state policy with the needs of children, who may be exposed to poverty, social exclusion, or unsafe home environments. The results extend the theoretical understanding of street-level bureaucracy by demonstrating the interplay between vertical governance, horizontal contextual culture and a socially just leadership, underscoring the critical importance of contextually responsive, socially responsible decision-making in education.