The year 2006 has been a year in which a decision on the introduction of middle schools has been made by the Labor government of the Northern Territory. The initial impetus for the change came from the 2003 Secondary Education Review "Future Directions for Secondary Education in the Northern Territory," chaired by Gregor Ramsay. There are many features of this change which will include both administrative and pedagogical aspects. Some comparisons with other systems which include a middle schooling element will be made. However the way in which educational change in the Territory is being introduced is of importance in itself and much of this study will relate to the change mechanisms that the government has used and public reaction to them. Definitions of Middle School on the Web (referring to the USA) are appended. (Contains 1 table.) [This paper was published in: 34th Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Comparative and International Education Society (ANZCIES): Global Governance, Educational Change, & Cultural Ecology (Editor Peter Ninnes, Refereed Proceedings, CD-ROM ISBN: 0-909347-10-7) Rydges Eagle Hawk Resort, Canberra, 30 November-3 December 2006 (pp. 297-306).]