Building School-Community Relations Study Notes

MADDA WALABUU UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND BEHAVIORAL STUDY

Department of Educational Planning and Management
Course Title: School and the Community
Course Code: 2041
Credit Hours: 3
Instructor: Tatek Tsegaye

UNIT ONE: BUILDING SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Unit Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

• Differentiate the nature and characteristics of community.
• Advocate the benefits of community participation.
• Develop a school culture that encourages community participation.
• Help the community internalize a sense of ownership of its school’s affairs.
• Involve the community in the instructional process.
• Analyze the dynamic forces that affect the diverse nature of the school and community.
• Devise the school culture to improve school functioning and governance.
• Manage the existing barriers within the school-community relations.

1. BUILDING SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONS

1.1. Defining a Community

• Definition of Community:

  • Sociologists define community/society as the people who interact in such a way as to share a common culture.
  • The cultural link may be ethnic, racial, based on gender, or due to various activities and interactions.
  • The term community can also refer to a geographic meaning, denoting people who share a common culture in a particular location.

• Characteristics of Community:

  • A group of interacting people living together in space, time, or through relationships.
  • Community usually refers to groups larger than a household that share common values and social cohesion.
  • A community is a group or society that provides mutual assistance among its members living near one another who interact socially.

• School Community Definition:

  • The school community generally includes not only the students and staff of the school but also members of other organizations in the wider community who support school operations.
  • Throughout this module, the terms society and community will be used interchangeably.

1.2. Understanding the Nature and Characteristics of Community

• Classification of Communities:

  • Community/society can be defined according to characteristics shared by its members, such as culture, language, tradition, law, geography, class, and race.
  • Some societies are homogeneous, while others are heterogeneous; some experience unity while others experience conflict.

• Important Characteristics of Community/Society:

  1. Members are socially organized and have structures, such as norms, rules, authority/power, associations, and institutions.
  2. The community is characterized by interactions and various social processes.
  3. Every society has a distinctive culture that organizes individual relationships.
  4. Individuals possess varied interests and skills, which leads to functional diversity.
  5. Occupying a common territory promotes unity and solidarity.
  6. Society has biological inter-dependence and is a self-sufficient social system.
  7. Societies are dynamic and constantly changing, exhibiting variety in behaviors and specialization of roles.
  8. Societal agreements and disagreements are present, and societies are abstract and intangible.

• Summary of Community Characteristics:

  1. The largest human group.
  2. Satisfies the needs of its members.
  3. Exhibits a sense of belonging and cooperation (permanent association).
  4. Abstract relationships (felt and imagined).
  5. Dependence among members.
  6. Organized with a division of labor.
  7. Exhibits likeness and differences.
  8. Consciousness of kind among members.
  9. Dynamic and ever-changing.
  10. Self-sufficient for survival.
  11. Longer-lasting than smaller groups.
  12. Forms social structures through major social institutions (family, education, economy, politics, religion).
  13. Has its own unique culture (Farooq, 2011).

1.3. Unique Nature of Educational Organizations and Schools

1.3.1. The Purpose of Schooling with Contemporary Goals of Education

• Common Purposes of Schooling:
  • Economic Issues: Education prepares students for the workforce, enabling them to become productive wage earners.
  • Active Citizens: Education's aim is to develop responsible citizens for a democratic society.

1.3.2. The Peculiar Nature of Educational Institutions/Schools

• Six Unique Features of Educational Institutions:
  1. Crucial to Society:
  • Educational institutions serve vital functions and have central relationships with other social institutions.
  • They are responsible for training the qualified manpower necessary in various social services (health, construction, etc.) and socialization within the political system and culture.
  1. Public Visibility and Sensitivity:
  • Schools are highly visible to the community, and society is sensitive to their contributions to national development.
  • Educational managers should cultivate relationships with community members for optimal engagement.
  1. Complexity of Functions:
  • Educators manage diverse interests of individuals and groups, complicating administrative functions.
  1. Intimacy of Necessary Relationships:
  • There exists an intimate relationship among school personnel and between school personnel and the community.
  • This intimacy can lead to behavioral issues, necessitating skilled leadership to navigate these challenges.

Summary

• The unit emphasizes the intricate relationship between schools and communities, addressing characteristics of communities, the defining features of educational institutions, and the importance of community involvement in the educational process.
• Students are expected to engage with theoretical definitions while also analyzing practical applications by advocating for community participation and addressing barriers to effective school-community relations.

Conclusion

• To effectively build school-community relations, it is essential to understand the unique aspects of the community and the vital functions of educational organizations, as well as the roles played by leadership in fostering these connections.