School and community

School

• School, the term used to indicate the general concept representing all the institutions meant for providing education.
  

Community

• The term community used to indicate a group belonging to a particular region or to a specific sect which leads a common but free life with a sense of co-operation and identify feelings.
  
• A restricted society.
  
• Today school is viewed as a community centre and regarded as an integrated part of the community.
  
• To fulfill the functions of education, there e should be close relation between school and community.
  

School and community – reciprocal relationship

• School and community depend on each other for their development and stability.
  
• The community and school should work together closely and co-operatively, positively and consciously for the welfare of the community as well for the school children.
  
• "The school will, no doubt be a community but it will be a small community and its success and vitality will depend on constant interplay of healthy influence between it and the large community outside. What we would like to see is a two-way traffic so that the problems that arise in the home and community life and the realistic experience gained there should be brought into school so that education may be based on them and be intimately connected with real life" - Secondary Education. Commission
  
• The relation between the school and community can be strengthen through close co-operation and mutual give and take between them.
  
• "Bring the community to the school and take the school out to the community. The school cannot work alone. The community does contribute to education which goes in the school. Whether they two together or not, positively or negatively they affect each other" - Prof. V.K. Taneja
  
• Mutual co-operation and collaboration between the school and the community is desirable for the democratization and improvement of education.
  
• The school should be developed as a community centre by making its programmes relevant to life, needs and aspiration of the people.
  

Educational functions of community

• Community socializes the child.
  
• Community teaches is members desirable behavior and values.
  
• Community assesses the developmental needs of the area and provides appropriate educational facilities.
  
• Community establishes different types of educational institutions suitable to the locality.
  
• Community co-ordinates the efforts of various educational agencies in the area.
  
• Community lays down educational standards of the pupils in the school.
  
• Community gives financial support to educational institutions.
  
• Community encourages other agencies of education like libraries, youth clubs and mahila mandals etc. which contribute to education.
  
• Community provides educational and vocational guidance and encourages research and experimentation in various fields of education.
  

School as community center

• The school must make up for the inability of many parents to prepare children for assuming the responsibilities associated with social and family life in future.
  
• To internalize the culture of past ages.
  
• The school should function as miniature community within the large community.
  
• The school has to work centre of community life: This can be done by
  
  • Bringing the community near to school.
    
  • Taking the school closer to community.
    

Bringing the community near to school.

 

1. Parent Teachers Association (PTA)
   

• Every school must organize the PTA with all the teachers and the parents as members.
  
• PTA executive committee formed.
  
• The executive committee must have equal representation of teachers and parents.
  
• The committee should elect its president and other office bearers.
  
• It will be better if the parent elected as the president of the PTA.
  
• Once formed the PTA will function automatically during the successive years by enlisting new members and discarding the parents of those children who have left the school.
  
• The executive committee also may be renewed every year.
  
• The executive committee should meet atleast once a month and the general body should meet at least once in two or three months.
  
• Separate meeting of the parents of the pupil studying in a class also can be arranged to discuss the problems specifically relating to that class (Class PPTA)
  

Objectives of PTA

• To facilitate participation of parents in school activities.
  
• To enable parents understand the working of the school
  
• To provide support for improving the standards of the pupil achievements.
  
• To organize programme for student welfare.
  
• To improve the condition and facilities of the school.
  

1. Celebration of festivals and days of national importance
   

• The school can bring the community nearer to it by celebrating local festivals and arranging fetes for which local community can ne invited.
  
• Observation or celebration of important occasions such as the Independence Day, Republic Day etc and conduct of various other fetes can be utilized for the purpose.
  

1. Film show and Exhibitions
   

• Very useful and important knowledge of different activities of the community can be imparted to the students through informative and documentary films and by organizing exhibitions.
  

1. Organizing different activities of community life in school
   

• Eg: 'Panchayath' may be set up in school to solve common problems of the student.
  

1. Social service
   

• Eg: A school can organize an adult education centre to educate the illiterate adults of the community
  

1. Community participation
   

• The school should invite persons working in the various fields of community life such as social workers, scientists, religious personalities, doctors, engineers, farmers, lawyers, journalists, businessmen, different kinds of craft men etc. to impart knowledge of their fields of activity to the children.
  

1. Utilization of community resources
   

• The school has to share its resources for the use of the community and the community is to make its resources available to the school.
  

1. Alumni
   

• All the students who have studied in the school are eligible for the membership to the alumni
  
• The alumni association can actively involve in the development of the school.
  

Taking the school closer to community.

• Interview
  
• Organizing social surveys
  
• Social service association
  
• Field trips
  
• Social education
  

 

community School

• community school is a system that reflects the ideas of Basic Education envisaged by Gandhi
  
• the progress of an Educational institution depends upon the mentality of the society.
  
• Community school will help in developing value orientation among children as well as adults through programmes such as work experience, community living etc.
  
• In a community school the institution works sincerely for the society and the society works for the institution.
  
• While the students actively participates in socially relevant activities such as construction of roads, sanitation, etc. , the society readily participates in constructing sheds, play grounds etc. required for the school.
  
• The student can initiate action for the purpose of remediating social problems and eliminating social evils, and the public can make use of the school auditorium and the school library.