CHAPTER 3: RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY
Note for the Student-Teacher:
Think of your future school not as an isolated island, but as the heart of
the village or neighbourhood. The community is its lifeblood. For a primary
teacher in Punjab, your success is deeply tied to your relationship with the
parents, grandparents, and local leaders. This chapter shows you how to build
that vital connection to make your teaching more effective, relevant, and
supported.
3.1 INTRODUCTION
A school does not exist in a vacuum. It is a vital subsystem
of the larger community in which it is located. Just as a plant draws
nourishment from the soil, a school draws its purpose, culture, and strength
from the community. Education is a shared social responsibility. The school is
where we consciously design learning experiences, but the goals of that
learning are set by the broader needs and aspirations of society.
In Simple Terms: The school prepares children
for life, and life exists in the community. They must work together.
3.2 WHAT IS A SCHOOL?
A school is more than just a building with classrooms. It is
a special environment designed for growth.
- Traditional
View: A place only to pass on academic knowledge and cultural
heritage.
- Modern
View (Your Role): A miniature and ideal community that:
- Prepares
children to be efficient, caring social beings.
- Uses
real-life social experiences as part of its teaching.
- Serves
as a model of good values, hygiene, and cooperation for the wider
community.
- Acts
as a community hub for activities and learning.
Example from Punjab: A primary school in a Malwa
village isn't just teaching Punjabi from a textbook. It's celebrating Lohri and
Vaisakhi, inviting local farmers to talk about crops (connecting to EVS), and
teaching children to keep their village clean—thus shaping both the child and
the community.
3.3 WHAT IS A COMMUNITY?
A community is a group of people living in a defined
geographical area (like a pind [village], mohalla [locality],
or town) who share common interests, culture, and social bonds. For a school,
the community includes:
- Immediate
Members: Parents, grandparents, local elders, and families.
- Local
Institutions: The Panchayat, Gurudwara/Mandir/Mosque,
local shops, Anganwadi centres, and health clinics.
- Resources: Local
farmers, artisans, retired professionals, and natural surroundings.
3.4 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY
The relationship is a two-way street of interaction
and mutual support.
- School
→ Community: The school educates future citizens, promotes social
change, and solves community problems.
- Community
→ School: The community provides context, resources, values, and
real-life meaning to school education.
Key Actors in this Relationship: You (the
teacher), the headteacher, parents, students, the School Management Committee
(SMC), and local leaders.
3.5 NEED AND IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL-COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP
Building a strong bond is not optional; it's essential for
effective education. Here’s why:
- Better
Learning Outcomes: Children whose parents are involved have
better attendance, motivation, and behaviour.
- Relevant
Education: The school curriculum can connect to local life (e.g.,
teaching math using local market examples, discussing Punjab's water
issues in EVS).
- Shared
Resources: The community can provide resources (a space for a
function, guest speakers). The school can offer its building for adult
literacy classes or community meetings.
- Holistic
Development: Children learn values, skills, and social
responsibility not just in class, but by participating in community
events.
- Addressing
Social Issues: Schools can partner with communities to tackle
challenges like drug abuse (Nasha Virodhi Abhiyan), gender
inequality, or environmental cleanliness.
- Building
Support: A community that feels connected will support the
school—protecting its property, ensuring children attend, and respecting
teachers.
3.6 BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION (What We Gain)
When the community gets involved, everyone benefits:
For Students:
- Real-World
Learning: Lessons move beyond rote memorization. Learning about
measurement? Help a local carpenter. Studying plants? Visit a farmer's
field.
- Value
Education: They learn respect, cooperation, and service by
interacting with elders and participating in seva (community
service).
- Career
Awareness: They see diverse professions within their own
community.
For the School & Teachers:
4. Enhanced Resources: Parents or local artisans can help
create teaching aids.
5. Stronger Support System: Disciplinary or learning issues
can be solved collaboratively with parents.
6. Cultural Grounding: Festivals and local history can be
woven into the curriculum, making it richer.
For the Community:
7. Informed Future Citizens: The school nurtures literate,
skilled, and responsible youth who will contribute to the community's progress.
8. Centre for Development: The school becomes a hub for health
camps, awareness drives, and adult education, uplifting the entire area.
3.7 PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES FOR BUILDING STRONG
RELATIONSHIPS
As a teacher, you can be the chief architect of this bridge.
Here are practical ways:
- Open
Door Policy: Welcome parents and community members warmly. Greet
them respectfully.
- Effective
Use of SMC: Actively participate in the School Management
Committee, where parents and local leaders are members. Make it a real
decision-making body.
- Regular
Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs): Don't just discuss marks. Share
the child's progress, creativity, and behaviour. Listen to parents'
concerns.
- Community
Invitation: Invite community members to school functions—Annual
Day, Sports Day, Republic Day. Showcase student work.
- Home
Visits (Where Safe & Appropriate): A visit to a student's
home shows care and builds deep trust. Understand the child's home
environment.
- Utilising
Local Expertise: Invite a grandparent to tell a folk tale, a
farmer to talk about crops, a nurse for a health talk.
- School
as a Community Resource: Open the school library for adults in
the evening or use the playground for community melas (fairs)
or yoga classes.
- Communicate
in the Local Language: Using Punjabi respectfully with families
builds immediate rapport and breaks down barriers.
3.8 CONTRIBUTION OF THE SCHOOL TO THE COMMUNITY
Your school gives back in powerful ways:
- Promotes
Literacy & Awareness: Educated children often teach their
parents, spreading literacy.
- Drives
Social Change: Through education, schools can challenge harmful
practices like child marriage, gender discrimination, and superstition.
- Preserves
& Transforms Culture: Teaches Punjabi language, folklore, and
traditions while promoting progressive values like equality and scientific
temper.
- Fosters
Development: Schools produce the future farmers, technicians,
teachers, and leaders who will develop the community.
- Creates
a Common Platform: The school becomes a neutral, respected space
where community issues can be discussed.
3.9 FACTORS AFFECTING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
Be aware of what can help or hinder this relationship:
Positive Factors (Enablers):
- Respectful
Leadership: A headteacher and teachers who respect local culture.
- Visible
Benefits: When the community sees positive changes in their
children.
- Strong
Local Institutions: An active Panchayat or
religious institution that supports the school.
- Transparency: School
funds and decisions are shared openly with the SMC.
Challenges (Barriers):
- Teacher
Attitude: An attitude of "I know best" can alienate the
community.
- Socio-Economic
Divide: Teachers may unconsciously look down upon poor or
illiterate parents.
- Political
Interference: Local politics can disrupt school harmony.
- Lack
of Time: Both teachers and parents may be overburdened.
3.10 ROLE OF THE TEACHER AND HEADTEACHER
- You
(The Teacher): You are the frontline ambassador. Your
daily interaction with children and parents builds trust. Show genuine
care for the child's overall well-being.
- The
Headteacher: Acts as the chief bridge-builder. They
must lead the SMC effectively, engage with local leaders, and create a
school culture that is open and welcoming.
Your Action Plan: Smile, listen, speak in
Punjabi, attend local weddings or functions if invited, and always treat
parents as partners in their child's education.
3.11 AREAS OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY
Cooperation can happen in many spheres of life:
|
Area of Collaboration |
How Community Helps School |
How School Helps Community |
|
1. Educational |
Provides context, local knowledge, guest speakers. |
Provides literacy, adult education classes, and lifelong
learning. |
|
2. Cultural |
Shares folk songs, dances, festivals, and local history. |
Preserves and documents local culture, teaches respect for
heritage. |
|
3. Social |
Supports in eradicating social evils (drugs,
discrimination). |
Educates children to become aware, responsible citizens
who can drive change. |
|
4. Environmental |
Helps in tree plantation drives, keeping water clean. |
Teaches environmental science, runs "Clean Punjab,
Green Punjab" campaigns. |
|
5. Economic |
May provide materials, support for mid-day meals. |
Develops future workforce; vocational awareness can boost
local crafts. |
|
6. Health & Hygiene |
Nurses/ASHA workers can give health talks. |
Teaches hygiene habits; children become agents of change
at home. |
EXERCISE: ANSWERS
Q1. School and community are very closely related.
Describe it.
Introduction:
The school and the community share a symbiotic, inseparable relationship. They
are not two separate entities but interconnected parts of a whole social
ecosystem. The school draws its purpose from the community, and the community's
future is shaped within the school.
Meaning & Description:
Their closeness can be described through their interdependence:
- The
School is a Product of the Community: A community establishes a
school to fulfill its aspirations—to educate its children, preserve its
culture, and ensure its progress. The school's very existence is a
community decision.
- The
School is a Microcosm of the Community: The values, language
(Punjabi), social norms, and even the conflicts of the community are
reflected within the school. It is a "society in miniature."
- Continuous
Two-Way Interaction: The relationship is dynamic. The community
provides real-life context (e.g., farming techniques, local history) to
the school curriculum. Conversely, the school injects new ideas,
scientific awareness, and social reform (e.g., gender equality, cleanliness)
back into the community.
- Shared
Goal of Socialisation: Both institutions share the ultimate goal
of socialising the child—preparing them to be a competent, responsible,
and productive member of that very community.
Conclusion:
Therefore, a school that is isolated from its community becomes irrelevant, and
a community that neglects its school jeopardizes its own future. For education
to be meaningful, this close, organic relationship must be nurtured consciously
by the teacher, who acts as the vital connecting link.
Q2. Define the meaning of school community involvement
and highlight its need and importance.
Introduction:
School-community involvement refers to the active, collaborative partnership
between a school and the residents, families, and local institutions around it.
It moves beyond mere coexistence to purposeful engagement where both parties
contribute to the educational process and community well-being.
Meaning:
It means the doors of the school are open, and the school steps out into the
community. It involves:
- Community
in School: Parents in PTAs, local experts as guest speakers,
community use of school facilities.
- School
in Community: Students participating in cleanliness drives,
teachers understanding home environments, school projects addressing local
issues.
Need and Importance:
- For
Relevant Pedagogy: Makes learning concrete. Studying fractions is
easier when related to dividing land or sharing langar.
- For
Holistic Development: Children learn empathy, citizenship, and
practical skills through community interaction, which textbooks alone
cannot teach.
- For
Resource Mobilization: In resource-constrained government
schools, the community can provide support—from sharing skills to helping
maintain infrastructure.
- For
Addressing Local Issues: Problems like dropout rates, child
labour, or substance abuse can only be solved through joint efforts of
teachers, parents, and local leaders.
- For
Building Social Capital: Creates a network of trust and support
around the child, crucial for their emotional security and academic
success.
Conclusion:
In essence, community involvement transforms education from a bureaucratic duty
into a shared social mission. It is the key to moving from schooling to
truly educating children in a way that prepares them for life.
Q3. What principles and techniques are necessary to
establish good school and community relationships?
Introduction:
Building a strong school-community relationship is a deliberate process based
on mutual respect, transparency, and continuous effort. It requires following
certain principles and employing practical techniques.
Principles & Techniques:
A. Guiding Principles:
- Principle
of Mutual Respect: Value the community's wisdom as much as
academic knowledge.
- Principle
of Open Communication: Maintain clear, regular, and transparent
communication in the local language.
- Principle
of Shared Responsibility: View the child's education as a shared
duty of parents and teachers.
- Principle
of Utility: Ensure the school is seen as a useful asset to the
community.
B. Practical Techniques:
- Formal
Structures: Strengthen the School Management Committee
(SMC), ensuring it holds regular, meaningful meetings.
- Regular
PTMs & Home Visits: Use Parent-Teacher Meetings not for
complaint but for collaboration. Occasional home visits build deep
rapport.
- Community
Immersion: Teachers should participate in/observe local
festivals, panchayat meetings, and markets to understand
the community's pulse.
- Invitation
and Showcase: Regularly invite community members to school
events, sports days, and exhibitions of student work.
- Curriculum
Integration: Design projects that involve surveying the
community, interviewing elders, or solving a local problem.
- Resource
Sharing: Open the school library or playground for community use
after hours, and invite local artisans to teach their craft.
Conclusion:
By adhering to the principles of respect and partnership, and actively using
these techniques, a teacher can successfully bridge the gap. The result is a
supportive environment where the school and community work hand-in-hand for the
child's welfare.
Q4. How does the school contribute to the community?
Introduction:
While communities establish schools, schools pay back this investment manifold
by acting as powerful agents of community development, preservation, and
change.
Contributions of the School:
- Human
Capital Development: It is the primary factory for producing
literate, skilled, and informed citizens who become the future farmers,
nurses, teachers, and leaders of the community.
- Social
Reformation: Schools challenge regressive social norms through
education. They promote girls' education, fight against caste
discrimination, and spread awareness about health, hygiene, and legal
rights.
- Cultural
Preservation & Evolution: Schools keep local culture alive by
teaching Punjabi language, folklore, and traditions. They also help
cultures evolve by inculcating progressive, scientific, and national
values.
- Community
Mobilization: The school can become a central hub for mobilizing
people for vaccination drives, polio campaigns, environmental clean-ups,
and voter awareness.
- Economic
Indirect Support: Educated individuals tend to have better
economic outcomes. Vocational skills taught in school can lead to local
entrepreneurship, boosting the local economy.
- Creating
a Cohesive Identity: In diverse communities, the school fosters a
shared identity among children, promoting social harmony and unity from a
young age.
Conclusion:
Thus, a school's contribution extends far beyond its boundary walls. It is a
catalyst for holistic community development, shaping not just individual
futures but the collective destiny of the society it serves.
Q5. What factors affect community participation?
Introduction:
Community participation in school affairs is not automatic. It is influenced by
a complex mix of enabling and hindering factors that teachers and
administrators must understand to foster better engagement.
Factors Affecting Participation:
A. Enabling Factors (Positive Influences):
- Leadership
& Attitude: A welcoming, respectful, and humble attitude from
the headteacher and teachers is the most critical factor.
- Perceived
Value: When the community sees tangible benefits—their children
can read, behave better, get health check-ups—participation increases.
- Effective
SMCs: A proactive and empowered School Management Committee that
includes respected community members can drive participation.
- Cultural
Sensitivity: When school activities honour and incorporate local
culture and language (like Punjabi), the community feels a sense of
ownership.
B. Hindering Factors (Barriers):
- Negative
Past Experiences: Bureaucratic, dismissive, or condescending
behaviour from school authorities in the past can deter participation.
- Socio-Economic
Barriers: Daily wage labourers may not have the time or
confidence to engage. Illiterate parents might feel intimidated.
- Political
& Group Conflicts: Factions within the community (biraderi or
political divides) can spill into school matters, hindering collective
action.
- Logistical
Issues: Timing of meetings, location of the school, or lack of
communication can act as simple but significant barriers.
Conclusion:
A skilled teacher recognizes these factors. They work to amplify the enablers
by building trust and demonstrating value, while consciously mitigating the
barriers through inclusive practices, flexible timing, and persistent,
respectful outreach.
Q6. Describe the different areas of school and community
collaboration.
Introduction:
The collaboration between school and community is multifaceted, touching almost
every aspect of life. This cooperation can be organized into key thematic areas
where their mutual interests align.
Areas of Collaboration:
- Academic
& Educational Collaboration:
- Community
→ School: Provides local knowledge for projects (local
geography, history), guest speakers (a potter, a banker).
- School
→ Community: Offers adult literacy classes, parenting workshops,
and access to library resources.
- Cultural
Collaboration:
- Community
→ School: Shares folk arts, music (e.g., folk songs), festivals,
and oral histories.
- School
→ Community: Organizes cultural programs, documents local
traditions, teaches children to respect and perform local arts.
- Social
& Civic Collaboration:
- Community
→ School: Supports in enforcing attendance, providing a safe
environment for the school.
- School
→ Community: Leads awareness campaigns on social issues (drug
abuse, sanitation), and nurtures children to be law-abiding, active
citizens.
- Environmental
Collaboration:
- Community
→ School: Helps in school gardening, tree plantation, and
maintaining cleanliness.
- School
→ Community: Runs "Green School" projects, educates on
waste management, and motivates children to lead eco-friendly practices
at home.
- Health
& Well-being Collaboration:
- Community
→ School: Local health workers (ASHA) can give talks on
nutrition, vaccination.
- School
→ Community: School health check-ups identify community health
issues; children become carriers of health messages (like handwashing).
- Infrastructure
& Resource Collaboration:
- Community
→ School: May contribute labour or materials for minor repairs,
help maintain the playground.
- School
→ Community: School buildings can be used as emergency shelters
or voting booths.
Conclusion:
These areas are not watertight compartments but are interconnected.
Collaboration in one area often sparks cooperation in another. The underlying
principle across all areas is mutual benefit—the school strengthens
the community, and a strong community creates a thriving, effective school.
