School-Community Partnership - an effective tool, useful for environmental community development of Romanian countryside

Abstract

This paper presents the theoretical and practical implications of school - community partnership in community development of Romanian rural environment by conducting a content analysis of the addressed topic. In most Western countries, the trend of opening the school to the community is obvious. Because the resources for education are falling, the partnership can be an effective tool for better management of local resources, a way of attracting new resources for school, and harnessing the school resource in benefit of the community. Also, to ensure good quality education is necessary for every school to achieve a genuine partnership with its community. Under this partnership it is natural to find their place all social categories and all interested institutions in the development of education: human resources of the education system, students enrolled in schools, students families, government institutions and NGOs. In rural areas, the school is the most powerful institution, vital for community development. The school must be open to the needs of the rural community to identify those areas where it can develop community partnerships: alternative leisure activities for children and youth, activities of road education, health, helping the elderly and poor families, involvement in humanitarian campaigns, etc. The role of the school, parents and local authorities is very great, and the development of an active partnership between these participants in Romanian rural areas would reduce school dropout and integrate children with special educational needs. Schools that have developed genuine partnerships within the local school shows that the benefits are significant.

 

Keywords: school-community partnership, dropout, integration, community development