The role of the community in enhancing learning

Abstract

The education process of children has over time become the domain of educators, having taken more and more the responsibility off families and more so off the community. However, as society becomes more diverse and social cohesion essential to a knowledge base society, education professionals recognise that educating children has become such a complex process that it cannot be catered for by just one group of professionals as before. One way to best tackle this new challenge by schools is through the involvement of the families and the community collaborating together for the benefit of the children's education. This paper describes research conducted as part of the FP6 project INCLUDED of a successful school in Malta which is working with the community and families and registering significant improvement in the children's educational achievement. This study provides examples of successful practices from which other schools across Europe can obtain ideas and inspiration to bring about change in the communities where they operate.