3.
Block 1: Society, Community and
School
SOCIETY AND EDUCATION
COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL
UNIT 3 CONTRIBUTION OF
COMMUNITY IN SCHOOL
EDUCATION
UNIT 4 PROVISIONS FOR
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
UNDER SSA AND RTE
4. In this unit, you read the concept of society, its
basic constituent institutions like family, religion,
education, polity and educational system and
their collective role towards the continuity of
society. We also study about Indian society,
how it has evolved in the deep rooted history.
History not only depicts the major events but
also its unique character of unity and diversity
and continuity as one Indian culture. As we
know that culture is very significant to
understand any society and its education
system
5. Education and society have close association since
inception of society itself. On the one hand, education
prepares individual to perform different social roles in
society, whereas on other hand, society and culture
determines system of socialization and the nature of
education to be imparted to the members. Each society,
from simple to the complex one, has its own system of
educating their young generation and accordingly the
institutions are developed. Above mentioned, last two
sections are devoted to this understanding. First,
education carries many social functions in society to
transmit culture and knowledge. This alone makes
mankind different than other animals of earth. Secondly,
society has plays detrimental role in the process of
education.
6. 1.Understanding Community (Society vis-à-vis
community)
2. Community in the Context of Elementary
Education
3.Community and School Interface
4. Influence of Community on Language
Development of Learners
5. Influence of Community on Cultural
Development of the Learners
6. Influence of Community on Life Skill
Development of the Learners
7. This unit has attempted to make you familiar with
the concept of community and how to understand
community from different structural and functional
characteristics. We also discussed the role of
community in achieving the goal of primary
education, particularly in the context of elementary
education and SSA. We also talked about how the
school and community interface can be
strengthened by the mutual cooperation and
participation of both school and community with
examples from different states through different
success stories and strategies.
8. Supportive parental and social support within communities
contribute to students’ success. When parents and community
are involved, students achieve more, regardless of socio-
economic status, ethnic/racial background, or the parents’
education level. In this module you have learnt how the
community participation is important for the efficient functioning
and management of schools. Community ownership helps the
community to identify the local problems and also suggest
appropriate measures by actively participating in the planning
process. Community can mobilize financial resources, monitor
the utilization of finances, teacher attendance, school
attendance and can provide academic support. Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyan (SSA) which is an instrument to implement Right of
Children to free and Compulsory education also emphasize
involvement of community in school education
9. In this block you have learnt how the community participation is
important for any development programme including education.
Community ownership helps the community to identify the local
problems. Community also suggests appropriate strategies and
viable solutions to the educational problems by actively
participating in the planning process. After reading the text you
must have noticed as to how community participation has
increased in education in India especially after the launching of
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). SSA has created various
structures at the school level like School Management
Committee/ Parent Teacher Association, to monitor the activities
and functioning of school. At village and municipal level also
various structure like Village Education Committee/ ward level
committees are engaged in the planning and management of
education.
10. These committees are having close association
with the parents and other community
members. Right to Free and Compulsory
education Act also emphasizes on the
increasing participation of community
participation in education. The Act clearly states
that the community has active role in the
planning, management, monitoring and
functioning of schools. Teachers and
administrators need to work in close
collaboration with the community to improve
quality in Education.
12. In this unit you read about the paradigm shift in the approach to
universalization of elementary education. The RTE Act 2009
emphasizes the entitlements perspective for UEE which is a
shift from the earlier incentive based approach. The unit
described a rights based approach to education and the
provisions therein to make quality elementary education
equitable and accessible to the children in the relevant age
group. Child rights in the context of education were explained
and the role and responsibility of a teacher in ensuring a safe
and healthy school environment was highlighted. The right to
education as a human right was discussed which further enjoins
the state to provide free and compulsory education. The whole
school development approach was discussed which integrates
these concepts of access, equity and quality in a holistic
manner.
13. The importance of physical and social access was
elaborated so that a school teacher adopts
practices that are non discriminatory, flexible and
foster inclusion of all children. The issues of equity
as mandated by RTE Act were explained. Issues
pertaining to gender parity, cutting across all
deprived and disadvantaged groups were
described. The unit also discussed in detail the
concept of quality which is dependent on access
and equity. The provisions in the RTE Act for
adequate physical facilities were elaborated. All
elementary school children are entitled to have
14. basic facilities in the school like classrooms,
playgrounds, libraries, sport equipments, toilets
and drinking water. In addition to the physical
provisions quality also depends on academic
facilities like teachers, curriculum, textbooks
and adoption of child centered, child friendly
teaching learning approaches. The unit
described the role of a teacher as a facilitator in
achieving holistic development of the child’s
personality by being aware of and ensuring
provision of the entitlements as mandated by
the RTE Act 2009.
15. According to Warren Bennis (1975)
“Leadership is a function of knowing your
self, having a vision that is well
communicated, building trust among
colleagues, and taking effective action to
realize your own leadership potential.”
16. Leadership style connotes the manner and
approach of providing direction, implementation
plans and motivating people. There are four
types of leadership styles in Autocratic, Laissez
Faire, Easy going and Democratic
• Leadership function makes a teacher leader in
different aspect of school system and intricate
process of learning and reflection that require
socialization in school-community relationship
and assumption of functioning in a new role.
17. Teachers have multifarious role. Teachers
are the classroom managers, instructors,
leaders, agent of social change, counselor,
and producer of knowledge. There are other
roles which are listed in the unit.
18. There are various examples of interactions of school with
Govt. agencies. Interaction may be for creation of Annual
work plan and Budget, Receipt of grants, monitoring and
support to schools, collection and use of DISE data,
recruitment and trainings etc. some other important
agencies are National Council of Educational Research
and Training (NCERT), The National Council for teacher
Education (NCTE) National Commission for Protection of
Child Rights (NCPCR) State Council of Educational
Research and Training (SCERT), State Commission for
protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) etc. Role of voluntary
agencies are very important in achieving the aim of
education as education plays an important role in
reforming the society
20. The community has an important role to identify
and use available resources and plan
accordingly. Where there is a mechanism of
local self-government, important decisions are
usually made at the local level by the local
people themselves. This is the best possible
way for development of community. This is
called community mobilization where people
plan and do things. They take charge of
transforming their community and their lives.
21. • Management is getting results through and with the
people
• Management involves mobilisation and utilization of
money, manpower, materials machinery and methods
• Management process has four components: situational
analysis, strategy formulation and strategy
implementation, strategy evaluation
• Management has a series of functions: planning,
organizing, directing, controlling, coordination, budgeting,
decision making, evaluative activities etc.
• Process of participatory management is to involve the
stakeholders at all levels of decision making to achieve the
goals of organization.
22. the importance and types of resources –
human, material and financial to run the school
programmes. Under financial resources, you
also learnt the different types of income which is
received by the management of the school..
These resources are provided by different
agencies like government, other donor
agencies, local bodies, voluntary contribution
from community, endowment, etc.
23. Schools sometimes have ‘savings’ when their
income exceeds their expenditure. The surplus
money by the school management is kept in the
post-Office or Bank and that surplus income
generate interest income to the school
management which could be utilized by it for the
School Development Programmes. Generally, such
type of ‘surplus income’ (savings) is generated in
government-aided or private un-aided schools
which create additional funds through endowment,
voluntary contribution from community or from fee-
income. The government schools do not have much
scope since government regulates the fee-charges
for different school stages and all the expenditure is
regulated by the government as per rules and
regulations. Government also regulates the fees of
government aided schools.
24. management approaches –manpower requirement,
costsbenefit, social demand and social justice to
education and training brought the necessity as
why education and training should be provided to
the people. You have learnt that education and
training benefits not only to the individual but also to
the community, society and country at large. But
expanding education, educational institutions –
schools, colleges and professional courses and
institutions, country raises the quality of life of the
people; raises their productivity, moulds the
character and inculcates the good citizenship.
25. It is, therefore, necessary to seek
cooperation of the community for school
development plan and strengthen
relationship between two agencies – School
and Community. You have also learnt that
there is need to differentiate the managerial
functions of school and community so as to
avoid any conflict between the school and
community.
