The Challenges and Prospects of Policies Promoting the Restructuring of School-community Relationships
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Keywords

Deliberative system
School-Community relations
Parent participation and collaboration
Submitted : 2023-06-21
Accepted : 2023-07-06
Published : 2023-07-21

Abstract

This research paper explores the problem setting concerning policies implemented since the 2000s to promote parent and community involvement in school management and education. These policies, including school councils, school management councils, and community-school collaboration headquarters, have aimed to enhance school-community relationships and foster a more inclusive and democratic decision-making process. However, from the perspective of social education, this paper highlights issues related to “deliberation” in these policies and its impact on achieving policy objectives. It examines problems in “deliberation” discussions within school management councils, issues concerning the relationship between “participation” and “collaboration” in school-community relations, and challenges faced by parent community organizations. The paper proposes new strategies based on the “deliberative system” theory to promote meaningful “deliberation” at both micro and community levels, fostering transformative change in educational values and community awareness. The ultimate goal is to support an integrated educational management approach that encompasses schools and the broader community.

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