Collaboration between schools and community education agencies in tackling social exclusion

Abstract

This paper describes the nature of the joint initiatives taking place between primary and secondary schools in Scotland and community education providers in local authorities and the voluntary sector, as reported on by the schools themselves. It details the characteristics of the relatively few schools which had strong links with their communities in terms of provision, collaboration and participation in decision making. Ten case-study schools and a detailed comparison of practice are used to illustrate the variety of approaches to collaboration found among them. Differences are explained not only in terms of the actors' perceptions of the purposes of the collaboration, the values inherent in such perceptions, the conditions under which collaboration took place and the practices in operation but also in more analytic terms of institutional boundaries and pedagogic purpose. It is suggested that this analysis will help plot various models of collaborative practice and provide a useful way of interrogating the multifaceted strands of social inclusion policy.

Partnerships, community groups and social inclusion

“…Such situations include when resources of time, energy and money are extremely limited, or when organisations are unstable or when organisations have very similar functions or when continuing support is unavailable (see Hudson et al, 1999;Huxham, 1996;Purdue et al, 2000;Tett et al, 2001). …”

“…For example, non-violent direct action against the closing down of a local school prioritises a different view of what might be for the good of the community from that proposed by the local education authority, which would prefer to amalgamate the school and relocate it to another area (see Tett, 2002). These kinds of struggles provide a local arena for people to exercise their citizenship and learn in ways that they often find more engaging than broader national issues.…”

“…Vangen (2000b: 1167) have also pointed out that 'processes can empower potential members' access to the debate concerning a partnership's agenda, or strip power from them'. In order to combat these exclusionary tendencies, many community workers have established educational programmes designed to enable community groups to understand and engage with the unwritten codes behind the operation of collaborative partnerships (see Tett, 2002). This includes dealing with conflict since this can be a sign that partnerships are working, as the least powerful partners are able to gain the confidence to disagree rather than going along with the majority view.…”

“…Thirdly, it involves recognising and nurturing individuals who are skilled at identifying and developing useful networks, and have good social and inter-personal skills and finding committed individuals who are seen by others as having sufficient legitimacy to assume the leadership role (Wilson and Pirrie, 2000). Finally, an organisational commitment to learning from all the partners and changing as a result of such learning needs to be developed (Tett, 2002).…”

‘The world is out to get me, bruv’: life after school ‘exclusion’

“…Schools are envisaged as playing a key role in the current government's policy to promote social inclusion among children and young people in particular and tackling social exclusion (Tett et al, 2001). Yet while the primary emphasis is social inclusion, greater weight has been given toward punitive school measures to deal with 'problematic' pupils (Ofsted, 1996;Osler and Starkey, 2005).…”