As the African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child,” the school interacts with the community to make well rounded individuals. Children first develop at home. Their parents act as their first teacher. Parents are responsible for the development of values, attitudes and habits that will be needed as their children associate with their classmates in school. Such inculcations are likewise beneficial when they work and play with neighbors and the community at large. In school, teachers are responsible for enriching the students’ experiences at home, thus strengthening the valuable, personal traits initially developed. These children are accorded acknowledgement and recognition by members of the community where they are reared. The school and the community are the mainsprings of effective and powerful forces that can create wholesome climate for mutual gains and betterment.
Teachers play vital roles to make school and community relation in rearing a child productive. When they encounter problems of children regarding inability to accomplish assignments, absenteeism, negative attitude, poor study habits in school and disciplinary problems, they use their caring and compassionate attitude to try to solve or improve these children. If working with children alone will not solve the problems, they will make home visitations and work with parents. Teachers and parents from the community can establish a close relationship that can pave the way toward a better understanding of the difficulties met in both locations and jointly suggesting positive solutions. The community, being a reflection of the children reared therein, must be wholesome and child-friendly too. They must be a pleasant avenue for learning. Resource speakers may be invited from the community too.
A favorable partnership between the school and the community will yield bountiful harvest by way of establishing a conducive learning environment in the school and an orderly and civic-minded citizenry in the community. A firm and intimate relationship between school and the community is indeed a product valuable investment of time, efforts, and resources willingly shared by both.
By: Mrs. Noriza D. Fariñas | Teacher II | Orion Elementary School, Orion, Bataan
