Community education and community schools: From concept to realization

Pored ostalih brojnih savremenih koncepcija u naukama o vaspitanju i obrazovanju, poslednjih par decenija intenzivnije se razvija i razmatra koncept komunalnog obrazovanja. Različiti autori donose i različita shvatanja o samoj prirodi ove vrste obrazovanja, no kao zajednički elemenat koji se nalazi u osnovi ove sintagme je termin 'zajednica'. Reč je dakle o stavljanju naglaska na utkanost obrazovanja u život ljudi u lokalnoj zajednici, kroz zadovoljavanje njihvoih najrazličitijih potreba, odakle obrazovanje u određenoj lokalnoj zajednici poprima brojne specifičnosti. Pored teorijskih razmatranja, već duže su prisutni u svetu i kod nas pokušaji ostvarivanja ove koncepcije formiranjem komunalnih škola kao specifičnih vaspitno-obrazovno-kulturnih centara u lokalnoj zajednici. Posebna pažnja u radu ovih centara poklanja se, između ostalog: stvaranju mogućnosti za razvoj doživotnog učenja stanovništva, saradnji sa drugim institucijama lokalne zajednice, programiranju na osnovu stvarnih životnih situacija, uključivanju roditelja i drugih žitelja u rad škole, negovanju volonterskog rada itd.Quite a number of works, within educational sciences especially during the last couple of decades, deal with community education and elaborate on various elements of relevance for its foundation, understanding, and implementation. Not smaller is the number of works of a more practical nature that try to reorganize the existing into community schools, i. e. educational - cultural centres capable to meet the needs of a particular local community. This paper attempts to clarify some basic concepts of community education and the work of community schools, starting with the terminological clarification of the notion, and proceeding with the analysis of some examples of such schools - centres in our country. Various approaches to particular segments, necessary for the foundation of the concepts of this type of education and school, are possible. Variety is one of the essential features of the conceptualisation and decision making by local communities, as well as various interpretations for a concept of community education and comparisons with other current concepts in the educational theory, highlighting the key features end principles of community school functioning, and forming models of community schools in various countries, as well as enabling the foundation of such schools in our country are ether necessary steps