REFLECTION ON THE CONSIDERATION OF THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION COMPONENT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS

Edmond Diop, project monitoring officer, Senegal.

Often perceived as one of the fundamental pillars of a society’s social and economic development, education is essential for raising awareness. In our developing societies, it remains an excellent means of social advancement. For example, in Senegal, the last two successive presidents, when speaking to young people, made a point of showing their pride in having been products of the national education system, to prove that there is still a path to social advancement despite coming from modest or even poor families.

Education therefore plays a crucial role in the promotion of humanity, which is and must remain the concern of every society and, in general, in the march towards economic and social development. However, even with the best intentions, many educational projects struggle to achieve their goals because they do not sufficiently take into account the importance of community participation. In this article, beyond demonstrating why this engagement is crucial to the implementation and success of educational projects, we will recall some challenges that arise for its realization and finally share some suggested approaches to generate optimal engagement and sustainable communities for education.

Scope of community participation in education

Community participation, in the context of education, refers to the active involvement of different community stakeholders: parents, teachers, local student leaders. It includes knowledge sharing, participation, accountability, collective decision-making and the promotion of solutions tailored to the specific needs of the community. Community involvement in educational projects is not just a bonus, but an essential component. It creates a link between the school and the community, ensuring that the education provided is not only adapted to local realities but also supported by all social actors.

Impact of community participation in educational projects.

One of the first positive aspects of community engagement is the strengthening of links between the school and its local environment. When the community actively participates in school life, it promotes better student attendance and reduces the dropout rate [1] [1]. . Children feel supported not only by the educational institution but also by those around them, which reinforces their motivation to succeed. One of the key players in this engagement is the parents. Their active participation in school life is not limited to attending parents’ meetings, but encompasses a variety of actions (planning, continuous monitoring, evaluation, decision-making) that have a direct impact on the quality of education received by students. This interest of the community in the smooth running of the school also influences the motivation of teachers, who become more aware of the expectations placed on them and their level of responsibility. In this community, they find support in the follow-up of students, particularly at home.

The second positive aspect of this engagement is improved student achievement. Studies [2] have shown that children whose parents actively follow their schooling tend to be more motivated and successful. This may mean daily support with homework, regular communication with teachers, or participation in school activities such as open houses or educational events.

Ultimately, the engagement of parents and local leaders allows educational projects to be tailored to the specific needs of students, making programs more relevant and effective. In rural contexts, for example, the participation and empowerment of the community and local stakeholders can help design initiatives that take into account the cultural and economic particularities of students, thus facilitating their learning. To this end, the community basic schools model in Senegal has demonstrated that community participation can transform the face of education. They are “schools of the community, by the community and for the community [3]” . This model aims to improve access to education, particularly in rural areas, by adopting a decentralized approach, encouraging strong participation of local communities. It is based on fundamental principles such as community management, local involvement, accessibility and inclusion, community teachers and promotes crowdfunding. There is also the example of the Reading for All Program (2016-2021) that has established community engagement as a pillar of the program aimed at increasing the support of these actors at the local level to improve the reading performance of students. The success of this approach, revealed through program evaluation, has greatly contributed to the institutionalization of the integration of local languages into the Senegalese education system through the MOHEBS (Harmonized Model of Bilingual Education in Senegal) in the early years of reading study and teaching by teachers.

Challenges for community participation

Several obstacles can limit community participation:

  • Socio-cultural obstacles: In certain communities, the view still persists that modern education (as opposed to religious education) does not correspond to our values, especially when it comes to girls. These conceptions, when strongly rooted, strongly influence commitment.
  • Economic barriers: In some communities, parents may absent themselves from their children’s education due to economic constraints. They are more willing to meet basic needs than to devote time to education, which is sometimes even perceived as an additional expense, a burden.
  • Lack of confidence in their abilities: Another barrier is related to feelings of inadequacy. Some parents, particularly in rural areas, have less education and may feel unqualified to actively participate in their children’s education. Many parents feel that they lack the skills necessary to help their children succeed, especially when the child’s level of education exceeds that of the parents.

It is therefore necessary to take into account the multiplicity of these parameters, far from being exhaustive, in order to maximize the impact of educational projects. It is therefore essential to overcome these obstacles and find concrete ways to encourage community participation. This could involve:

  • Implementation of awareness and training programs: This involves organizing awareness/training sessions for parents. This could include workshops on academic support at home or lectures on managing children’s studies. The aim is to demonstrate to parents what is at stake in their children’s education and to remind them that they play an irreplaceable role in their children’s educational success, even if they have not mastered all the subjects taught.
  • Instill in the communities the perception of active actors and not beneficiaries. This implies a participatory approach at all stages from planning onwards. Demonstrate that their views are heard and taken into account, while relying on existing traditional community structures such as village committees or local associations. This allows for better acceptance and legitimacy of interventions.
  • Encourage regular communication: establishing a system of animation at the local level, ideally with resource persons from the community, can go a long way in developing this engagement. Establishing accessible communication platforms (with, for example, WhatsApp groups), community radio broadcasts, community meetings, makes it possible to keep parents informed about the situation prevailing in the school in general and about their children’s progress/difficulties. This also facilitates exchanges with teachers, creating a permanent contact, a climate of transparency and mutual trust.
  • Establish sustainability based on endogenous initiatives to cover certain expenses or needs (insignificant contributions such as tontines by the school), for example the concept of the child’s attic or the establishment of school canteens is based in part on the in-kind contribution of families based on their crops (horticulture).

References:

[1] National study on out-of-school children and youth in Senegal (Dec. 2017).

[2] Senegal Ministry of National Education study on parenting and academic success, (2016);

Lola Orenga : The parent/teacher relationship: fostering involvement in their children’s education. Education. 2021. ffdumas-03432304f

[3] SAGA, 2005 “Basic community schools in Senegal Contribution to universal schooling, poverty eradication and the establishment of a national program for sustainable development.”

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