Lifelong Teacher Education and the Community School

This monograph synthesizes and summarizes current ideas and actions concerning teacher-community linkages. Its main emphasis is on developing countries, where primary and lower secondary schools are major policy tools in the drive for national and economic development and where most people live and will continue to live in rural areas. Based on an analysis of teachers' roles in the community, case studies of teacher education and training for community roles are described. The monograph also proposes that further investigation be undertaken to learn how teachers might be best trained for these roles. Chapter 1 discusses schools and community development; chapter 2's topic is community schools. In chapter 3, teachers are discussed, and teachers' tasks are the topic of chapter 4. Chapter 5 details case studies in teacher education and training in Tanzania, Thailand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, Canada, and Rwanda. The topic of chapter 6 is "Implications for Policy, Practice, and Research." A survey of the relationships between teachers and village communities in Sri Lanka is appended. (JM)

This monograph synthesizes and summarizes current ideas and actions concerning teacher-community linkages.