Beyond the Classroom by Rosalyn Black is an interesting book published by the Australian Council for Educational Research in 2008. It talks about the ways in which education can be extended beyond the school and into the community, and how the community itself plays a crucial role in its children’s education. ‘…tinkering around the edges of schooling will not provide solutions to the widening gaps in education and life outcomes that limit opportunities…we need new models of schooling that recognise the future of children and young people is the responsibility of the whole community, and which form the basis of a social alliance for all young people to tak an active – if not a leading- role in their community’ (p. 2). Wise words indeed. The book then goes on to describe different types of community networks and ways of making them work. An interesting read, especially for those involved in education at the primary and secondary school levels.
Tags: informal learning, out-of-class