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What is
community cohesion?
By community cohesion, we
mean working towards a society in which
there is a common vision and sense of
belonging by all communities; a society in
which the diversity of people’s backgrounds
and circumstances is appreciated and valued;
a society in which similar life
opportunities are available to all; and a
society in which strong and positive
relationships exist and continue to be
developed in the workplace, in schools and
in the wider community.
Community
from a school’s perspective
For schools, the
term ‘community’ has a number of dimensions
including:
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the school community – the pupils
it serves, their families and the
school’s staff;
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the community within which the school
is located – the school in its
geographical community and the people
who live or work in
that area;
-
the community of Britain - all
schools are by definition part of this
community;
-
the global community – formed by
EU and international links.
In addition,
schools themselves create communities – for
example, the networks formed by schools of
the same or different faiths, or by schools
that are part of the specialist schools
network.
The
curriculum for all maintained schools
should promote the
spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and
physical development of pupils at the
school and of society, and prepare
pupils at the school for the
opportunities, responsibilities and
experiences of later life.
Schools have a duty
to eliminate unlawful racial
discrimination and to promote equality
of opportunity and good relations
between people of different groups.
All
schools will recognise these two important
statements which are part of existing law.
Since September 2007 schools have also be
under a new duty to promote community
cohesion. Most schools already consider this
part of their role, and already work in ways
which promote community cohesion…
As migration and economic change alter the
shape of our increasingly diverse local
communities, it is more important than ever
that all schools play a full part in
promoting community cohesion. Every school
should be a thriving, cohesive community,
but it also has a vital part to play in
building a more cohesive society.
Extract from the
DfES Community Cohesion consultation
document at:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/
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