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This booklet explains how teachers or education workers can help parents and other community members to participate in developing and maintaining an inclusive environment at school. It is one of six booklets that make up the UNESCO Inclusive Learning-Friendly Environments toolkit.

The book describes simple practical ways in which schools can communicate with and involve parents and communities.

You can download the whole toolkit on the UNESCO website or download the booklet on working with families and communities here: 

UNESCO ILFE Toolkit - Booklet 2 - Working with families and communities (139 kb)

In this extract from the section the community in the classroom, the booklet recommends ways in which families can contribute to the school environment:

• Parents can volunteer to assist teachers wtih classroom activities such as reading or preparing learning materials or helping to organise extra-curicular activities like sports or field trips.
• Parents can be classroom guest speakers to talk about their work and can talk about how education contributed to their experience of work. Parents who do not work could talk about the history of the community, share folk stories or demonstrate traditional skills.
• Parents can become involved in PTA meetings or other school meetings.
• Parents can donate materials to the school or help to find financial contributions to meet school and classroom needs.
• Parents can reach out to other parents whose childre are not in school or who are thinking of dropping out.
• They can participate in efforts to keep their children's schools safe and clean
• They can help the school to hold an Open School Day. On that day parents, community members and officials are invited to the school. Representative work from all children is displayed along with new teaching materials.
• Parents and members of the community can help to assess children's learning achievements.
• Sucessful graduates and dedicated parents can serve as role models, especially those with diverse backgrounds and achievements. Hold a careeer day every year. Invite these men and women to discuss their careers.

There are just as many suggestions for how children can use their community as a learning resource and how the school can contribute to the community.  

Read more by downloading this booklet or go to the UNESCO website to access the whole toolkit.  

• UNESCO ILFE Toolkit - Booklet 2 - Working with families and communities (139 kb)
• UNESCO website: Embracing Diversity: Toolkit for Creating Inclusive, Learning-Friendly Environments

• Download the whole toolkit on the UNESCO website