Community Involvement in Dducation in Damietta Governorate: the Role of School Board of Trustees

(Ahmed Zaki Abdel Fattah)

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Abstract

Community involvement in education has in the last few years become a central concern of both governments and non-governmental organizations all over the world.This paper examines the role of school Boards of Trustees (BOTs) in achieving greater levels of involvement in Egypt. The specific objectives of the study were to investigate the levels of community involvement within BOTs in the region, examine the kinds of problems that hinder boards of trustees in the region and discuss the kinds of interventions that would be required to enhance the role of BOTs in community involvement. For the purpose of this study, primary data have been collected utilizing semi structured interviews with 63 people linked to nine secondary schools within the Damietta governorate. The captured data were analysed using qualitative approaches that entailed that transcribed interviews were carefully read and triangulated with sources and then coded systematically. The main finding that emerged from the study was that BOTs have thus far had little effect in facilitating greater community participation in the governorate and that the establishment of these bodies have provided schools with even greater challenges than in the past. It was also found that most of the examples of participation on the part of the BOTs are logistic in providing school with its needs or attempting to solve some material problems. The weakest pattern, however, is that related to taking decisions as it might clash with the central authorities.
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