Participation and Self Management in Education. Occasional Paper No. 18.

Student and community participation are important aspects in the transformation of the educational system towards participation and self-management. The concept of continuing education provides this transformation in the educational process. Elementary education is one level where the concept of continuing education can be effectively implemented. The Jonathan experimental school in Canada is an example of an innovation in elementary education whose fundamental goals are to become a living environment for the child and a community undertaking. Under this experiment no teaching programs are prefabricated by adults and imposed on the children according to a sequence pre-established by adults. Rather, the child decides what he wants to do or learn while the parents also undergo a process of learning new roles as co-educators and co-managers of a school intended to be a community undertaking. An integrated system of continuing education will transform the school system in the direction of genuine democratization and self-management. This transformation has direct effects on: (1) the open, pluralist educational system; (2) education in underprivileged environments; (3) school and professional training; and (4) participation by students and the community. (Author/EC)