Duncan O'Leary
Duncan works on projects looking at public services, skills and work.
at 12:00pm
on Tuesday, 12th April 2005
Which all makes you wonder whether there really is one. As I sat with a group of professionals from children's services yesterday, a headteacher from a school in Bournemouth gave a fascinating presentation about how her school had engaged the local community in its work. Parents had been invited to run breakfast clubs, they had built furniture for the playground, several of them are now employed at the school. The school had put on after-school events ranging from Indian Head massages to ICT training and Local businesses have been sponsoring 'good work awards' for the children. There were also surveys to find out what, in particular, parents wanted from the school ' but importantly these surveys seem to have gained their legitimacy from the numerous ways in which the school had offered parents opportunities to participate more regularly.
As the campaign rumbles on, politicians in general seem to be fighting a losing battle in their attempts to re-connect the public with the public realm ' perhaps they should visit Bournemouth.
Which all makes you wonder whether there really is one. As I sat with a group of professionals from children's services yesterday, a headteacher from a school in Bournemouth gave a fascinating presentation about how her school had engaged the local community in its work. Parents had been invited to run breakfast clubs, they had built furniture for the playground, several of them are now employed at the school. The school had put on after-school events ranging from Indian Head massages to ICT training and Local businesses have been sponsoring 'good work awards' for the children. There were also surveys to find out what, in particular, parents wanted from the school ' but importantly these surveys seem to have gained their legitimacy from the numerous ways in which the school had offered parents opportunities to participate more regularly.
As the campaign rumbles on, politicians in general seem to be fighting a losing battle in their attempts to re-connect the public with the public realm ' perhaps they should visit Bournemouth.
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