School Models: System, Enterprise, and Community Perspectives

The School as a System

A school system is defined as a set of interconnected elements forming a cohesive structure, with processes of interaction that produce results over time. These results are integrated within a larger system or environment, much like a computer, a car, a living being, or human society.

Key Features of Systems

• They are formed by interconnected elements.
• Each element has a specific function and relates to others.
• The relationships between elements evolve over time.
• When multiple elements coordinate, they can perform new functions.
• Systems both receive and generate information from their environment.

Systemic Perspective in Schools

Applying a systemic perspective to schools highlights several specific aspects:

• Communication
• Interrelation
• Globality
• Dynamism
• Self-regulation
• Optimization

The School as a Company

A company risks capital to achieve economic benefits through a particular activity. The consideration of the school as a business can be interpreted in two ways:

If it implies good quality management, successful human resource and material management leading to improved educational processes and better conditions for professional practice, then this perspective can be beneficial.

However, if it is interpreted as legitimizing a management practice focused solely on efficiency, disregarding the unique characteristics of schools as educational organizations, then this approach would only hinder a true understanding of the school's nature and, consequently, its appropriate management.

The School as a Community

A school community is composed of diverse groups of people engaged in intense and rich interaction. There are two main approaches to understanding the school as a community:

Two Approaches to School Community

1. Personalist Educational Community: This approach emphasizes the values of the individual, conceived as the central focus of the educational community.
2. Democratic School Community: This approach advocates for the democratic participation of all groups in school management. It not only recognizes the existence of different groups but also empowers them to intervene in the governance and administration of schools.

For effective community engagement, the school must have an organizational structure that ensures all sectors of the educational community have spaces for participation. This requires cooperative attitudes among teachers, students, and families. Encouraging student participation and their presence in intermediate structures helps to avoid the dangers of school organization, such as losing sight of the primary recipient of the organization: the child. Therefore, all sectors comprising the educational community should be represented in the structure of schools.