The concept of public relations is a wide-ranging one and local community contact is
usually a key area of activity. This activity with regard to international schools
has generally drawn criticism from writers. It is a complex and ever-changing
relationship, yet is arguably central to the founding ethos of many schools. This
paper reports on the surveying of 34 schools in 22 different countries, which
revealed that they undertook little formal contact with the local community. Several
possible political and moral reasons for this are discussed and outlined alongside a
number of possible management and organizational factors.
French
Les relations publiques sont un concept largement répandu et les relations
avec la communauté locale sont généralement un
secteur d'activité clé. Dans ce domaine d'activité,
les établissements scolaires internationaux ont fait l'objet de critiques
de la part de certains auteurs. Ce sont des relations complexes, en constante
évolution et néanmoins primordiales à l'ethos
fondateur de nombreux établissements. Cet article fait état
d'une étude menée dans 34 établissements dans
22 pays différents et qui révèle que ces derniers
établi peu de contacts formels avec leur communauté locale.
Plusieurs raisons politiques et morales pouvant expliquer ce fait sont
examinées et exposées ici, parallèlement
à de possibles facteurs organisationnels et de gestion.
Spanish
El concepto de relaciones públicas es muy amplio y el contacto con la
comunidad local es generalmente un área de actividad clave. Algunos
autores han criticado la relación existente entre los colegios
internacionales y la comunidad local. Üsta es una relación compleja, en
constante evolución, pero podría decirse que forma una parte
esencial de los valores fundamentales de muchos colegios. Este artículo
presenta los resultados de un estudio realizado en 34 colegios de 22
países distintos y revela que éstos últimos
mantienen escaso contacto formal con sus comunidades locales. Se intenta explicar
este fenómeno con posibles razones morales y políticas,
así como una serie de posibles factores organizativos y de gestión.
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