THE ROLE OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY IN THE SCHOOL INCLUSION OF STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS

Abstract

This paper explores how family and community factors influence the school inclusion of students from diverse ethnic backgrounds in Greece, focusing on mechanisms that strengthen participation, belonging, and educational continuity through home–school–community collaboration.
Methodology: A narrative review approach was employed. Peer-reviewed studies and policy-oriented reports on intercultural education, migrant and refugee schooling, minority inclusion, parental engagement, and school–community partnerships in the Greek educational system were purposively identified and synthesized. The analysis followed a thematic synthesis logic, grouping evidence around communication practices, institutional mediation, community support structures, and barriers to engagement.
Results: The reviewed literature converges on three core findings. First, inclusion is facilitated when schools build consistent, trust-based communication with families and reduce language barriers through interpretation and cultural mediation. Second, community organizations and local networks frequently function as “bridges,” offering informational support, translation, counseling, and practical assistance that indirectly improves attendance, motivation, and school engagement. Third, exclusion risks increase where engagement is framed through deficit assumptions about families, where bureaucratic procedures remain inaccessible, and where socioeconomic precarity, unstable housing, or irregular work schedules constrain parents’ capacity to participate in school-defined activities.
Conclusions: Family and community engagement operates as a central inclusion mechanism rather than a supplementary practice. The evidence suggests that effective inclusion depends on institutional capacity—school leadership, teacher preparedness, and structured partnership practices—alongside external support ecosystems that connect families to schools.
Recommendations: Schools should institutionalize culturally responsive communication routines, provide stable interpretation and mediation services, and train staff to recognize and counter deficit-based assumptions. Participation opportunities should be flexible (multiple formats and times) and co-designed with families. Policy-level support is needed to fund school–community liaison roles and to formalize partnerships with municipalities and civil society organizations.