BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: FAMILY CO-RESPONSIBILITY IN THE COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN IN THE LATIN AMERICAN CONTEXT

Abstract

This article analyzes the importance of shared responsibility between family, school, and community in the comprehensive development of children between the ages of 4 and 12 in the Latin American context. The active participation of primary caregivers in educational processes has been recognized as a determining factor in the cognitive, emotional, social, and moral development of children. However, structural, cultural, and institutional barriers persist that hinder the strengthening of this bond. Through a socio-educational approach, the article reflects on the challenges and opportunities facing the school-family-community alliance, with the aim of highlighting tensions such as the lack of training for participation, adult-centrism, poor effective communication, and the instrumentalization of the family in public policies. The analysis is based on regulatory and academic sources that help us understand the need for a transformation in school practices towards more inclusive, dialogical, and affective models. Among the findings, enabling factors are identified, such as the recognition of the family as the primary educational agent, the creation of spaces for shared decision-making, and the implementation of training strategies for teachers that promote co-responsible relationships. The conclusions suggest that family co-responsibility can no longer be conceived as a complement, but rather as a structuring axis of the right to quality education. Likewise, it invites us to move beyond welfare-based approaches and advance toward an education that welcomes and articulates the knowledge, practices, and trajectories of families.