Abstract:
The initiation phases of many school/university partnership projects are often hurried affairs because time-lines for funding have to be met. As a result participants often have little time to engage in processes of consultation and equitable selection, nor to negotiate processes for democratic management and compatible priorities, goals, expectations and views of teaching, learning, research and partnership. This paper will draw on research that shows that these aspects have a significant impact on the success of partnerships and that the initiation phases of partnership projects need to be more carefully structured to enable the time and opportunities for the foundations to be carefully laid.