Subject and purpose of work: The subject of the study is the cooperation of secondary vocational schools (technical secondary schools) with institutions of the local environment and its impact on the improvement of the quality of education. The aim of the work is to identify the main results of the school’s cooperation with its immediate environment. An important element of the analysis is to find answers to several problematic questions, such as: What institutions and organizations do vocational schools cooperate with? What activities are undertaken in cooperation with institutions and organizations? What educational benefits do school students get from cooperation?
Materials and methods: The article uses a diagnostic survey method, an observation method, an inductive-deductive method, an interview and a literature review. The survey conducted among students and teachers of a selected secondary school made it possible to obtain information on the forms of cooperation with the local community and its impact on the processes taking place at school, in particular on the didactic and educational process.
Results: The school teaching staff members see the need for active cooperation with the local community because entities from the school’s environment can complement the didactic and educational activities. Therefore, numerous and varied forms of cooperation are undertaken, which, in the opinion of students, bring many benefits related to extending knowledge, improving professional skills and social competences.
Conclusions: The cooperation of the school with the local community leads to the improvement of the quality of education, both in the area of didactics and education, as well as modernization of the didactic base and promotion of the school. It is advisable to consciously shape the cooperation by the school management.
