Power, dependency, and negotiation: Community language schools in mainstream educational spaces

Community language schools play a vital role in preserving the linguistic and cultural heritage of migrant communities around the world. Established and run by volunteers, these schools operate with limited resources and function outside the formal education system. Many rely on borrowing or renting classroom space from mainstream schools, yet little is known about the nature of the relationships between the two systems. Drawing on power-dependency theory, this study examines the dynamics between community language schools and their mainstream hosts, focusing on the case of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Based on fifteen interviews with community language educators and leaders, the study explores how power, dependency, and perceived status shape their relationship with mainstream schools. Some community language schools described supportive mainstream principals who fostered inclusion, open communication, and autonomy. Others recounted experiences of surveillance, hostility, or abrupt changes following leadership turnover. Lacking alternative venues, many schools reported feeling vulnerable, marginalised, and dependent on the goodwill of individual principals. In response, they adopted strategies such as rigorous cleaning routines, gift-giving, and efforts to demonstrate their value to the host school and to balance power. The findings reveal a pattern of unstable and unequal relationships. To move toward more equitable partnerships, systemic changes are needed. These include clearer policy frameworks, consistent standards for access, and greater institutional recognition of the contributions community language schools make to the broader educational and cultural landscape. Reimagining these schools as valued partners rather than peripheral users is key to addressing long-standing imbalances and building more inclusive education systems.