functions of education in society ucsp

• Social Science

Module 6 (Lesson 7 and 8) - UCSP

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UCSP MODULE #5: EDUCATION AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION

Module #5: education as a social institution.

Most people equate education with schools, but there is a huge difference between these two.

It refers to the various ways through which knowledge is passed on to the other members of the society. This knowledge can be in the form of factual data, skills, norms, and values. On the other hand, schooling refers to the formal education one receives under a specially trained teacher.

This was what Mark Twain, author of the novels The Adventures of Tom  Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn meant when he said, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Education evolves from time to time and from country to country. For example, in the Middle Ages in Great Britain, education was reserved only for the nobility, and the kind of education they received was focused on classical subjects that had nothing to do with earning a living. Around the same time in Japan, education was open to the nobility, but it was the Zen Buddhist monasteries and the Ashikaga Gakko – which focused on Chinese medicine, Confucianism, and the I Ching – that drove it forward.        Meanwhile, in the 1900s, education became more mainstream and could be accessed by workers and commoners. In Russia, education became a key component to becoming an industrial power, hence prompting the creation of a standardized educational system that was under the control of the government.

Unlike in the earlier years when students had the freedom to choose what they wanted to learn, teachers were then required to teach based on a predefined curriculum. Often, that curriculum focused on socialist values and academic excellence. Industrialization also seems to be a major contributor to the expansion of education in the United States. Unlike socialist Russia or its mother country Great Britain, however, education in the US focused on political participation.

According to Thomas Jefferson, allowing education to focus on the value of freedom and citizen participation in governance would enable Americans to “read and understand what is going on in the world.” The US was also the first country to enact mandatory education laws. Because the government paid for education in the country, it was necessary to produce practical consequences.

As a result, each generation of students received a fixed body of knowledge which often reflected the concerns and needs of the generation. For example, modern education in the US is focused on developing skills that students will need when they enter the job market. Practical arts and art have less room in the curriculum, but computer science and coding have gained center stage.

From the short discussion, one can already see that education is an important factor in maintaining the stability of a society. Note, however, that education can happen on various fronts. There is formal education (or schooling) which refers to the complete educational ladder all children must go through from childhood up to adulthood. And then there are the alternative forms which are not controlled by the government (often called private education , indigenous education , informal learning , and self – directed learning ). With the advance of the internet, a new form of education has emerged: open education through online courses.

Regardless of these developments in education, formal education remains to be of paramount importance. Every child, in every country, has to go through it. As such, its functions remain the same. Formal education performs the following functions: socialization, social integration, social placement, cultural innovation, and latent functions such as childcare and the establishment of lasting social ties.

The Five Functions of Formal Education

• Socialization

As has been discussed above, education is used to promote the norms and values of a society from one generation to the next. In some countries, the transmission function of education is taken on by families. However, in more advanced countries, social institutions such as schools become important as the family can no longer provide the tools and important knowledge needed by the young student. This is the reason why formal education was developed.

From early childhood, students in formal education learn their native language, as well as the mathematical skill they will need to function in society. Such learning expands in secondary and tertiary education, as students are prepared to adapt to his changing realities.

As can be seen in the example of Russia and the US, education can be used to promote specific values which may be cultural or political in nature.In many countries, students are oriented towards competition, as can be evidenced by exams and the grading system adopted by formal educational institutions.

• Social Integration

Because education is used to transmit norms and values, it can also be regarded as a unifying force. It promotes desired values and ensures conformity. In cases of deviance, it provides widely known approaches to convert. For example, mandatory education laws in the US ensured that all immigrants to the country knew what was desirable and undesirable in the US society because they had to be educated in the US schools.

• Social Placement

Formal education helps students to discover approved statuses and roles that will help the society’s longevity. Educational systems consider the various talents and interests of students and attempt to provide opportunities that provide a good fit for these talents and interests. Formal education, in a way, is an equalizer. It focuses on achievement, rather than educational.

• Cultural Innovation

Educational institutions are the center of cultural innovation because they stimulate intellectual inquiry and promote critical thinking. It enables new ideas to develop, as well as provide bases for new knowledge to become accepted in the mainstream. Through schools, theories are proven; technologies are improved; and cultures can adapt to the changing society.

• Latent Functions of Formal Education

As more families have both parents working at the same time, schools tend to become an institution of child care. As children have to be in school, parents can have time to perform their economic duties without being burdened with childcare duties. Another latent function of formal education is the establishment of social relationships that would have a lasting impact on the life of a child.

We have heard of students ascribing their success to their teachers or successful businesspeople who rely on their social networks to promote their businesses. Many of the social ties a child forms in the course of their schooling are lasting social networks and would impact various aspects of their lives.

Education as a Human Right

The status of education as a human right is no new thing. Many international conventions such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights , the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women , and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities have reaffirmed this right. Despite the consensus on the importance of education, human rights advocates continue to campaign for it due to two reasons:

• When children receive basic primary education, they will be able to learn the basics of literacy and numeracy, and hence, gain the basic social and life skills they need to be an active member of society and live a fulfilling life; and
• Many children around the world still do not have access even to basic primary education.

Three Facets of the Right to Education

The right to education goes beyond having the capacity to go to school. Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights underscores three basic rights in relation to education.

• Education enables individuals to exercise all their rights. Through basic education, individuals are able to know about their rights and are able to assert them. They are able to get good paying jobs, participate fully in the political process, care for their environment, cooperate with their fellow men, and fight for equality and justice.
• All children have a right to quality education. It is not enough that children are able to access education. Instead, they must be afforded with an education that meets their needs and prepares them for future challenges in their adulthood. In this aspect, learning outcomes are important indicators of success.
• All children must be given the same educational opportunities. Socio-economic background, capacities, and location should not be a factor in a child’s education. Wherever the child is living, there should be schools that are able to provide him or her with an education that is at par with international standards. Children with disabilities should be allowed to go to school. The curriculum, their teachers, and class activities have to be adapted to fit their needs.

Education in the Philippines

As of 2013, the Philippine Statistics Authority shows that there are almost 10,000 private education institutions operating in the country. 20.1% of them are offering pre-school education; 17.5% of them are engaged in primary education; 25.6% are in secondary education, and 26% are involved in tertiary education. Because the lack of teachers and educational facilities are perennial problems in the Philippines, having these many private schools might sound like a good idea. But Kishore Singh , the UN special rapporteur on the right to education believes that the rise in private education is an indication of the government’s failure to meet their obligation in ensuring universal, free, and high-quality education for their citizens. With private schools, Singh continues, education becomes a privilege for the well-to-do and could lead to continued marginalization and exclusion of those who are already marginalized. It creates social inequality and is a clear infringement of the human rights law.

The problem with privatization of education does not end with basic education. As state colleges are rare in many countries, there is unequal access to higher education. In the Philippines, until recently, a family must have at least PHP50, 000 per child per year in order to send their children to a state university. While free college education in the country is currently being implemented, there is no assurance as to how long it will continue. Moreover, most state universities and colleges can only accommodate a number of students, and a vast majority of secondary school graduates must enter private universities for tertiary education.

As of 2015, tuition fees in private universities range from PHP 50,000 to almost PHP200, 000 per semester, depending on the school the students choose to enroll in. Statistics also show that the average family income for the same year was only at PHP 22,000 per month with 41.9% of the family’s total expenditures allotted for food. If an average Filipino family has two to three children, it is clear that very few can afford to send their children to good schools.

Even with the Philippines’ difficulties in providing adequate educational opportunities for all its citizens, we are still better off compared to other countries. As an example, in 2017, it has been reported that about 1.75 million Syrian children are out of school due to the continuing hostilities in their country. As refugees flock Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon, these countries’ capacities to provide free, basic education are seriously at risk.

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