What is the function of education?

informal and formal education

- informal education continues alongside formal education
- students are controlled through the hidden curriculum

education as an agency of socialisation and social control

- agency of secondary socialisation
- agents of social control
- thoughts and behaviours of students are controlled through the hidden curriculum, sanctions and rewards
- powerful people control the main agencies in society
- children are usually taught about a particular way of the world

the functions of education

- functionalist view
- marxist view
- feminist view

functionalist view

- belief that schools contribute to the wellbeing of society by promoting several functions
- importance of individual achievement
- produces people with the skills and abilities needed for the economy

belief that schools contribute to the wellbeing of society by promoting several functions - functionalist view

- pass on generational norms and values
- continue process of socialisation
- sense of belonging

examples of the sense of belonging

- singing the national anthem
- seeing the national flag around school
- learning patriotic slogans
- being taught lessons about society, history and culture

importance of individual achievement - functionalist view

- students are judged mainly by what they achieve at school
- enable children to be judged by universal standards essential for a modern industrial economy

produces people with the skills and abilities needed for the economy - functionalist view

- sifting and sorting
- allocation of roles after school
- decided through assessments
- system produces right number of people for each job
- fair system = equal opportunity of success

criticisms of the functionalist view

- no set of shared values to be passed on (varying ideologies)
- no strong connection between school and work (application of studies in real life situations)
- people are selected for jobs not by ability but by CGE

marxist view

- see the common value system as the ideology of the ruling class
- suffer from false consciousness
- hidden curriculum
- socialisation into a common value system is different based on class because the working class and ruling class students study in different school

see the common value system as the ideology of the ruling class - marxist view

- working class people are indoctrinated
- working class children are taught a set of values making them good workers for the capitalist system
- willing to accept inadequate wages and not question a superior

suffer from false consciousness - marxist view

- unaware of how they are being used
- sense of sharing a culture persuades people to work hard and give their lives in wars for the country when it's for the ruling class in reality

hidden curriculum - marxist view

children learn in schools to be punctual and do as told in preparation for work

socialisation into a common value system is different based on class because the working class and ruling class students study in different school - marxist view

- easy to gain access to top universities from private schools
- bourgeoisie are taught they are superior to the working class
- ruling class can ensure their children stay at the top and inherit wealth
- schools taking selected students from less privileged backgrounds = recruit brightest working class to ruling class

feminist view

- belief that school reinforces the idea of male superiority to boys and girls
- education and schooling prioritised by gender as boys are favoured and content varies on that basis

education and schooling prioritised by gender as boys are favoured and content varies on that basis - feminist view

- girls are taught different courses catering to traditional female roles
- girls may be discouraged from pursuing harder courses (STEM)
- teachers expect more from boys
- senior staff in school is often male

the relationship between education and social mobility

- functionalists
- marxists

functionalists

- believe education permits social mobility
- based on equality of opportunity
- belief in a merocratic system where background is irrelevant
- upward and downward mobility based on merit

challenged idea of meritocracy

- CGE play a bigger part than ability in children's achievements
- schools reproduce ascribed inequalities
- upward mobility is only possible when there are new positions in the profession to be filled
- little downward mobility

marxists

- believe that the capitalist system recruited most able and made the system stronger
- reject that the system is meritocratic
- middle and upper class parents can provide advantages for their children: independent schooling, private tutors, access to books, etc.
- mobility taked away from the working class

different types of schools

- state schools
- private schools
- single sex schools
- faith schools

categorisation of schools

- age
- responsibility of the school

age

- primary schools
- pre-school
- secondary schools
- tertiary education (HE)

responsibility of the school

- state schools
- private schools

state schools

- run directly or indirectly by the government
- funded by taxation

private schools

- not run by government
- funded by tuition fees paid by students
- free from restrictions
- mainly for children whose parents can afford to pay for their children

public schools

- small group of expensive and prestigious private schools
- long established
- traditionally teaches children of wealth
- guaranteed access to highly paid careers

argument FOR private schools

- smaller class sizes
- better resources and facilities
- parents can spend money however they want and and can spend it on a better education
- parents still pay taxes to fund state schools
- students are more likely to succeed

argument AGAINST private schools

- unfair to those who can't afford these schools as the wealthy can just buy better education
- private schools are charities so attract subsidies and benefits despite educating a minor wealth
- spend four times as much a year on a student than state schools do and the money could be used to improve education for all
- play an important role in ensuring no downward mobility occurs

public schools - case study

eton

faith schools (parochial schools)

- religious schools
- partly selective as they prioritise children who share the same faith
- often have distinctive ethos
- mainly part of the state system and run by main churches

comprehensive schools

- cater to all those in an area
- based on the idea that all children should be given the chance to succeed
- replaced the tripartite system

tripartite system

- existed alongside independent schools
- based on the assumption that children could be classified on their ability
- grammar schools, technical schools, secondary modern schools

grammar schools

- for 'academic children'
- mainly middle-class

technical schools

technical education for manual labour

secondary modern schools

basic education with few opportunities to take exams

comprehensive schools have been replaced by

- specialist schools
- academies
- free schools

specialist schools

secondary schools that specialise in subjects

academies

- begun by businesses and sponsors
- funded by government

free schools

directly funded by the government

argument FOR comprehensives

- allow equal opportunity
- strong community spirit
- children aren't labelled as failures at a young age
- fewer pupils leave without any qualifications
- benefits working class pupils

argument AGAINST comprehensives

- bring down standards
- not diverse because the living area had a certain class
- large and impersonal with discipline problems
- streaming and setting for pupils with different abilities
- haven't been able to take all students in the area because of private schools and tripartite system

increased competition between schools

schools try to select most able pupils to score highest in national tests rather than those with difficult and expensive learning needs

increased competition between schools - supporters

- forces schools to improve
- better results
- freedom of choice

increased competition between schools - opponents

- unequal freedom of choice
- privilege
- class disparity affecting education