• Author / Uploaded
• Judith Maloon

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FUNCTION OF SCHOOLS

At present, school do not only serve as a teachers, but also as parents, nannies, police officers, health workers, spiritual advisers, election officers, researchers, economic producers, and entertainers of society.

Broad Functions of Schools  Intellectual Function  Political Function  Economic Function  Social Function

Functions of Schooling According to Varied Groups Group

Society

Functions of Schooling  Socializes the young to perform needed adult roles  Keeps the young occupied  Delay entry into the job market  Helps perpetuate society by socializing the young into particular societal values, and beliefs  Develops skill needed to live in society such as reading and writing  Selects and allocates the young to the needed roles from professional to laborers

Community

 Formalizes socialization experience ,especially in formal learning  Facilitates peer interaction  Structures socialization experience  Helps meet family goals for successful children  Gives children more options in the competitive marketplace  Produces young people who will fit into the community

Provides an opportunity to get together with peers and engage in sports and other activities  Socializes students into having acceptable attitude and behaviors  Provides skills and knowledge for them to fit into society’s competitive bureaucracies 

Individual Student

Functions of Schooling at the Individual Level School serve the different needs of varying individuals and diverse social groups, primarily for economic progress, career or professional advancement, and for achieving aspiration in life. School is useful for meeting student’s potential partners. The main function of school is to ensure the progressive development of innate powers of the child.

Theoretical Views on the Function of Schooling at the Individual Level

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Interaction Perspective Functional Perspective Conflict Perspective Critical Perspective

Function Of Schooling at the Societal Level 1.

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Cultural Transmission As a social institutional, schools take a more traditional purpose in passing on of culture. Interaction Perspective – Interaction view that culture conformity or defiance is dependent on the meaning constructed by the students about the elements of their culture. Function Perspective- Functionalists argue that the function of school for cultural transmission is necessary for it maintains solidarity, integration, and stability of the society.

Conflict Perspective- Conflict theorists take a critical

view of education by arguing that educational system teaches and supports the norms, values, and social skills upheld by the rich and powerful-that schools restrict the assertion of individualism and creativity as they are inimical to the maintenance of social order , and that schools play little role in promoting significant changes in society.

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Critical Perspective- Critical theorists assert that individuals must be

suspicious why such cultural elements are transmitted to individuals and society.

2. Sorting, Selection, and Allocation Another function of school is to select and allocate which people will enter into occupation to be filled in society.

Interactionist PerspectiveInteractionists argue that daily interactions may affect development of self-concept due to the sorting that persists in school like sectioning, seating arrangement, and ability grouping. Functional Perspective- Functionalists agree to the sorting of individuals as this is important in defining their specific roles in society.

Conflict Perspective-

A very criticism of conflict sociologists is centered on the way schools sort out people.

Correspondence principle (1976) This means that schools attended by different social classes promote the values expected of individuals in each class and perpetuate social class divisions from one generation to the next.

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Critical Perspective- Critical theorists argue that

sorting can be a very dehumanizing mechanism of schools. 3. Credentialism Schools supply the needed manpower requirements of industry and labor. To do this , it provides credentials or certifications to a number of individuals going to school. Credentialing is the mechanism to which schools give credentials (grades) and degrees that determine the job opportunities available to individuals in society.  

Interactionist Perspective- Interactionist see degrees as symbol of status and power. Functional Perspective- Functionalist suggest that various reward for different occupation roles is both functional and necessary for society’s survival.

 Conflict Perspective- Conflict theorist argue that social inequality characterized primarily by differing access to increased level of schooling or hours of instruction is strengthened by credentialism.

 Critical Perspective- Critical theorist argue that school credentials are weapons to gain power and social or economic advantage.

4. Political Integration Schools promote political integration and develops a sense of national identify that stabilizes the political system. 

Interactionist Perspective- Interactionists say that democracy or any political ideology is a social construct and is product of social interaction in school .

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Functional Perspective- Functionalism contends that education has positive effects on the attitudes toward the political landscape of a given country.

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Conflict Perspective-

School is an indoctrinating agent of that state to perpetuate its political ideology.

Critical Perspective- Critical theorists contend that the commonly

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accepted political cliché's, ideology, principles, and philosophies must be periodically revisited, redefined, evaluated, and reframed since they may not hold true today or may be irrelevant with the passing of time.

5. Research and Development Schools are the guardians of the society’s future. 

Interactionist Perspective- Interactionists believe that human interactions are rich sources of possible subjects and interests for research and development.

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Functional Perspective- Functionalist paradigm believes that schools assure that dysfunctional knowledge, attitudes, and skills are replaced by functional ones.

 Conflict Perspective- Conflict theorists believe that the research agenda of the rich and elite are being emphasized.

 Critical Perspective- Research, change, and innovation are the expected functions of schools, yet institutions often resists change, which affect routine work tasks.

6. Anticipatory Socialization and Training Schools play a pivotal role in enabling and guiding students to reach their potentials so that they could occupy whatever social and occupational roles they aspire in the future.

 Interactionist Perspective- Interactionists believe that everyday interactions in school (be it or formal) are vital in the training and development of knowledge, skills, and values of students.

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Functional Perspective- Functionalists contend that students are taught the tasks essential for maintenance and survival of society through skills training and knowledge acquisition .

 Conflict Perspective- Conflict theorists like Bowles and Gintis (1976) opined that schools are training young people for their future economic and occupational positions according to their current social class position. 

Critical Perspective- Neo-Marxists like Bourdieu conceived schooling in modern industrial society as a means of preparing docile and discipline workers, which consequently reproduce the prevailing class differences.

7. Custodial Service while Parents Work Schools serve as “holding areas” and perform physical custody for the young from early childhood to adolescence, while their real custodians (parents) go to work.

 Interactionist Perspective- The roles and functions assumed by schools are the products of how they interpret their presence and existence in the society . 

Functional Perspective- The role of schools to “baby sit” children is very functional in society because it gives more opportunities for women to be in the labor force.

 Conflict Perspective- This paradigm criticizes the school for having numerous roles and functions for society. 

Critical Perspective- The school entrusted with multifaceted roles in the society that makes it a overburdened institution.

8. Social Control and Discipline Schools are not only confined to imparting knowledge and skills (literacy, numeracy, arts, life skills, and community roles), but also go beyond the performance of these tasks. Social control refers to the set of rules that are dispensed for individuals who act contrary to the standards of proper conduct. Discipline means that teachers have to exercise their authority in the best interest of the students, emphasizing the development of selfdiscipline, independence, and maturity.

 Interactionist Perspective- Schools reinforce discipline and social control through rituals, such as checking of attendance.”NO I.D.NO entry policy, "strict implementation of uniform, and disciplinary actions.

 Functional Perspective- Schools prepare students for their future involvement as adult in the labor force by equipping them with essential knowledge, skills, and values necessary to become productive, responsible, and successful workers.

 Conflict Perspective- Conflict theory posits that the need for control and discipline can take precedence over the learning process.

 Critical Perspective- Social control is often the controversial function of schools. Critical theory asserts that school’s control is too rigid it becomes a vehicle for oppression, injustice, and inequality.

Manifest and Latent Functions of Schools Examples of Manifest Functions of Schools  Instruction and Training Development of critical and creative thinking and tasks essential for maintenance of society;

 Sorting Grouping students based on talents and abilities

 Socialization Teaching the duties of citizenship, patriotism, and nationalism

 Social Integration Love for humanity, inculcate dominant values, and shape societal thinking;

 Transmission of Culture Teaching vales and ideologies from generation to generation; and

 Research and Development Generation of knowledge, innovation, invention, and change.

Example of Latent Functions of Schools

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Developing youth culture that conflicts with parents

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Obtaining potential mates- “marriage market”

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Custodial or care-giving service while parents work

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Challenging authority

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Restricting job competition by keeping young people temporary out of the labor force.

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The church-like function of the school is observed when emphasis is made on praying the rosary, holding masses every first Friday and during holidays of obligation;

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What is family-like in school is when the school conduct family gathering or family day that enhances family cohesion and nourishment of family life;

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What regard school as a factory is emphasis on production or business activities, such as producing goods or products by the school;

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The school is likened to a prison is when there is emphasis on production or business activities, such as producing goods or products by the school;

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What makes the school as a charitable institution is when it provides outreach programs such as gathering relief goods for distribution to victims of calamities or during Christmas season, and livelihood and literacy programs given for free to its service area or adopted barangays;

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What is media-like in school is reflected in its school advertisements, notice, greetings in both radio and television programs that promote not only its educational offerings, but also its ideological, political, and religious orientations.