Perspectives of Education
Beginning of Education:
● Foresters Education Act 1870 made it compulsory for education systems to be set
up in inadequate areas. Between 1870 & 1880, around 4000 schools were set up.
● The Fishers Education Act 1918 made the state responsible for secondary
education and it was compulsory for children to attend school up until the age of 14.
Then it was raised to 15 in 1947, 16 in 1972 and anyone born after 1997 it was 18.
Why Education became Compulsory:
● Economic Success- concern about Britain falling behind competitors (Germany) in
manufacturing industries.
● Civilising Role- voting rights extended to the majority of men, more informed
decisions about the vote, teach values and beliefs that are shared throughout the
whole population.
● Poverty- campaign for the poor, chance to escape poverty, state education can
produce a fairer society, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed.
Functionalism:
● Believe that institutions, like the education system, control society, because they are
consistent.
● Suggest the role of education is to teach children to behave in certain ways, which
has encouraged social policy of government to raise standards.
● Structural sociologists are interested in why education is important and the functions
it performs for the individual and society.
● The teaching of history is important for students to develop loyalty to society.
● Individualism is bad, creates normlessness and a lack of shared norms.
Emile Durkheim: Socialisation
● Schools exist to achieve Value Consensus- where everyone has the same norms
and values.
● This is done through secondary socialisation, which happens at school. This
transmits culture, where pupils learn behaviour, social skills, independance, and
levels of authority.
● Not everyone has the same norms and values- cultures, beliefs, traditions are all
different.
● No individualism, it makes everyone the same.
● Globalisation- multicultural societies have different ethnicities, beliefs, etc…
● Assumes all pupils are socialised the same- (Marxists): W/C may socialise their
children to teach W/C ideology, promoting the inequalities of capitalism.
● Willis: ‘Lads’ study- not all pupils conform to school norms and values, rebel,
subcultures.
Beginning of Education:
● Foresters Education Act 1870 made it compulsory for education systems to be set
up in inadequate areas. Between 1870 & 1880, around 4000 schools were set up.
● The Fishers Education Act 1918 made the state responsible for secondary
education and it was compulsory for children to attend school up until the age of 14.
Then it was raised to 15 in 1947, 16 in 1972 and anyone born after 1997 it was 18.
Why Education became Compulsory:
● Economic Success- concern about Britain falling behind competitors (Germany) in
manufacturing industries.
● Civilising Role- voting rights extended to the majority of men, more informed
decisions about the vote, teach values and beliefs that are shared throughout the
whole population.
● Poverty- campaign for the poor, chance to escape poverty, state education can
produce a fairer society, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed.
Functionalism:
● Believe that institutions, like the education system, control society, because they are
consistent.
● Suggest the role of education is to teach children to behave in certain ways, which
has encouraged social policy of government to raise standards.
● Structural sociologists are interested in why education is important and the functions
it performs for the individual and society.
● The teaching of history is important for students to develop loyalty to society.
● Individualism is bad, creates normlessness and a lack of shared norms.
Emile Durkheim: Socialisation
● Schools exist to achieve Value Consensus- where everyone has the same norms
and values.
● This is done through secondary socialisation, which happens at school. This
transmits culture, where pupils learn behaviour, social skills, independance, and
levels of authority.
● Not everyone has the same norms and values- cultures, beliefs, traditions are all
different.
● No individualism, it makes everyone the same.
● Globalisation- multicultural societies have different ethnicities, beliefs, etc…
● Assumes all pupils are socialised the same- (Marxists): W/C may socialise their
children to teach W/C ideology, promoting the inequalities of capitalism.
● Willis: ‘Lads’ study- not all pupils conform to school norms and values, rebel,
subcultures.
