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.
Education
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.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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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MODULE #5: EDUCATION

As a result, each generation of students received a fixed body of knowledge

Regardless of these developments in education, formal education remains to be

The Five Functions of Formal Education

Educational institutions are the center of cultural innovation because they

We have heard of students ascribing their success to their teachers or successful

Education as a Human Right

Three Facets of the Right to Education

Education in the Philippines

Even with the Philippines’ difficulties in providing adequate educational

UCSP MODULE #4: NON- STATE INSTITUTIONS

UCSP MODULE #7: HEALTH IN SOCIETY

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