Essay on the Role of Education in Society

Essay on the role of education in society
Education, has a great social importance specially in the modern, complex industrialised societies. Philosophers of all periods, beginning with ancient stages, devoted to it a great deal of attention.
Accordingly, various theories regarding its nature and objective have come into being. Let us now examine some of the significant functions of education.
1. To complete the socialization process.
The main social objective of education is to complete the socialization process. The family gets the child, but the modern family tends to leave much undone in the socialisation process. The school and other institutions have come into being in place of family to complete the socialization process.
Now, the people fell that it is “the school’s business to train the whole child even to the extent of teaching him honesty, fair play, consideration for others and a sense of right and wrong”.
The school devotes much of its time and energy to the matter such as co-operation, good citizenship, doing one's duty and upholding the law.
Directly through text books and indirectly through celebration of programmes patriotic sentiments are intimates and instilled. The nation's past is glorified, its legendary heroes respected, and its military ventures justified.
(2) To transmit the central heritage :
All societies maintain themselves, by exploitation of a culture. Culture here refers to a set of beliefs and skills, art, literature, philosophy, religion, music etc., that are not carried through the mechanism of heredity. They must be learned.
This social heritage (culture) must be transmitted through social organisations. Education has this function of cultural transmission in all societies. It is Only at the under leaves of the school that any serious attempt has been, or now is, made to deal with this area.
(3) For the formation of social personality
Individual must have personalities shaped or fashioned in ways that fit into the culture....