MARXISTS PERSPECTIVE ON EDUCATION

• MARXIST - Education - reproduces the exploitation of the working class but it continues as the Bourgeoise control the state
• ALTHUSER - the state consists of two apparatus which both keep the bourgeoise in power:

  1. THE REPRESSIVE STATE APPARATUS: maintain the rule of bourgeoise through the police, army forces
  2. THE IDEOLOGICAL STATE APPARATUS: maintain Bourgeoise by controlling peoples beliefs and values
• ALTHUSSER - the ideological state apparatus performs two functions:

  1. education reproduces class inequality by failing each generation of working class
  2. Education legitimates class inequality by producing ideologies that disguise its true cause
• BOWLES AND GINTIS: found schools reward the personality traits that make for a submissive, compliant worker, they found that students who showed independence and creativity gained lower grades than those who showed punctuality and obedience
• Bowles and Gintis - argue theres parallels between schooling and work in a capitalist society - head teachers in school mirror the workplace - THE CORRESPONDENCE PRINCIPLE which operates through the hidden curriculum