Durkheim

• Studying our education system is important to sociologists because

  •School is an important site of secondary socialisation•It affects everyone in the UK at some point in their life.•It provides insight into inequality in society (do class/ethnic/gender divisions begin in school?)••
• Independent School


  State School, Priv School, Public School
• State School

  Grammar School, Free Schools , State Boarding
• Alternative Provision


  Special Education School, Home Schooling
• Factors Effecting Schools Choice

  Parents Experience, economic factors availibility
• Durkheim – Main functions of education


  •One major function of education is to transmit society’s norms and values.•“Society can only survive if there exists among its members a sufficient degree of homogeneity”.
• Durkheim – Main functions of education

  •Without social solidarity social life would be impossible!
• How does the education system create social solidarity

  •Education, especially in its teaching of history provides a link between the individual and society.

  •B) Pupils learn to co-operate with those who are neither family or friends and to follow rules. Acts as a society in miniature.
• Main Functions Of Education

  •Modern industrial economies have a complex division of labour with specialist skills required for different jobs.•Education teaches individuals the  skills necessary for their future occupations.
• Criticims Eval

  •Criticised modern comprehensive schools from Durkheim’s point of view.•He argues schools place too much stress on developing the individual and not enough on the duties/responsibilities that the individual should have towards group life in the school.•Therefore, if individuals do not achieve individual success they then tend to rebel and form subcultures because they have no sense of belonging.