EDUCATION Introduction Education has always been in the
EDUCATION
Introduction • Education has always been in the limelight. It serves many important functions that not only have an impact on the lives of the millions of students that pass through its gilded gates, but also a country’s economy and future. Policies are conceived, curriculums are designed, teachers are trained and students are taught. All these are diligently reviewed and revised so as to serve the changing needs of generations of people. The ultimate aim is to produce wellrounded pupils to meet the challenges of the 21 st century.
Nature of Education • This clearly shows that education does not exist in a vacuum. Schools do not exist by themselves. What students learn in schools are often complemented and reinforced by what they learn from their parents, interactions with the media – especially the New Media of today – and even their interactions with the community at large.
Functions of Education • What are the aims education? • On the surface, the answers to this question would seem to be straightforward. However, with the demands made on education by different factors and quarters of the community, education is not as simple as it appears to be. • The following are but only three of many functions of education.
Functions of Education – (1) Transmission of Societal Norms & Values • Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist, wrote that society can survive only if there exist among its members, a sufficient degree of homogeneity, and education help to perpetuate and reinforce this homogeneity by fixing in the child, essential similarities which collective life demands. • Without these essential similarities, cooperation, social solidarity, and therefore social life itself would be impossible.
Functions of Education – (1) Transmission of Societal Norms & Values • A vital task for all societies is the welding of a mass of individuals into a united whole. • In other words, the creation of social solidarity. This involves commitment to society, a sense of belonging and a feeling that the social unit is more important than the individual.
– (2) Imparting social Rules Functions of Education • Individuals must learn to cooperate with those who are neither their kin nor their friends. The school provides a context where these social etiquettes can be learned. • As such, school is a society in miniature, a model of the social system.
– (2) Imparting social Rules Functions of Education • There is a fixed set of rules (e. g. uniforms, discipline, behaviour) where every student in the school needs to follow, akin to how we need to follow certain laws and protocols in society.
– (3) Division of Labour Functions of Education • Education teaches individuals specific skills necessary for their future occupations. This function is particularly important in industrial society with its increasingly complex and specialised division of labour. • Social solidarity is based largely on the interdependence of specialised skills. For example, the manufacture of a single product requires the combination of a variety of specialists. This necessitates cooperation and social solidarity.
Functions of Education • Thus, schools transmit both: – general values, which provide the necessary homogeneity for social survival; and – specific skills, which provide the necessary diversity for social cooperation.
Education Stakeholders • There are certain groups of people and organisations that take meticulous interest in the way students are being educated, focusing particularly on the educational system and processes. • The opinions of these people and organisations could lead to changes in educational polices and directions.
Education Stakeholders • These often lead to the evolving landscape of education, resulting in more innovative ways of teaching and much flexibility and choices for students. • The following are some of the more prominent stakeholders and their roles:
Education Stakeholders – (1) Parents • Greater collaborations with parents are crucial in order for schools to realise their vision of delivering the best education outcomes for students. Schools can tap and leverage on parents to maximise the educational impact on our students. This will result in benefits not only academically, but also in the areas of value and character development. Such collaborations will also help enhance parent-child bonding as the interest and concern shown by parents are visible to their child.
Education Stakeholders – (2) Government • The Government’s role is to put in place broad directions and useful guidelines for schools to work towards engaging students in a creative and sustained way for the latter’s benefit. In other words, the Government acts as a facilitator to equip schools with resources and to empower school leaders with the autonomy to run the educational institutions effectively.
– (3) Private Corporations Education Stakeholders • It is fine for schools to recognise that they cannot do everything independently; they should rope in stakeholders with the knowhow to create and sustain the momentum for interesting yet useful projects. Private firms and even parents could be given the space to explore and spearhead useful projects for the schools so that they will take ownership of the projects.
Education Stakeholders – (4) Alumni • Alumni members who return to serve their alma mater feel that it is an opportunity to thank the school. The alumni hope to strengthen their relationship with the school by collaborating in more programmes, such as conducting study groups for the pupils or arranging for work attachments. Alumnis are also often a source of funds for school events! • It is thus important to build strong school ties that last even after students have left the school.
Education Stakeholders • Other stakeholders in education would include the community, mass media and even religious institutions. • There may be an overlap in some of their roles.
Streaming & Elite Education
Before you proceed, think about this: What are some of the issues/ controversies that surround streaming/ elite education?
Some people may argue that streaming is beneficial because… • Streaming allows gifted & talented pupils to make more progress in a separate ability group. • Streaming allows teachers to cater to the needs of the class… plan/ teach the curriculum to a greater breadth or depth or at a faster pace.
While others who argue against streaming say that… • Low-ability groups may have poorer teaching resources & a limited curriculum which affects pupils’ progress, level of motivation & sense of stigmatization. • Over-emphasis on exams & academic performance may limit students’ talents in non-academic areas. • Students cannot move between the different streams as less or more of the curriculum has already been taught. • In mixed schools, boys are more likely to be clustered in lower-ability groups as girls mature earlier. • Pupils in top streams may feel anxious & pressured. • Gifted pupils may be labeled as ‘nerds’. • Reinforces social class divide in a school.
Pause and Think #1 1. To what extent does streaming meet the aims of education? 2. To what extent was your answer to Qn 1 affected by the content of the two previous slides? 3. List other benefits of streaming which may not have been presented. Task: Go to the wetpaint discussion thread and write down your responses to all 3 questions.
Did you know? In the past, the Spore Government has been blamed for… • Creating insufficient opportunities for social mobility for lowerincome Singaporeans due to policies such as: (1) early streaming (2) privatization of premier schools and (3) rising costs of education. • It has been suggested that these policies favor those who are more intelligent, powerful and wealthy. • Others have gone so far as to say that these policies favor a particular race. • What do you think of these claims? ____________________________________ Today, the Ministry of Education no longer practices streaming in primary schools. • At this point, if you are biased against streaming, does that necessarily mean that you are pro-government? • Refer to Speaker’s notes
Education in Spore has an important purpose & role in: 1. • • • 2. • • 3. Upholding multiracialism In everyday life, people interact with fellow citizens of different racial backgrounds at work and at play. We live in ethnically mixed housing estates & neighbourhoods. Our children attend racially integrated schools. Upholding meritocracy Meritocracy recognizes and rewards everyone who works hard and excels. Meritocracy should be highly compatible with the multiracial model of society. Promoting national cohesion Before you proceed, think about this: How might meritocracy prevent us from achieving the other two goals? Hint: refer to the next 2 slides …
Just think about it… 1. What happens should anyone get ‘left behind’ in the rat race? 2. Who gets ‘left behind’ and how might they feel? 3. Who might be blamed? 4. Does this mean that we should give up meritocracy entirely? Refer to Speaker’s notes
Pause and Think #2 1. To what extent is it possible to balance the effects of meritocracy (e. g. socio-economic divide) with promoting national cohesion? 2. Suggest some feasible solutions. Task: Go to the wetpaint discussion thread and write down your responses to both questions.
Promoting National Identity through Education
Should the education system be used for the construction of a national identity? It should because… • Globalization – Protecting national identity and values – Need for sense of belonging • Transmission of culture, heritage and traditions • Meeting needs of nation – Security and economic needs
On the other hand… • Government’s vested interest – Biased interpretation of history and events – Used to secure power bases • Opportunities for indoctrination and encouraging closeted views • Ineffectiveness of such lessons – Cynicism and trivialization • Minimal relevance to learning and to future careers
Case Study Japan Kimi ga Yo • Sung to a melody written in the later Meiji Era • Anthem and flag recognized in 1999 with the passing of bill
君が代は 千代に八千代に さざれ石の いわおとなりて こけのむすまで May your reign Continue for a thousand, eight thousand generations, Until the pebbles Grow into boulders Lush with moss
• Go to ‘Videos’ on the wetpaint bar and watch the video on Japanese Patriotism. • As you watch it, consider the following questions: • What are some of the problems Japan faced when teaching national identity in schools? • Suggest some reasons why Japan has continued to enforce the laws despite the controversy.
Imperialism? • Claimed by some to be a symbol of Japanese imperialism and militarism – Exaltation of emperor as deity inappropriate with democracy – Imperial army invaded Asia for the above reason • References in anthem and forced ceremony inappropriate for democratic country
Or Patriotism? • Lyrics meant to wish for Japan to be at peace • Emperor as symbol of unity • As government agencies schools and their employees have an obligation to teach their students how to be good Japanese citizens
Pause and Think #3 Consider the arguments that have been raised so far and the dilemma that Japan is in and respond to the question below: Should the teaching of national identity even have a place in the education system? Task: Go to the discussion thread and write a short response to the Qn above.
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