MODULE OF INSTRUCTION

Week 12

Education is a relevant part of the development of humans, and the society itself.

It is for this reason that they became an important social institution. Educational institutions

nurture individuals to become productive citizens who will help build society for the better.

Society will not develop without the aid of educational institutions. In this lesson,

you will learn the following:

1. Evaluate how functions of education affect the lives of people in society

2. Promote primary education as a human right

Education as a Social Institution

Education is one of the important social institutions needed to ensure the

progress of the society.

This social institution is relevant in developing individuals, who make up

our society. It upholds the basic human right to be functionally literate. Moreover,

it is also one way of transmitting culture to the younger generations.

Education begins from the moment a child is born. It begins as an informal

process in which a child watches others and learns by imitating them. As they grow

up, they receive a more formal education, starting with playschool. Once they

reach grade school, they begin to focus on academic lessons. And their education

continues even after they finish their studies and attain a degree.

Simply put, education shapes the individuals. They learn cultural

expectations and norms as they grow up. They do not just learn important skills

Manual Title
MODULE OF INSTRUCTION

and knowledge needed for them to be able to perform important tasks for the

society, they also learn values which will shape their personalities.

And as education is a social institution, it is also affected by other social

institutions. The quality of education that we receive may be affected by the current

state of economic institutions.

Formal, Non-Formal, and Informal Education

Education can be classified into three types: formal, non-formal and

informal education. These two differ in where and how the individual learns and

gains knowledge.

Formal education is classroom-based, provided by trained teachers. It is

a systematic, organized education model that has structure and given set of laws

and norms.

This type of education comes with rigid curriculum, as well as objective,

content, and methodology. It corresponds to the education process that is normally

adopted by schools and universities.

Non-formal education, on the other hand, refers to an education process

that has a more flexible curricula and methodology compared to formal education.

While formal education has a rigid structure which the students must follow, non-

formal education tends to adapt to the interest and work pace of the students. Under

non-formal education are educative processes such as correspondence learning,

distance learning, and open systems. Correspondence learning is a planned,

systematized and individualized learning system that allows students to proceed at

Manual Title
MODULE OF INSTRUCTION

their own pace, according to their interests. Distance learning is, according to B.

Holmberg, “learning supported by those teaching methods in which, because of

the physical separateness of learners and teachers, the interactive, as well as the

preactive phase of teaching is conducted through print, mechanical, or electronic

devices.” This is different from correspondence learning, in a way that in distance

study, the student is at a distance from the teacher for much, most or even all the

time, during the teaching-learning process. And then the Open Systems or open

learning is “defined as those which offer students a measure of flexibility and

autonomy, to study the programmes of their choice when and where they wish, and

at a pace to suit their circumstances.”

Lastly, Informal education refers to education that does not correspond to

an organized and systematic view. It does not necessarily include the objective and

subjects which we often encounter in the traditional curricula.

Informal education is learning that takes place outside of a classroom

setting. An example of this would be visit to museums or exhibits, or watching

educational TV programs, etc.

With informal education, there is generally no control over the performed

activities nor does it necessarily regard the providing of degrees or diplomas.

Informal education simply serves as supplement for both formal and non-formal

education.

Manual Title
MODULE OF INSTRUCTION

Productive Citizenry

Educational institutions play an important role in building productive

citizenry for the development of society.

The society needs productive citizens in order for it to become more

progressive in the future. That is why it is essential for the individual to be nurtured

and achieve skills which they can use to contribute to the society.

The main goal of educating individuals is to help them grow up and

develop essential competencies which they will need to become productive

citizens in the future.

Self-Actualization and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Self-actualization is the need for personal growth and development that

exists throughout your life. People who are self-actualized tend to work hard in

order to achieve growth and become the kind of person that they want to be in the

future. Simply put, it refers to the person’s need to reach his or her full potential.

It is the highest level in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Abraham Maslow

believed that human motivation comes from the individual’s ability to seek

fulfillment and change through personal growth. According to Maslow,

individuals strive for higher needs once their lower-level needs have been fulfilled.

Manual Title
MODULE OF INSTRUCTION

Source:
www.simplypsychology
.org

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a five stage model, the highest being self-

actualization. But in order to get to this stage, the individual must first fulfill the

lower basic needs, from Physiological needs, Safety needs, Belongingness and

Love, and Esteem.

People who are self-actualized are said to have the following

characteristics:

1. They perceive reality efficiently and can tolerate uncertainty.

2. Accept themselves and others for what they are

3. Spontaneous in thought and action

4. Problem-centered (not self-centered)

5. Unusual sense of humor

6. Able to look at life objectively

7. Highly creative

8. Resistant to enculturation, but not purposely unconventional

9. Concerned for the welfare of the humanity

10. Capable of deep appreciation of basic life-experience

Manual Title
MODULE OF INSTRUCTION

11. Establish deep satisfying interpersonal relationships with few people

12. Peak experiences

13. Need for privacy

14. Democratic attitudes

15. Strong moral/ethical standards

Everyone is capable of reaching self-actualization. However, there are

those who are hindered by their failure to meet lower level needs. According to

Maslow, only one in a hundred people become fully self-actualized because the

society tends to reward motivation based on esteem, love and other social needs.

But while self-actualization is the highest in the hierarchy of needs,

Maslow did not equate it with perfection. Self-actualization simply involves

achieving one’s potential.

Primary Education as a Human Right

The Human Rights have been established to ensure that the basic needs of

people are met. An example of this would be the right to education.

Mass illiteracy, which is caused mainly by poverty, is one of the global

issues which are affecting the progress of the society.

It is for this reason that universal primary education has become an

imperative for addressing the worldwide problem that is eradication of poverty.

Education has become increasingly important in the 20th century. As we progress

in technology and other aspects of knowledge, people continuously need to acquire

more competencies which will help them grow to become productive citizens of

the society.

Manual Title
MODULE OF INSTRUCTION

Moreover, education has become a fundamental requirement for social

justice. Education is increasingly become a determinant of living standards

nowadays. Countries that have access to the skills and knowledge provided by

education are more advanced and tend to be more progressive compared to those

who have no access.

The society needs to have capable individuals to ensure it continuous

progress. Education has been regarded by all societies as a means for growth, not

just for the individual but to the society as well.

References:

Education. Retrieved from: https://opentextbc.ca/introductiontosociology/chapter/chapter16-education/

Formal, Non-formal, and Informal Education: Concepts/Applicability. Retrieved from: http://techne-

dib.com.br/downloads/6.pdf

Simply Psychology. Self-Actualization. Retrieved from:

http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html#collapseFour

Self-Actualization. Retrieved from: http://study.com/academy/lesson/self-actualization-definition-lesson-

quiz.html

Module 16: The Right to Education. Retrieved from:

http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/edumat/IHRIP/circle/modules/module16.htm

Manual Title