Is education always beneficial?

Yes No

Come up with as many answers as you can- the YES column links
to the functionalist view on education and the NO column links to
the Marxist view of education
Is the education system
always beneficial?
Objective- to explore the functionalist and Marxists
views on the education system
 The functionalist approach emphasises
the importance of education as a
means of transmitting society's
values.

However
 Who's values are they?
 Is there just one set of values in society?
 Do different groups in society have different values?
 Who's values does the education system transmit?
 Does the education system give everyone an equal chance to
succeed (is it meritocratic)?
 Do working class children have the same opportunities to succeed in
education?
 Illich suggests schools should be abolished because compulsory
education hinders the leaning process and stifles creativity and
created mindless consumers?
 What are the 5 main functions of the
education system?
The functionalist approach emphasises
the importance of education as a
means of transmitting society's
values.
Why do we value these 5 functions of the education system?

Function Why Society values it- Counter argument- Marxist

functionalist argument

Social Control Formal

Informal
Secondary Socialisation

Serving the needs of the

economy
Social cohesion

Social mobility (Meritocracy)

De- schooling

 De-schooling is the idea that schools should be abolished

because the compulsory nature of schools hinders the
learning process

 Extension task- what kind of school that we have studied

fit Illich’s idea of de-schooling society, and why?
 Q. What skills do we need to
learn from education?

 Come up with 5 in pairs

Q. Do schools prepare pupils for the world of

work by transmitting norms and values or do
schools indoctrinate (teach people to accept
views that might not be their own) pupils? 12
Marks
 Write a paragraph that agrees with this statement (using Marx or Illich)
 Write a paragraph that disagrees with this statement (using functionalists)
 Write a conclusion evaluating both arguments and throw in some of your
own opinion
Plenary

 What is meant by formal education

 What is mean by informal education
 What are 3 functions of the British education system
 What do Marxist believe is the function of the education
system?
 What is meritocracy?
 What is de-schooling?