Unit 1

school and society Unit one.
04/21/2024
SCHOOL AND SOCIETY

CHAPTER ONE
Understanding School’s
Environmental components
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school and community. 04/21/2024
INTRODUCTION
 The first chapter of the module which mainly deals
with
 pertinent issues in school and society relations.
 Many scholars confirmed that, there should be
 strong bond between school and its environment if
effective instruction is needed.
 understanding the nature and
 structure of school's environment
 is a prerequisite to enhance school society relations.
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school and community. 04/21/2024
SCHOOLS ARE
 Schools are
 the center of conflicting values.
 They Work with diverse populations and cultures.
Due to:
 the introduction of the internet and
 the increased voice of the public in the daily
activities of the school made community
participation become compulsory
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school and community 04/21/2024
CONT…
 the meaning,
 nature and characteristics of society;
 unique characteristics of educational organizations
including schools as well as
 school and society relations in education will be
presented in this chapter.
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UNIT OBJECTIVES
 After successful completion of this unit, the students will be
able to:
 Define the essence of society
 Explain how schools are organized
 Portray the purpose of schooling in addressing the contemporary
goals of education
 Describe the unique nature of educational organizations and the
schools
 Explain the different segments/components of the society around
the school
 State the major objectives of creating close school society relations
 Discuss the rational for school-society relations
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SOCIETY DEFINED
 Society is defined in a number of ways by various educators,
sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, etc.
 they all agree that members of society have something in
common.
 Some of the definitions:
 It is a group of people related to each other through persistent
relations .
 A large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual
territory,
 subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural
expectations
 Characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between
individuals who share a distinctive culture and institutions.
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CONTD
 as a sum total of such relationship among its
consistent members
 The persons collectively considered,
 who live in any region or at any period ,
 any community of individual who are united together by a
common bond of nearness
 who recognize each of the associates, friends and
acquaintances.
 geographic meaning and refer to
 people who share a common culture in a particular
location.
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GENERALLY
 society can be understood as
 “ a group of people related to each other through persistent
relations,
 who are sharing geographical or virtual territory,
 subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural
expectations”.
 enables members to benefit in a way that would not otherwise
be possible on an individual basis.
 consists of likeminded people governed by their own norms
and values with a dominant larger society
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SOCIETY
if society is described as
 economic society,
 social society,
 political society, etc. members can be from different
ethnic groups
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CONT….
 For sociologists, society refers to people who
interact in such a way as to share a common
culture.
 The cultural bond may be
 ethnic,
 racial,
 gender,
 shared beliefs,
 values, and
 activities.
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CONT…
 Societies can be classified on the basis of time as
1. pre-industrial society
1. Hunting and gathering society,
2. Pastoral society,
3. Horticultural society,
4. Agricultural society,
5. Feudal society,
6. Industrial society and
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2. post- industrial societies

 comprise
1. Western society,
2. Information society and
3. Knowledge society
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1.2 UNDERSTANDING THE SOCIETY
 Understanding the society may require analyzing

the society in terms of
 physical location,
 the climatic conditions,
 the people
 customs and traditions,
 population characteristics,
 communication channels,
 community groups,
 leadership and economic conditions).
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PHYSICAL LOCATION
 the physical location or common geographical
area is
 one of the describing characteristics of society.
 the members of society reside significantly identifies
one society from the other.
 has been demarcated by the other with natural or
artificial boundaries.
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CONT…
 The natural boundaries include features such
as
 the rivers,
 mountain ranges or forests,
 canals etc
 artificial boundaries are the ones demarcated
by political settlements..
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THE PEOPLE OF THE AREA

 share the resources in common
 participate to reach the common goals of
population.
 develop unity with common feelings, integrity,
oneness and collective consciousness.
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THE CLIMATIC CONDITION OF THE AREA
 inhabited by the members of society,

 influences the activities of the society members
 its analysis will help the better understanding of
the society
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CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

 refer to the common ideas, attitudes, and habits
of people.
 They exert an influence in
 the shaping of social action
 in determination of services rendered by
community agencies.
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POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
 refer to
 educational attainment,
 age,
 sex,
 gainful occupation and
 the ethnic group or nationality.
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COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
 since the education takes place through the
exchange of ideas the type of information
channels to reach segments of the society are
so important.
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LEADERSHIP
 Leadership is a relational concept implying two
things:
1. the influencing agent and
2. the influenced.
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CON T…
 The requisite (mandatory) to determine the
value society attaches to education
 leaders of the society and
 their personal background,
 family connections,
 group affiliations,
 social and political convictions,
 special competencies,
 attitudes towards education and training
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SOCIETY ….
 In general can be defined according to the
characteristics that the members share, such as
 culture,
 language,
 tradition,
 law,
 geography,
 class, and race
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AS SHAFFER (1992) ARGUES

 some societies are  while others are
homogeneous heterogeneous;
 some are united.  others conflictive
 Some communities are  some others are governed
governed and managed by leaders imposed from
by leaders chosen above who represent central
democratically authorities.
24
ZENTER (1964) POINTED OUT

 three aspects of societies:
1. the first aspect is that society is a group structure,
whether formally or informally organized,
2. the second is that members of the society have
some degree of collective identification with the
occupied space;
3. lastly, the society have some degree of local
autonomy and responsibility.
25
BRAY (1996),
 classified society in to three as
1. geographic society, defined according to its
member’s place of residence, such as village or
district;
2. ethnic, racial, and religious society , membership is
based on ethnic, racial or religious identifications;
3. thirdly, societies based on shared family concerns
which include parents association and similar
bodies
26
1.2.1 NATURE OF SOCIETY
 Society can be explained as a

 state of fellow- feeling,
 cooperation, friendship and sympathy among two or
more persons who together with common feelings,
bonds and aspirations.
 an organization of persons which guarantees
security to the members’ individuality and existence.
 is a dynamic entity.
 It has its own political, economic, cultural and
religious ideologies
27
1.2.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY
1. Variety of interactions
2. Feeling of harmony
3. comprehensive/Total /culture
4. Social Organization (Bhatt,2011)
5. Functional differentiation
6. Interdependence
7. System of relationship
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1.3 THE UNIQUE NATURE OF EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND THE SCHOOL
1.3.1 Definitions and meaning of school

 School is a special environment where a certain
quality of life and certain types of activities and
occupations are provided with the object of
securing the child’s development along desirable
lines.
29
CONT….
 mix children freely with each other in a friendly
atmosphere that they develop
 sympathy,
 cooperation,
 tolerance and
 respect for the views and cultures of others.
 It is an important agency to develop cultural
pluralism.
30
JOHN DEWY
 Schools are institutions devised by civilized man

for the purpose of aiding in the preparation of
young for well- adjusted and efficient members of
society.
31
J.S ROSS
 School is a place where a definite curriculum

is taught to children during a definite duration
of time by definite teachers.
32
1.3.2. IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOLS

Schools:
 transmit the huge treasure of knowledge or extensive
cultural heritage to the rising generation.
 connecting link between the family and the external
world.
 provide a special and well organized environment which
ensures the physical, mental, emotional and social
development to the child in a natural way.
 ensure the harmonious development of child personality
through pre-planned objectives.
 bring together children belonging to different religions,
creeds and social hierarchy
33
CONT….
 It is an important agency for the propagation of
ideals and ideologies of state.
 provide experiences for the child to understand
social behavior and
 develop in him a sense of social responsibility.
 Children learn their rights and duties and develop
love, affection, sympathy and cooperation and
responsibility in schools i.e.
 it helps in the creation of educated citizens.
 It can be said that school is a better place of
education than home
34
is the only agency through which cooperation of

different agencies such as the family, the
community and the state may be successfully
achieved.
Schools can be classified as
1. traditional and
2. modern or progressive schools.
35
TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS
 impart only formal education.
 came into existence when family failed to impart the needed
education to its children.
 more importance is given to the subject matter than the child.
 dozens of content are forced down into the minds of children

 not paying attention to their interests, inclinations and
capabilities
 ready-made knowledge is thrust upon the minds of child
forcibly without caring for their individual differences
progressive schools, the personality of each child is honored
 a child receives education as a passive listener
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MODERN OR PROGRESSIVE SCHOOLS

 have emphasized child centered education.
 seeks to replace information by experience and chooses
 makes school life active and meaningful.
 impart useful, constructive and practical knowledge to
the child.
 More emphasis is given to social values, development of
personality and considered as centers of community life.
37
1.3.3 FUNCTIONS OF SCHOOLS
Schools can have both

1. formal and
2. informal functions.
 The formal functions are mainly concerned with the mental
development of the child:

 development of mental powers
 cultivation of dynamic and adaptable mind
 preservation, improvement and transmission of culture
 imparting vocational and industrial education
 reorganization and reconstruction of human
experiences
 development of citizenship through development of
character.
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THE INFORMAL FUNCTIONS

 relate to
 the physical, social and emotional development of
children.
To develop the child emotionally
 the school building and the campus should be neat and
clean.
 The rooms should be decorated tastefully
 trips, tours, exhibitions and debates also stimulate the
emotional and aesthetic sense of children.
 can further infused with the sense of admiration of truth,
beauty and goodness, the high ideals of human life.
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1.3.4. HOW SCHOOLS ARE ORGANIZED
 The best system for organizing a school system

revolves around accountable community
autonomy, which takes into account the
strengths of both
1. community-centered school systems and
2. state-regulated school systems.
40
CONT…
 A similar idea was also espoused by Archon
Fung in his book, Empowered Participation.
 In it, Fung writes about
1. how accountable autonomy manages the
complicated task of balancing discretion versus
accountability
2. how “school systems can become more
responsive, fair, innovative, and effective by
incorporating empowered participation and
deliberation into their governance structures.
41
CONT….
 Empowering communities requires
 a level of decentralization to give localities meaningful
decision-making and administrative power, while
 holding these communities accountable also
requires
 a level of centralization of power in order to regulate.
 Thus, the ideal school systems combines a bottom-
up and top-down approach
 to simultaneously check each other’s weaknesses and
 take advantage of each other’s strengths.
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THE PECULIAR NATURE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OR SCHOOLS
According to Campbell and his colleagues:

1. Public visibility and sensitivity
2. Crucial to the society
3. Intimacy of necessary relationship
4. Complexity of functions
5. Staff professionalization
6. Difficulty in appraisal
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BUSH ET AL (1980)
1. Difficulty in defining school objectives as compared

to defining industrial objectives
2. Human beings are the raw materials for schools
3. Similarity of the training of the staff
4. Difficulty of measuring educational outputs in a
similar way with other institutions
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GRAFF AND HIS COLLEAGUES IN AYALEW (1991
1. A school is a unique institution

2. School takes its direction from all social
institutions
3. School is at the vortex of conflicting values
4. Closeness of school and the community
5. School points directly towards people
45
1.4 RATIONALE FOR SCHOOL SOCIETY RELATIONS IN

EDUCATION
 The following six areas are the most popular

areas of concern and are some arguments in
favor of increasing close school and community
relations.
1. Policy making-
2. Service delivery-
3. Community development-
4. Individual development
5. Organizational effectiveness
6. Performance of students 46
school and community by Mulatu D. 04/21/2024
The End
47

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Unit 1

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school and society Unit one.

SCHOOL AND SOCIETY

2. post- industrial societies

1.2 UNDERSTANDING THE SOCIETY

 Understanding the society may require analyzing

THE PEOPLE OF THE AREA

THE CLIMATIC CONDITION OF THE AREA

 inhabited by the members of society,

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

AS SHAFFER (1992) ARGUES

ZENTER (1964) POINTED OUT

1.2.1 NATURE OF SOCIETY

 Society can be explained as a

1.2.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY

1.3 THE UNIQUE NATURE OF EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND THE SCHOOL

1.3.1 Definitions and meaning of school

 Schools are institutions devised by civilized man

 School is a place where a definite curriculum

1.3.2. IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOLS

is the only agency through which cooperation of

 dozens of content are forced down into the minds of children

MODERN OR PROGRESSIVE SCHOOLS

1.3.3 FUNCTIONS OF SCHOOLS

Schools can have both

development of the child:

THE INFORMAL FUNCTIONS

1.3.4. HOW SCHOOLS ARE ORGANIZED

 The best system for organizing a school system

THE PECULIAR NATURE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OR SCHOOLS

According to Campbell and his colleagues:

1. Difficulty in defining school objectives as compared

GRAFF AND HIS COLLEAGUES IN AYALEW (1991

1. A school is a unique institution

1.4 RATIONALE FOR SCHOOL SOCIETY RELATIONS IN

 The following six areas are the most popular

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