Sociology of Education

Sociology of Education

Sociology of Education (SOE), published quarterly, provides a forum for studies in the sociology of education and human social development. SOE publishes research that examines how social institutions and individuals' experiences within these institutions affect educational processes and social development.

Introduction to Education

From the moment a child is born, his or her education begins. At first, education is an informal process in which an infant watches others and imitates them. As the infant grows into a young child, the process of education becomes more formal through play dates and preschool. Once in grade school, academic lessons become the focus of education as a child moves through the school system. But even then, education is about much more than the simple learning of facts.

Our education system also socializes us to our society. We learn cultural expectations and norms, which are reinforced by our teachers, our textbooks, and our classmates. (For students outside the dominant culture, this aspect of the education system can pose significant challenges.) You might remember learning your multiplication tables in grade 2 and also learning the social rules of taking turns on the swings at recess. You might recall learning about the Canadian parliamentary process in a social studies course as well as learning when and how to speak up in class.

Schools can be agents of change or conformity, teaching individuals to think outside of the family and the local norms into which they were born, while at the same time acclimatizing them to their tacit place in society. They provide students with skills for communication, social interaction, and work discipline that can create pathways to both independence and obedience.

In terms of socialization, the modern system of mass education is second only to the family in importance. It promotes two main socializing tasks: homogenization and social sorting. Students from diverse backgrounds learn a standardized curriculum that effectively transforms diversity into homogeneity. Students learn a common knowledge base, a common culture, and a common sense of society’s official priorities, and perhaps more importantly, they learn to locate their place within it. They are provided with a unifying framework for participation in institutional life and at the same time are sorted into different paths. Those who demonstrate facility within the standards established by curriculum or through the informal patterns of status differentiation in student social life are set on trajectories to high-status positions in society. Those who do less well are gradually confined to lower, subordinate positions in society. 

To Each His Own Definition

To Each His Own Definition

Cohen and Harvey are but two voices in a much larger ongoing global debate.

To engage the global community in a debate around the question, "What's the purpose of education?" Doug Belshaw and Andy Stewart founded Purpos/ed, a nonpartisan, location-independent organization. Launched in 2011, Purpos/ed fosters dialogue through activities such as the 500-word campaign, which encouraged people to take a stab at defining the purpose of education and then leading conversations on their own individual blogs.

Earlier this year, Adam Burk facilitated a rousing discussion on TED.com (which is now closed to new comments) asking, "In your opinion, what should be the purpose of education?" When Burke closed the discussion, there were as many different opinions as there were respondents.

"There are 365 comments and 365 distinct articulations of what the purpose of education should be," Burk said. "The process to develop a consensus on this is beyond the scope and purpose of this conversation. However, I do hope that it is understood that this question and its answer are the shapc ers of education systems and, in turn, cultures."

Despite any dilemma that varying opinions and perspectives pose, healthy debate tends to inspire innovative ideas. However, as we face the challenge of educating young people for life in the 21st century, we also know that some things will remain constant.

Dr. Gene R. Carter, chief executive officer and director of ASCD, explains in the Good article "What's the Purpose of School in the 21st Century?" that good teaching never goes out of style.

"We know that there is one education reform movement that works, and unsurprisingly, it's the same formula that has worked since we had those old textbooks, chalkboards, and red apples in the classroom. Research, policy, practice, and common sense confirm that a whole child approach to education will develop and prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow," Carter says.

Harvey agrees that there's no need to scrap what has served us well in the past: "The most significant skill [young people] can develop in the 21st century is the same skill that served them well in prior centuries: a mind equipped to think, the most important work skill of them all."

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Purpose of Education

What Is the Purpose of Education?

Willona M. Sloan

"What is the purpose of education? This question agitates scholars, teachers, statesmen, every group, in fact, of thoughtful men and women," Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in the 1930 article, "Good Citizenship: The Purpose of Education," inPizctaorial Review.

If you were to ask even a relatively small group of teachers, administrators, students, parents, community members, business leaders, and policymakers to address the question of purpose, how difficult do you think it would be to reach a consensus?

You might have better luck asking, "What is the meaning of life?"

In the United States, historically, the purpose of education has evolved according to the needs of society. Education's primary purpose has ranged from instructing youth in religious doctrine, to preparing them to live in a democracy, to assimilating immigrants into mainstream society, to preparing workers for the industrialized 20th century workplace.

And now, as educators prepare young people for their futures in a world that is rapidly changing, what is the goal? To create adults who can compete in a global economy? To create lifelong learners? To create emotionally healthy adults who can engage in meaningful relationships?

Yes.

"There are many different points of view on this topic," says Jonathan Cohen, cofounzder and president of the National School Climate Center. "I think that my view, and most people's view, is that the purpose of education is to support children in developing the skills, the knowledge, and the dispositions that will allow them to be responsible, contributing members of their community—their democratically-informed community. Meaning, to be a good friend, to be a good mate, to be able to work, and to contribute to the well-being of the community.

A Disjoint Between Ideals and Actions

Are we on track to fulfill this vision? "We are not on track," says Cohen, who believes that the No Child Left Behind Act's narrow focus neglects social and emotional learning, although they are interrelated with intellectual learning.  is an organization that helps schools integrate crucial social and emotional learning with academic instruction.

In his Harvard Educational Review article "Social, Emotional, Ethical, and Academic Education: Creating a Climate for Learning, Participation in Democracy, and Well-Being," Cohen looks at the disparity between where we are and where we say we want to go.

"There is a paradox in our preaK–12 schools and within teacher education. Parents and teachers want schooling to support children's ability to become lifelong learners who are able to love, work, and act as responsible members of the community. Yet, we have not substantially integrated these values into our schools or into the training we give teachers," Cohen says.

Cohen hopes to see greater support for state departments of education to establish school climate measurement systems. He says states and districts also need guidelines, tools, and resources that would help them engage educators, students, parents or guardians, and community members in creating safer, more supportive, engaging, and challenging schools.

QUAID-A-AZAM MUHAMMAD ALI JINNAH'S MESSAGE

QUAID-A-AZAM MUHAMMWe must earnestly bring out educational policy and programme on the lines suited to the genius of our people, consonant with our history and culture, and having regard to the modern conditions and vast developments that have taken place all over the world. There is an immediate and urgent need for training our people in the scientific and technical education in order to build up our future economic life and we should see that our people undertake science, commerce, trade and particularly well-planned industries. But do not forget that we have to compete with the world which is moving very fast in this direction also must emphasize that greater attention should be paid to technical and vocational education. In short, we have to build up the character of our future generations which means highest sense of honour, integrity, selfless service to the nation and sense of responsibility; and we have to see that they are fully qualified or equipped to play their part in various branches of economic life in a manner which will do honour to PakistanAD ALI JINNAH'S MESSAGE

co education universities in lahore

theyare present in both private and public sectors and offer a wide range of courses that hold an important place in educational standards. Some colleges facilitate their students with all kind of courses while some specialized programs are also being offered in some institutions. Various medical, engineering, arts, law and commerce colleges are working in Lahore.
heincludes Government College University, Forman Christian College, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Dayal Singh College, Islamia College, National College of Arts, University of the Punjab, Kinnaird College, King Edward Medical University, De'Montmorency College of Dentistry, Lahore College for Women University, Queen Mary College and University of Engineering and 

CO-EDUCATION in School

Importance of School Education

School education lays the foundation stone in building the personality of a person.
The school education in India today has roughly three divisions:

1. The Primary education,
2. The Secondary education and
3. The Higher Secondary education.

The primary education is virtually, a disorganized affair, each school pursuing its own method. The syllabus of secondary schools are state-managed. It has common curricula having a rationale in its syllabus. The Higher Secondary functions at three levels: the State-level, the CBSE and the ICSE. The texts are framed by scholarly experts selected by the NCERT or State text book committees. Thus we have struck off the older pattern of our time that has become jaded today and are obsolete.
Primary education helps in the development of analytical skills, character and overall personality in a child.

 

A strong reason for co-education is that separating children for a number of years means they will not be mixing and learning about each other.' - Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at the University of Cambridge and Fellow at Trinity College, Cambridge. 

At KRfB we embrace the importance of co-education at Junior School level. Both boys and girls, at KRfB, have an opportunity to grow and develop through their co-educational experience and at fRffB we structure our learning and environment to ensure that students get the most out of education and prepare them well for their secondary education. 

It is clear that boys benefit enormously by learning in a co-educational environment. They often learn skills of participating better in class discussions through their interaction with girls. Girls learn to take risks with their problem-solving through interaction with boys. In the classroom we plan educational opportunities that meet the different ability levels and learning styles, regardless of gender. 

We also offer many opportunities for children to interact with the same gender to encourage or discourage particular befhaviours and by creating norms that guide children’s behavifofffur. Popular father and son events include adventure afternoons, sport and various outdoor education activities. Similfafrly, our mother and daughter events include a special Mother’s Day Morning Tea, classroom work and various outdoor education activities.

We believe we offer a unique set of learning opportunities and experiences for boys that are not always provided in a boys' school. They are experiences that are also provided for our girls but benefit both boys and girls simply by having both genders participating. It is significant to reflect on the high  achievement of KfRB boys and their participation and achievement in all areas of school life. The positive feedback we receive from the secondary school our boys join in Year 7 and from the boys in career mode is always exceptional.

Co-education in Pakistan

Co-education is a modern concept. It was first introduced in pakistan but later on it spread to other countries as well. In our country, it is popular only in vocational institutions.

There exist two schools of thought which differ sharply in their views about co-education. One group favoiurs co-education. It includes the people who are educated in the western traditions. They say that we should adopt co-education in our schools and colleges because our country is poor and under-developed. We cannot open separate schools and colleges both for the boys and girls. This becomes obvious in the case of vocational and technical institutions. It is very difficult for the government to open separate vocational colleges and equip them with necessary scientific apparatus and library.

There is a great dearth of skilled teachers on technical subjects in our country. That is why it is desirable to educate the boys and girls in the same institution. There is another advantage of co-education.

The interaction between boys and girls at this age helps in their practical life later on. Co-education also produces a healthy competition. The boys become more civilized and polished in the presence of girls. The girls also stand to gain something in the presence of boys.

Co-education has its disadvantages. The boys and girls might waste their time in activities unrelated to their studies. The youth is characterised by irresponsibility and immaturity. This free contact can result in laxity of morals. Therefore, it is false economy to teach them in the same institution.