1

[Title]
Conservative
function of
Education

Sociology of
Education

PREETI VOHRA
M.ED( ELEM
EDUCATION)
2013-1014
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Conservative function of Education

Meaning of Education
“Education” has been derived from two Latin words Educare (Educere) and
Educatum. “Educare” means to train or mould. It again means to bring up or
to lead out or to draw out, propulsion from inward to outward. The term
“Educatum” denotes the act of teaching. It throws light on the principles and
practice of teaching. The term Educare or Educere mainly indicates
development of the latent faculties of the child. Education may be defined as a
purposive, conscious or unconscious, psychological, sociological, scientific and
philosophical process, which brings about the development of the individual to
the fullest extent and also the maximum development of society in such a way
that both enjoy maximum happiness and prosperity. In Short, education is the
development of individual according to his needs and demands of society, of
which he is an integral part.

 Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man. Like fire in a piece of

flint, knowledge exists in the mind. Suggestion is the friction; which brings it out.
Swami Vivekananda
 Education develops in the body and soul of the pupil all the beauty and all the
perfection he is capable of.
Plato

 Education is not a preparation for life, rather it is the living. Education is the
process of living through a continuous reconstruction of experiences. It is the
development of all those capacities in the individual which will enable him to control
his environment and fulfill his possibilities.
John Dewey

Education aims at realizing various objectives of life. It not only helps the
individual to develop his innate potentialities, but also promotes the progress
and prosperity of the society. It has to ensure freedom and self-realization of
the individual on the one hand and discipline and development of the society
on the other.
Education prepares the individual for his life, for better citizenship, and for
being a creative person. It also prepares the society for maintaining democracy,
socialism, secularism as well as facing the future.
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Education as Process Socialization

Education is a process both in the narrower as well as in the wider sense.

Ancient people used to collect facts and information about nature for survival.
This is nothing but education. In the wider sense, education is acquisition of
experience throughout life. Experience brings changes in human life and
behavior. It is the primary function of formal education to accelerate and
facilitate social progress.

Fu n c t i o n o f E d u c a t i o n

Education is the process of imparting knowledge, skill and efficiency within a person, which
enables him to adjust in difficult situation. The environment is not same at all times and
countries. It is a social process and it serves different functions over the society. Education
is a multidimensional process so; the function of education cannot be confounded in a fixed
boundary. It is one of the major indicators of personal, social and national development.
The main function of education is the development of man's innate power and progressive
development a modification of society. There is no complete agreement among
educationists about the function of education.
On the whole, education has to perform a larger number of functions which
may be divided mainly into two categories-

(i) Conservation

(ii) Progressive

Conservative Function:

Education and society are closely related and we cannot think of the one
without the other. Education is required to preserve a particular society - its
culture, value system, language, religion, faiths, beliefs and life-styles. These
are transmitted from one generation to another through ages.
Therefore every society has its own pattern of life and mode of living. For
example, India’s secular and democratic education ideals and traditions are
maintained and fostered by her system. Pakistan's and Iran's Muslim
philosophy and spirit are perpetuated by their educational process. Similarly,
USSR and USA try to promote their socialistic and capitalistic models through
their education.
Education is also called a product of the concerned society. Every society has
its own life with peculiar features. So education is grown from within as the
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society grows. Such growth is slow, steady and natural. No specific change is
experienced so apparently. But the differences of education from that of other
societies become spectacular.
The young generation is initiated to these differences in the family community,
school and the state. Thus the ways of life, habits of food and dress, values and
customs are all adopted by the succeeding generations as a part of their own
life.

It is also known as traditional function of education. This function emphasis on the

preservation social norms, values, culture and traditions. It also transforms these
traditions, cultures, customs, beliefs and traditions from further generation. Past
generations have spent a lot of time to invent the knowledge which provides valuable
guidance for the welfare of society. Education should play a vital role in the preservation
and transmission of knowledge. This function of education is considered as social function.

According to John P. Portelli education esentially involves the teaching of knowledge to

those who don’t yet have it. This is seen as the primary responsibility of teachers in the
schools of a democracy. For if this is not done well, then the students, the prospective
citizens will not have the knowledge and understanding needed in order to be participate in
a democracy by making choices that matter in a responsible, autonomous manner. By
defination it is claimed that the students don’t yet have the needed knowledge, which the
teacher have and which gives them the authority to teach.
Some basic assumptionsof this position are:
1. Teaching and imparting knowledge are identical. Learning involves a one way
transaction: the teacher passes on the knowledge to the students who, it is
assumed, are unable, at this stage, to contribute to the production or construction of
knowledge.
2. Knowledge is seen as something that is merely given rather than constructed by
active learners. Hence the need to directly and cleary transmit “a body of essential
knowledge.” As a result of this, there arises the tendency for knowledge to be seen as
something fixed and unchangeable.
3. Education is merely seen as a process of formation from the outside rather than as a
process of leading out any innate or natural personal qualities. The focus is on
forming rather than a dialectal transformation.
4. The students, as learners, do not have anything to contribute to the process of
education- the experience of students are neither valued nor deemed to contribute
anything positive to this process.
5. All knowledge is acquired by being taught directly rather than by doing.
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6. Students learn merely what they are directly instructed in, that is, no account or
acknowledgement of collateral, indirect or hidden learning is made- for examples
values transmitted by teachers and learned by students, yet unintended by the
teachers.
7. The relationship between education and democracy is viewed as a linear or direct,
casual relationship: education secures democracy by producing citizens who have a
certain knowledge and understanding and not by encouraging any questioning of
the notions and methodologies of the disciplines being studied.

Problems with the conservative function

In conservative function of education it is believed that there is no logical connection

between a democratic classroom and having a citizenry that will value and actively
participate in a democracy. While some contemporary educators give the impression that
there is a necssary connection between democracy in education and the survival of
democracy. There are many things that are not logically necessary yet morally and
politically desieable.
Also the notion of democracy does not meaningfully apply to that of a classroom because
the purposes of politics and education are different:democracy deals with the political
realm; and the classroom deals with the educational realm. Conservatives argue that
democracy (even as a way of life) does not apply to education because education works on a
different plain than politics, which is not acceptable by the creative function of education.

Government policies affecting public education often

involve conflict along ideological lines, with
conservatives advocating policies that differ from those
of their liberal or progressive counterparts. The
conservative approach to education emphasizes greater
decision making power for families and local school
systems, as well as expanded school choice.

Eitzen (1997:392-393) describes the American

education system as conservative because its goal is
the maintenance and preservation of culture and
society. In school, we teach one to be patriotic. We
teach one the myths of the culture and society. "The
American way is the only really right way." The
consequence of that type of teaching is to limit creativity
and questioning attitudes of students.
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Conclusion

The relationship between education and democracy is percieved as a linear or cause effect
relationship. From the conservative stance, unless we take the contradictions between
democracy and education seriously and model formation education accordingly, then
future citizens are not going to be wel prepared for democracy. Conservative function see
democracy as a different entity which is separate from education. But there is a need to
understand that democracy in reality is a way of life and we should apply it in our
education system also. We should keep John Dewey’s philosophy in mind that life is never
fixed. Democracy and life are interwined, so democreacy as a form of life cant stand still.

Thus, education has to play both the conservative and progressive roles and
ensure a balanced development of the country. Schools are not only the replica
of the society, they are also the living laboratories where social experiments are
made and successful ones are introduced into the society as innovations. Since
the society is not static, but dynamic, the school and all the educational
institutions are to be progressive and innovative. Society has to march ahead
with new values, with new vision and with new aspirations off life through its
education which is effective, relevant and lively.
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References
 J.P.Portelli (Eds.), philosophy of education: Introductory Readings (3 rd ed.), Calgary,
AB: Detselig,2001

 http://www.preservearticles.com/201105056306/functions-of-
education.html

 http://www.academia.edu/398084/
Democracy_in_Education_Beyond_the_Conservative_and_Progressivist_St
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 Democracy and Education, John Dewey, July 26, 2008 [EBook #852]