CAPE Sociology - Unit One Module Two - Education

1. Education – An Overview
Education takes place in a set of organizations. It is a set of social institutions, of social
processes, fulfilling certain social functions, and illustrating social tensions and conflicts. It takes
place in a collection of buildings, fitted with specific personnel. (Savvas et. al 1997)
The activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill. The general
understanding of the term relates to activities that go on in schools, colleges, and universities.
Thus education involves learning or socialization. Education is not limited to a school
environment. Learning or education can take place in any possible context; e.g. at a camp, on the
playing field, at a debate competition, via electronic media etc…
Mustapha 2007 notes that “in traditional societies, most forms of education took place through
informal mechanisms involving the family, clan and tribe”. However, he notes that as societies
changed, these informal institutions were no longer able to provide adequate “specialized
knowledge”, necessary for younger members to be well integrated into the wider society.
The changes in society have necessitated changes in the educational system. In this section we
shall examine the theories of Education as well as the development of education in the Caribbean
region by looking at selected countries.
Functions of Education – Theoretical Perspectives Summarized
Education Functionalist Perspective :
• Promotes social order in society (Durkheim)
• Allows for effective role allocation (Davis and Moore)
• Foster the collective conscience, thorough the transmission of norms, morals and values.
(Parsons)
• Creates a skilled labour force (Durkheim)
Marxist Perspective:
Bowles and Gintis
• Mechanism of social control
• Creates labourers for the capitalist system
• Socializes individuals into the status quo – justifying the un-equal class divisions.
• Allows for alienation of students, which is later translated into alienation in the work place.
Interactionist Pespective:
Hargreaves, Cicourel, Lacey , Kituse & Becker et.al
• Allows for labelling of students – eg. Good bad, smart, dull.
• Streaming for the labour force.
• Influenced life chances, in terms of opportunities for monetary and non-monetary vocations.
Development of Education in the Caribbean

2. Pre-Emancipation:
• Education limited to white and males specifically
• Female education was limited to domestic science (whites)
• No formal education (in reading, writing and numeric) for the enslaved.
Post-Emancipation:
• Emergence of limited formal education for the newly freed. Usually initiated by the
missionary societies.
• State funded educational institutions were limited during the immediate post-emancipation
era. Economic loss from declining sugar profits was blamed for this inadequacy.
• In Jamaica, the 1898 Lumb Report recommended that both boys and girls should be taught
agriculture science “in such a manner as to overcome the prevalent distaste for these pursuits so
essential to the economic standards of Jamaica and its citizens”. (Leo-Rhynie, 1997) Blacks had
developed a dislike for agricultural enterprise and preferred education in areas lending to ‘office
work’.
1900-Political Independence:
• Nationalist politicians understood that education was essential to national progress and
productivity. National policies were implemented to improve the quality and increase
opportunity for education amongst the masses.
• 1950 saw the development of the first regional university amongst the British West Indies –
the University of the West Indies, with three campuses spread throughout the region, located at
Mona Jamaica, Cave hill Barbados and St Augustine Trinidad. For the first time in the history of
the BWI, Anglophone students desirous of pursuing university education had the option of
obtaining their Bachelor degree within the region.
Question
Does educationprovide the meansto attain upward social mobilityin modernCaribbean society?