At school, we students not only learn content based on a board wide curriculum, but we learn about cultures, moral values, ethics, politics, religious beliefs, habits, and social norms. This is called the hidden curriculum. We are taught the differences between good actions/behaviours and bad actions/behaviours. We learn about what is acceptable is our modern society and what is not. This ranges from wearing specific clothing to acting a certain way.
Additionally, we are taught to learn and obey a common set of rules based on society’s beliefs and values. This information is essential to know in order to survive in society. At school, starting from a young age, we are taught these rules and we act according to them to be able to integrate into society. For example, I learnt not to point my finger at people, not to say bad words, not to stare at people, etc. I knew that if I did any of these things in public, I would embarrass myself. At school, we are taught specific mannerisms and behaviours. For example, always say please when asking for something, always say thank you when someone does something for you, listen when someone is talking to you, etc. Simply put, we are taught how to fit in.
Speaking of fitting in, at school we also learn about social placement and how to socialize with others. If you think about it, as stated by Durkheim, “schools are a society in miniature” (Thompson, 2008). As I am sure you can recall, at school students are split up and categorized, so to speak. There are different social groups that form within a school. For example, the jocks, the cheerleaders, the geeks, the popular kids, etc. These social groups are established from various peer relationships. They are formed as a result of interacting with each other on a daily basis. The members within each groups will share common interests, values, behaviours, goals, or beliefs. The formation of these relationships teaches us about social interactions. We learn many societal practices, such as sharing, collaborating, etc.
Furthermore, I am sure you guys have all heard of the expressions “book smart” and “street smart”. Now one of the purposes of school is to prepare us for life, we are taught both of these things, book smart and street smart, at school. The ideology behind book smart is that it’s the knowledge one can gain from reading books, researching information, conducting experiments, you know that kind of boring stuff. On the other hand, the ideology behind street smart is that it’s the knowledge one gains from going out into the world and experiencing new things and learning from those things. Now you may be wondering how someone can teach you how to be street smart. Technically, teachers provide us with street smart by educating us on society. Now you see, students learn several skills and attributes that can be applied in the work force at school. By working hard in school you can grow to have a successful career but those who slack off in school will not; thus, this displays that the division of labour is fair and just.
References
Crossman, A. (n.d.). Sociology of Education. Retrieved August 5, 2015, from
http://sociology.about.com/od/Disciplines/a/Sociology-Of-Education.htm
Paredes, N. (2014, March 27). How to Raise Inquisitive Children. Retrieved August 5, 2015,
from http://playfullearning.net/2014/03/raise-inquisitive-children/
Sociological Perspectives on Education. (n.d.). Retrieved August 5, 2015, from
http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/a-primer-on-social-problems/s14-02-sociological-perspectives-on-e.html
Thompson, C. (2008, December 20). Hidden Curriculum. Retrieved August 6, 2015, from
http://sociologytwynham.com/2008/12/20/hidden-curriculum-3/
Thompson, C. (2008, December 20). What is the point of education? A functionalist perspective.
Retrieved August 6, 2015, from http://sociologytwynham.com/2008/12/20/what-is-the-point-of-education/