In what ways is education beneficial for individuals and society?

Enlarging on the idea that schools play a large role in socialising children as mentioned earlier, Durkheim also believed that the curriculum should both reflect and propagate the common culture to ensure that all members of society act out their determined roles in the interests of society -the job of the teacher is to transmit this common culture.

Therefore the teacher must be commited to presenting, not as his own personal doing, but as a moral power superior to him, And of which he is merely an instrument. The teacher must makes the student understand that he is constrained by this power in the same way that the student is, that it obliges him as it does them and that he can neither remove nor modify this rule.

Society is with every generation faced with a clean slate, and must with each, build these social beings again. "To the egoistic and asocial being that has just been born it must, as rapidly as possible, add another, capable of leading a 'moral' and 'social' life. Such is the work of education." What Durkheim is saying in this quote really is that for society to function successfully, future generations must be educated in such a way that they can be taught that they are part of a much bigger picture, and must, therefore, act in the interests of society as a whole throughout both their educational and future careers.

School is a microcosm of larger society; Children in schools benefit by learning specific skills, as one may do in a new career. School also mirrors society in terms of labour division -the right people for the right jobs, or the more able or obedient students to earn more knowledge and eventually get better jobs. schools can teach specific work skills of the kind required by society.

Talcott Parsons was an American sociologist who also focused his studies on the role of education, he was critisiced by other sociologists who thought that his theories were far too 'rosey' and ignored the problems within social institutions. Parsons agreed with Durkheim that the role of education is vital in providing a basis for socialisation but he also stressed the function it performs in allocating social roles to these individuals. According to Parsons individuals are filtered in education so that they can be allocated the most appropriate job for them. The education system also provides the skills, values and attitudes they will need to do their jobs properly and contribute as much as possible to the economy.