Writean essay on school as a social institution. Draw from both yourreading as well as your personal observations.

Theneed for education gave rise to schools, and sociology terms thisneed as a process of transmission or communication of group heritage,which is common to all the societies.

Theschools function in order to discipline and regulate human behaviour.Hence, acting as a permanent and binding character.

Furthermore,Ginsberg defines the established institutions as “therecognized and established usage governing the relations betweenindividuals and groups”, and schools are establishedinstitutions that provide formal education to students.

Theyhave their own norms and values and certain rules and regulationsthat are to be followed.

Accordingto Durkheim, for its survival, a society needs a common base −a certain number of ideas, sentiments and practices which educationmust inculcate in all children indiscriminately.

Forfunctionalists, education system maintains and develops the socialstructure and culture. For those who perceive society as unequallydifferentiated, education functions as one of the main stratifyingagent.

Accordingto common sense knowledge of a lay man, schools provide with one ofthe basic components of socialisation. As a child grows and learns tobecome a part of the group amongst his/her peers, this process ofinculcating the values and norms of the society starts. Thus, theindividual becomes a part of the society.