The Political Functions of the Educational System

The educational system is -viewed as a politicizing agent of society. The norms and values thus transmitted are compared with those deemed necessary for a stable democratic political system. It is argued that neither the typical techniques of classroom instruction nor the content (or lack thereof) of social studies courses contributes to the formation of attitudes consistent with the requisites of democracy. A professionalized educational establishment is seen as the major obstacle to realistic educational reform. V. 0. KEY, JR. (1963:316) observed that national educational systems indoctrinate the oncoming generation with the basic outlooks and values of the political order. The conservative implications of this statement (and of others similar to it) are obvious to all who take time to reflect upon it. However, one cannot neglect the possibility that the conservative role of education in the socialization process partially is a consequence of the state of the development of the society in which it occurs. In countries, for instance, Coleman (1965:3) suggested that the educational system is viewed as the key to rapid, if orderly, social change: Once regarded as an essentially conservative, culture-preserving, culture-transmitting institution, the educational system now tends to be viewed as the master determinant of all aspects of change. We suspect that Coleman's statement will be modified substantially when empirical research establishes what is expected of educational systems in developing nations. For instance, the goals of teachers in developing countries do not appear to be radically