ROLE OF EDUCATION IN SOCIETY

The Role of Education in Society

1. Importance of Education

Davis and Moore (cited in Emerson et al., 2012) took this idea and expanded on it, arguing that education also acts as a means of role allocation and promotion of social stratification, in part by sorting students according to aptitude and later fast-tracking for more bright students. Their theory was that by educational achievement in relation to economic success has come to function as the key social stratification, and allocation of jobs and placement within society begins with the earliest years of schooling and continues all the way to tertiary education. While conflict theory purports that only the elite of society will have access to high status knowledge and education, and that education is a way to maintain the status quo; it is still evident that education does indeed perform a role in transitioning individuals in and out of different social classes or status groups. This represents fairly directly the idea that education also seeks to equip the individual with knowledge and awareness of roles to play in society, and how to participate in the social processes that affect them.

There are many theories that seek to explain the role of education in society, but the most widely accepted and acknowledged is functionalism (Emerson et al., 2012). Based on an understanding that society is a living organism, and each aspect of it has a vital role in maintaining the equilibrium of the whole, functionalists see education as an important means of cultural transmission and the formation of social unity, a function which will promote the integration of society. The perspective of learning as a process of adapting to and obtaining knowledge about the world, and the knowledge one gains access to various roles in society, is extremely insightful when applied to understanding the function of education in society.

1.1. Knowledge Acquisition

Knowledge is said to be a fluid mix of framed thoughts, wavelength, and experience. We gain new knowledge and experience every minute of our lives, through a progression of teaching and study or self-improvement. A considerable amount of the knowledge we accumulate is gained through education, be it through school, university, or home teaching. Education is the means in which we find out about the world surrounding us, as well as the world inside us. It creates in us a standpoint of looking at life. It helps us construct sentiments and have perspectives on things in life. Knowledge is a critical variable in the development of an economy and government. It is the key component of financial development and improvement. A nation's economy can develop if it has the privilege assets. It builds up the workforce and gives it the much-needed human asset as ability. This human asset can then go ahead to make further assets in various fields. An informed individual has the attention to look for new thoughts and strategies to productivity. This can then launch an economy of a nation advancing it towards achievement. High-value-added commercial ventures and the support of a diverse scope of livelihood aptitudes will all find themselves looking for further knowledge. All the more so a nation affected by war can disregard immoderate arms and ammo and take the choice to assign their assets to training. A decent sample of this is The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) initiating "Gun down, Power-Up". It's the learning inside the brains of people that provides for them the conclusion to institute for change.

1.2. Skill Development

The ministry aims to develop these six domains through the school curriculum. Areas such as mathematics, languages, and the sciences are taught not just to increase the wealth of human knowledge, but also to develop the intellectual abilities of students. Music and art are included in the curriculum so that students can also develop aesthetically. Physical education is emphasised, with the annual sports day being a highlight in the school calendar. High-level sports are also given emphasis in schools with good records in this area. Co-curricular activities (CCAs) play an important role in developing social skills and desirable values, with events such as camps and leadership training activities providing additional platforms for moral and character development. These camps and activities are also avenues for developing the emotional aspects of students. Through all these efforts, students with a wide range of abilities can be developed to their full potential.

Education is also important for skill development. Friedrich Froebel, a German educator, defined human beings as creative creatures. In his view, education should aim to develop the individual's creative potential. This is also a common view among other educationalists. In Singapore, the Ministry of Education has a mission to "mould the future of the nation, by moulding the people who will determine the future of the nation." It aims to do so by developing the students in the following domains:

- Intellectual

- Aesthetic

- Physical

- Social

- Moral

- Emotional

1.3. Personal Growth

An educated person has a better chance of landing a good high-paying job. Everybody wants a good lifestyle and money. A good future takes today. A good job would be defined as a job that pays a good salary as well as a job in which one wouldn't have to tolerate a bad work environment. Education will provide a person with most of the necessary skills and tools he would require to acquire a good job. As it was mentioned before, education involves acquiring knowledge, skills, and information. A person's chances of landing a job with all of this can be very high. An uneducated man may have all the skills needed to get the job done, he may still not get the job because he lacks the knowledge on how to do it. Having an education ensures that you can provide a good future for your children. This is self-explanatory. An uneducated parent may not have high expectations for their child. As time changes, there will be many new opportunities, and without an education, these individuals would not be able to take advantage of them.

Education not only helps us develop skills and acquire knowledge, but it also enhances our mind. It helps us develop a perspective of looking at life. It helps us build opinions and have points of view on things in life. Education provides us with information, and then knowledge. With information comes the skills to process that information into knowledge. Education will open your mind by broadening your perspective, and this will, in turn, help you in your personal growth. An educated person is well aware of the consequences of wrong/illegal actions, and he is less likely to get influenced and do something which is not legally/morally right. He will not need a person to make decisions for him. The mental growth will also help an individual have a successful career.