Contribution of Education and Schooling - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... 241-243). All children have a certain potential due to their heredity and genes or maybe through their early childhood experiences but that potential is useless if its remains only to the extent of “potential”. Schooling and education provide the training and knowledge to put those inbuilt abilities to use and without that training those talents and potential is nothing but waste (Corsaro, 2005, p 20). This paper is an attempt to explore the impact or contribution of schooling and educating on children and their childhood and different paradigms and perspectives on the same from experts and researchers. Discussion Several studies (Mayall, 2002, pp. 66-67; Corsaro, 2005, p 20; James and James, 2004, pp. 38-39) show schooling and education right from the early age can prevent or suppress a criminal tendencies, behaviour and career. Chicago Child Parent Centre conducted a study over a time span of over 26 years where the focus was on exploring the relationship between participation quality preschool programs and engagement in crimes before the age of majority (18 years). The study found out that the children who did not participate in their quality preschool programs were 70 more likely to have been arrested for a violent crime before the age of 18 years. Furthermore, this study also showed that early childhood education could decrease the crimes amongst juveniles by one third. Important here to note is that these studies do not show a causation between schooling and a crime free childhood or future life. In fact, even the studies that claim to be having causation cannot come up with ample evidence to support the claim. The best this can be labelled as is a “correlation” (James and James, 2004, pp. 38-39). There are various reasons for this correlation. Schooling and education is not limited to six to eight hours, in fact, indirectly, it takes up almost the entire day of children. Children who go to school are occupied during the school hours and even when they come back, they have homework, presentations, assignments, reports and other things to look after that relate to school. They are more likely to sleep early because they have to wake up early morning. Furthermore, their friend circle always remains limited to school friends who are more likely to have similar schedules and predispositions. Therefore, unlike children who do not go to school, have high absenteeism rates or least bothered about their education, they do not get a chance to roam around and wander on the streets. Children who go to school and pay attention to their education do not get time to friendship with bad elements in their society unlike other children who are extremely likely to end up in those circles where they are not supposed to be (Qvortrup, 1994, 81-86). Quite understandably, schooling and education is only about degrees, diplomas and passing classes, it is about social, mental and psychological development. During their years in schools, children learn many things that become an important cornerstone in their lives. Examinations, tests and assignments teach them how to manage time and how to prioritise because they there are times when they have a lot to write but with little space or word count, they learn how to determine which thing is important at what time. Waking up every day for school, reaching at school on time, ...Download file to see next pagesRead More