Education With Emphasis on the EU - Essay Example

?27 April 2007 The article en d “Education with emphasis on the European Union” specifically focuses on the education system in the European Union, a bloc that is comprised of 27 countries. Currently, the bloc is investing heavily in the education system in order to boost its international competitiveness. On the other hand, America uses its education system to compare with other foreign countries in a bid to establish itself as a dominant force in this sector. However, from the foregoing, it can be observed that the main theme underlying the article is related to the concept of education. Broadly speaking, the concept of education refers to a discipline that trains, develops as well as shape the mental and physical capabilities of a maturing person. The sociologists have divided education into two categories namely formal and informal education. Formal education is planned and it often takes place in a formal learning institution like a school, college or university. On the other hand, informal education is unplanned; it takes place as human beings get into contact with the world around them. In other words, this is a natural way of acquiring knowledge by an individual. The word education is broad and it encompasses a lot of disciplines. However, this particular chapter mainly focuses on a special kind of formal education known as schooling. Basically, schooling refers to a systematic program that is formalised and it takes place in the classroom and it also includes other extracurricular activities such as sports. In this kind of education, an instructor imparts the knowledge and values to the learners and it is designed to produce a certain outcome. This kind of education is widely seen as a liberating force among the people who have successfully accomplished the courses they would be learning. However, some critics have suggested that education can be detrimental since it is used for indoctrination purposes in some instances. Schools perform a wide range of social functions such as transmitting skills to the students so that they can be in a position to adapt to their environment. These skills can be used to develop the societies in which people live. The other function of education is that it facilitates personal growth. Students are taught norms and values that shape them to become good citizens. The other function of education is that it contributes to development of basic applied research. In most cases, research helps people to discover new knowledge in a particular discipline that helps to improve their welfare. Education is also used to integrate people from diverse backgrounds. People with different religious beliefs, culture, ethnic differences as well as values are often integrated through education. This process is commonly referred to as the melting pot. This is very important in every society since it helps to unite people who may have different perceptions about their world view. For instance, the European Union is relying on its education system to unite about 490 million people in the 27 states that constitute the bloc. Education is also used for screening and selecting students for certain career paths. In most cases, people with the best academic skills are selected for important careers. In terms of employment, education is used as a strategy to select people with the right attributes for certain occupations. Another important function of education is that it is used to solve social problems in different communities. People are taught how to relate well with others in their respective communities. People can reconcile their differences through the use of the knowledge they have acquired from schools. It is easy for people to create relationships in a learning environment since they are treated as homogenous. It can also be seen that schools also help people from diverse backgrounds to meet and this can lead to marriages which helps the communities to grow. Education plays a pivotal role in shaping the lives of people in different communities. Through education, people acquire skills and knowledge that can be used to transform their life. It also helps them to adapt to the environment in which they are living in. In most case, people encounter problems that may require solutions in order to improve their lives. They can use the knowledge acquired from their studies to deal with such scenarios. Socially, people are taught how to socialise with other people even if they come from different backgrounds. This helps to create peace and unity in the community. In EU, education is seen as a very important component of the lives of citizens in this bloc. This is the reason why emphasis is put on funding for education so that the whole system can be improved. This will positively contribute to the development of the region. However, education has been criticised by other people since they believe that it is the source of inequality. For instance, the conflict perspective questions the authenticity of the curriculum used in different countries. They argue that the curriculum is designed to suit the interests of the most powerful and influential people in a given society. Other minority groups have no opportunity to contribute towards the development of the curriculum that is used in the schools they attend. In other words, the education system they attend does not cater for their ideals since it is designed to suit the interests of the people who have the responsibility for designing the curriculum. Funding for education has also been criticised as a source of inequality. For instance, in European Union, the gap between the poorest and the wealthiest is so big and it can be regarded as a source of inequality. This gap needs to be closed in order for the bloc to achieve the best results from its education system. Apart from the criticisms of education, it can be seen that education plays a very important role in developing literacy among the citizens. Literacy is generally referred to as the person’s ability to read or write. It can also be referred to as the ability to denote meaning from certain symbols as well as to perform certain functions in the society. However, this concept varies according to the environment in which a person lives. There are also differences in the US and EU education systems. In America, the burden on funding education is put on the private sector in contrast to the EU where public funds are used to fund the education sector. The Americans usually believe in scholarships and private funding for their education. In contrast, it can also be observed that the EU has the highest rate of literacy rates compared to America given that its education system is so thorough. The use of education as a method to screen potential employees has resulted in what is called the credential society. For instance, the higher the qualifications held, the higher the chances of getting a well paying job in the US. However, sociologists have argued that there is no direct correlation between the credentials possessed by a job candidate as well as the job he will perform. In most cases, employees learn the job while at work. In contrast to the American education system which places emphasis on credentials, the EU prepares the students for the job. The students undergo vocational training that helps them to gain knowledge and skills in different career paths. The other strategy that is used in the education system is tracking. Students are grouped according to their capability with the aim of encouraging them to be fast learners. However, this strategy has its own strengths and flaws. For instance, if slow learners are grouped together, this can negatively impact on their performance since their self esteem will be weakened by virtue of being regarded as slow learners. Another important theme portrayed in this chapter is that teachers teach both formal and hidden curricular. The formal one is more organised and concerned with solving a problem. The hidden curriculum refers to the way the teacher delivers the lesson. He or she can impart knowledge in a hidden way and this helps the students to have greater insight into a particular problem. The way a student relates with the teacher or the other peers has a bearing on his or her performance. It is easier for the student to learn from other students if they are treated as equal and capable of performing better in their studies. If a student is shown a negative attitude by the teacher due to underperformance, there are likely chances that he or she will drop out from school. As such, teachers have a responsibility of motivating the students so that they can improve their performance. In this chapter, it has been observed that American teachers put more emphasis on developing positive relationship with the student. This helps the student to learn in a free environment. In some cases, other students are motivated by the social system to put optimum effort in their studies since this is likely to earn them recognition for academic excellence and success. Education is regarded as a one very important element that determines the social class structure in different communities. People who are highly educated are treated with high esteem compared to those who are less educated. However, studies have shown that factors such as poverty often affect the children’s performance. Even in EU, segregation of some sort still exists where it can be seen that people from poor backgrounds are often enrolled in poor schools. Regardless of this negative scenario, it can be seen that the EU is particularly concerned about developing its education system through massive funding of the sector to improve its competitiveness. Read More