The role of school as a social system

Traditionally, the rationale of schooling has been to socialize children and youth as agents in the reproduction of existing social relations.  The organization and curricula of schooling is expected to replicate the place of children, youth and adult learners in the social system as a whole, and to facilitate their uncomplicated appropriation of prevailing social values and normative relations.  This has meant that schools have often examined educational organization and social issues in ways that attenuate conflict and obscure social contradictions. Originally the school was created to meet the special need of the society, i.e. the transmission of the cultural heritage. But gradually a gulf was created between the two as school education consisted solely of theoretical and bookish knowledge unrelated to actual life experiences.

However, modern educationists are of the opinion that the school should be a miniature society and should reflect the environment of the larger society outside the school. John Dewey wanted the school to be a simplified, purified and better balanced society. 

To start with, as in the society a larger number of pupils belonging to different socio-economic status come together in the school, they learn through contact and interaction the social patterns of behaviour and develop intellectual and moral sympathy. They also acquire experience which helps them to make social adjustments. Moreover, according to psychology, the mental development of an individual i.e. how he feels, thinks and acts, is to a great extent influenced by the society in which he lives. The society is again split into more than a few institutions, such as the family, professions, clubs, political organizations, etc. and the individual is influenced by them all. The same influence is exerted by the school-society on the growing child. Like the adult, the child has many social selves and reveals a different facet of his personality to different groups, e.g. parents, teachers, friends etc.

Next, there is the crowd psychology which we face in the society, when the thoughts and feelings of a large group of individuals are merged together and turned towards a definite direction. The crowd is very susceptible to suggestion and imitation. Another characteristic of the crowd is the need for a strong leader. To a weak leader it shows very little mercy. The same thing we find in schools. In the school a large number of students belonging to different socio-economic status come together and are divided into classes.

The teacher is the leader of the class. A strong teacher will have much influence over his students, whereas a weak one's life is likely to be made miserable. The teacher is not the only leader in the school society. 

A student who distinguishes himself in a particular field, such as intellectual or athletic, and so acquires prestige, may also become a leader if he possesses such qualities as a strong personality-Self-assertiveness and so on. If he uses his influence in favour of the teacher, he will become the latter's powerful ally; if against, he will cause trouble and disruption in the class-room. This is because the crowd is susceptible to suggestion and imitation. The influence is the greatest in boarding schools. Hand in hand with social imitation, there goes social opposition. This has given rise to the spirit of competition. In the society at large, the adult's knowledge, sympathy and wits are sharpened by social influences ; the school companions do the same for the child.

As mentioned before, the school was created by the society to meet certain needs. So the school is a part of society and has no existence outside it. Structurally therefore, a great deal of similarity exists between the school and the society.

According to sociologists the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage were the main factors behind the creation of both the society and the school. Modern educationists are of the view that the school should not be a total reflection of the outside society, but should be free from social maladies like exploitation, social injustices, inequality and other vices and corruptions that are common in the modern society. 

Explaining this Prof. Nunn says, "It must be °a natural society in the sense that there should be no violent break between the conditions of life within and without it. On the other hand, a school must be an artificial society in the sense that while it should reflect the outer world truly, it should reflect only what is best and most vital in it."

Educationists argue that schools hold a mirror up to society and can thus become enablers of a dysfunctional society by producing individuals who conform to its norms. The good news is that schools can also act as catalysts for a new type of society. A school that is built on strong ethical foundations will create an environment that is safe for pupils and teachers-and academic performance will improve as a result. Over the longer term, such schools will play a role in changing society because their success will cause others to emulate them, and their alumni will take that ethical ethos into their adult lives.

Thus, one can safely conclude that a school is a social system with a clear border that separates it from the environment. Nonetheless, it is not a closed social system. It has a close relationship with the environment and they complement each other. School prepares students with living skills, knowledge and expertise necessary for the society. 

Article contributed by: Mam Chatterjee