Understanding Social institution — Sociology STD 11 Humanities — Question

Education is an effort of the senior members of the society to transfer their knowledge, skills and values to the younger members of society. It is the process of giving intellectual, moral, physical and social instructions to a child for his all round development. Importance of education:

1. It socializes the child to play adult roles in society. A child through education learns the basic rules, regulations, norms and values of society.
2. It helps in maintaining and perpetuating the society and its culture.
3. It also helps in promoting change by instilling new ideas and values.
4. It provides the necessary knowledge and skills to an individual to be a productive member of society.

Formal and Informal Education:
Formal Education: It is in the form of systematic, planned and guided instruction. It is highly institutionalised and organized. It has the following characteristics:

1. There is a definite and well defined content and curriculum of education.
2. There are definite rules and regulations regarding admission, evaluation etc.
3. Instruction is provided by specially qualified teachers.
4. It is limited to a definite period or stage, For example, college education.

Informal Education:

1. Informal education is spontaneous and largely unplanned:

• There is no fixed curriculum and there are no specialized agencies like schools or colleges imparting such education.
• Informal education involves learning of values, norms, moral family rituals, ceremonies etc. through participation at everyday activities.
• It goes on from birth to death. There is no particular stage or age for this.

2. Education in Primitive and Modern societies:

In primitive societies:

• The content of education was mainly related to religion, philosophy, metaphysics and scriptural subjects.
• There was no need for formal schooling and informal education played a greater role.

3. Modern industrial societies:

• Course content of education is rationalistic and secular. As the modern society relies on an extremely elaborate division of labour it stresses on teaching subjects like sciences, mathematics, languages etc.
• Being change oriented it lays emphasis on instilling principles of democracy, secularism, equality and a scientific world view.
• Formal education plays a greater role in modern societies rather than it did in primitive societies.