Sociology

Assignment # 1

Submitted by:Ayesha Rabbani 4082-FU/BS/F09 Submitted to:Maam Sajida

Dated: March 30, 2012

Educational Institutions
Aims of Education:In the countries all over the world, Education is directed for specific purposes and aims, these aims and objectives of education vary from society to society, nation to nation, space to space and time to time. But the main aims and objectives of education system is to get a suitable and well informed person for social roles and to enable a person to live happy and successful life. Aims give direction to activities. Aims of education are formulated keeping in view the needs of situation. Human nature is multisided with multiple needs, which are related to life. Educational aims are correlated to ideals of life. Following are the some general aims of education provided by institutions.

To make good citizens:The basic aims and objectives of education system are to have useful and good citizens, who can be beneficial for society. Education develops in a person the following basic social qualities:

To respect the law; To respect the customs and tradition; To know his/her rights and duties; To earn his /her livelihood in an honest way; To be emotionally and mentally sound person.

Cultural aims of education:Education is the medium through which the cultural traditional social and religious values of the past are transferred to the next

generation, for example; in our education system is transferring the Islamic cultural and religious values, which include Quran and hadith and other related literature and the practical life style of our holy prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The same is about other states and religions, who want to transfer their cultures to the next generation.

Bringing necessary social changes:Education is very powerful agent of social change through which a particular societys social, religious, and political setups are changed. If there exists some out dated cultural values, formal and informal education is carried out in order to bring the desired change, which can ultimately lead to social change.

To explore the new dimensions of science and matter:Now-a-days, especially in the developed societies the main aim of education is to enable an individual and society to explore the new ideas. And have more and more information about the material world so as to give more and more facilities to the public. Islamic Aims of education:As we are living in an Islamic State so in our country and all the other Islamic countries across the world, there are some Islamic aims as well to keep the nation on the direction told by ALLAH Almighty and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The basic aim of Islamic education is to enable a Muslim to have basic information that how to pray, fast, etc and what is the basic information in order to live an honorable life. Islam wants a person should be mentally, physically, and socially sound one in order to live a healthy life. Islam wants spiritually a

balanced Muslim who can maintain balance between religious and social activities. Islam wants in a Muslim to have great love for Islam and be ready for all kind of sacrifices for Islam. One of the aims of Islamic education is to develop in a person the spirit of Muslim brotherhood and tolerance so that he/she could live harmonious life in society. Islam wants a fully informed person about social, political, and economic affairs of the contemporary world in order to play his/her role in collective affairs. Islam wants to bring simple life style in a person and society in order to avoid luxury.

Types of Education:Education system has come a long way since its origin. Present day education is much more structured in comparison to yesteryears, when there was no such concept of a formal education system. Now, in a developed and well organized society, there are usually four types of education, which are as follows:

1.

Formal education:
Formal education can be defined as a hierarchically structured and chronologically graded education system. It comprises of primary education, higher education and full time professional training. This education system is referred to as mainstream or traditional education.

2.

Adult Education:
As the name suggests, adult education refers to a practice of educating adults. There are different forms of adult education, namely, formal class based learning, e-learning and selfdirected learning. There are also some career specific courses

that adults can learn. Some of the common career specific courses are real estate license, medical billing, bookkeeping, etc. Most of these courses are available over the internet.

3.

Alternative Education:
This type of education is actually an alternative approach to traditional or mainstream education. This educational alternative is often rooted in several philosophies that are quite different from that of mainstream education.

4.

Special Education: There are some students who require special learning

needs, which are addressed through special education. People that are mentally or physically impaired are mostly the one who needs special education, for example; hearing impaired students or blind students. Along with the types of education there come the four stages of formal education provided by the institutions. These four stages are:-

1.

Nursery education:
Often referred to as preschool education, nursery education is the basic stage of formal teaching. It comprises of nursery school and kindergarten, which serves as a transition from home to the beginning of formal education. With the help of social interaction and creative play, children (between 3-5 years of age) are taught how to develop basic skills.

2.

Primary education:
Elementary or primary education refers to a first few years of structured, formal education. Usually, it consists of 6-8 years of schooling that usually starts from the age of 5 or 6. However, the basic age of primary education slightly varies from one country to another. Most of the countries have made it compulsory for students to receive primary education. Apart from basic literacy, the main aim of primary education is to

establish foundations in a variety of subjects, such as, mathematics, science and social sciences.

3.

Secondary Education:
It is the final stage of school education that is offered during a childs adolescence. This stage is characterized by transition from a comprehensive primary education to an optional and selective form of training. In this stage, a child develops in depth knowledge on specialized subjects.

4.

Higher Education:
Tertiary or higher education is a non-compulsory educational level, which comprises of undergraduate and post graduate education along with vocational education and training. Usually, a person needs to admit in a college or a university to receive higher education. It is the most specialized form of an educational system.

In any state or country, it is the foremost duty of its government to provide adequate space and finance to the educational institution so that they can provide an effective and decent education to the students regarding all the above mentioned stages and types.

Function of educational institution:The aim of education is to provide equipment and technique for meeting various needs of life. Educational institutes shape our attitude and prepare us for behaving in a certain manner in defined situation. Education supplies us instruments by which we can realize our social goals. These goals and values are defined by the system of education prevalent in a certain society. Hence education socializes an individual into a useful member of society. Two main functions of educational institutions are:

Individual Function:Educational Institutions must help in developing all round aspect of a person. Education should make able to adjust in the society and world environment, as in these institutions, an individual interacts with many of his fellow mates and so learn to interact in this world and behaving decently in the society. Institutions must produce a good man power so that he/she can live life easily, happily and can contribute for developing nation.

Social Function:Racial harmony in the society is only possible when the member of society become educated. Educational Institutions helps to keep peace and interrelationship between society's members, as so many people from different races and regions study under one roof and so they come close to each other, which also helps understanding them and learning each others culture. It also works to preserve our valuable culture and helps to transfer in new generation. Education teaches us to love our culture. The most important function of educational institutions is that they develop unity in the society.

Problems in Educational Institutions:In every society, the educational institution always faces some problems. Some of the common problems faced by the educational institutions and the students in these institutes are as under. Poor Standard of education:Most of the institutions imparting education to the students have poor standard of education, this may be due to number of factors, which may include that:

o The teachers, teaching at a school or colleges dont behave decently with the students. o The study material the institution, assign for the students is not up to the standard of education. o The students in the institution may not be strictly checked for plagiarism and cheating. o Old teaching methodology in the institution, which Is not adaptable in this modern era. o Insufficient and improper space and equipment for formal education in the institution.

Non-uniform education system:In many countries across the world, there is non-uniform education system, like in Pakistan there is an O\A Level and matriculation and FSc system. This creates non-uniformity among the students, and they face difficulties at some stages in their higher education.

Language Problem:Language is another problem in the educational institutes. As in an institute in some specific area, the students studying there speak their native language, for example, Punjabi, Pashto or Urdu in case of Pakistan, and they are quite used to it, and so the teachers teaching there also speaks in the same native language and do not pay any attention towards speaking a formal English language, so when these students go for higher studies in the universities across the country or abroad, where the lectures are conducted throughout in English, they cant understand the lectures completely, and sometimes when they have to talk in English, they couldnt, and so face problems in their studies.

 Political influence in the institutions:The involvement of politics in the institutions is very serious problems in any society. The students get diverted from their studies and involve themselves in such activities and waste their considerable time and money. In Pakistan for example, there are many school and colleges that are influenced by the political leagues and parties. Authorities should strictly check these activities and completely ban it from the institutions.

Restlessness among the students:The students in colleges and universities are facing problems of dissatisfaction which they express through mass behavior like strikes and class boycott. This situation sometimes grows so serious that the governments were forced to change. This situation according to the science of society has following reasons: 1. The students expressing leadership through mass behavior had experienced dissatisfaction in the socialization of their early childhood. The family could not socialize them in normal social life and the dissatisfaction led to frustration. This frustration could be expressed in no other situation except a suitable ground found in educational institutions. 2. The dissatisfaction coming to students from their teachers and college administration also added to their unrest condition. 3. The dissatisfaction coming to the students from the list of hopes of success in examinations diverted toward new activities. 4. The students who get into politics of college and the community pay little attention towards study and become active worker of politics. They show unrest behavior in educational institutions.