Satu Tinjauan Ringkas Mengenai Fungsi-Fungsi Sosial Sekolah

Abstract

The effects of education on society are studied in a concise manner by using the concept of "social functions". Six main functions are identified and described: transmission and creation of knowledge and skills, the socialization process as the maintenance and transmission of culture, socialization for social cohesion and national integration, social control, selection, and social change. A number of important educational issues - with particular reference to Malaysia wherever applicable - are then analysed by considering the "interactions" and "contradictions" among certain functions. A departure from conventional functionalism, this approach gives a more interesting and fruitful insight into the nature of educational issues such as: the relevance of knowledge and skills; value conflict as exemplified in problems related to the modern science curriculum; negative effects of social control on social cohesion and democracy; discontentment and conflicts arising out of the selective function; and the conflict between the wish for cultural maintenance and the need for national integration in a plural society. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need to realize that educational system is very much influenced and constrained by the societal reality and hence to guard against unrealistic expectations of what can be achieved by school. However, this does not mean that education does not have far-reaching effects, The nature of the effects depends partlv upon the efforts of educators and teachers.