Educational organizations as vehicles for social change; an agent of transmitting values
ACCORDING to UNESCO ‘Education should be a means to empower children and adults alike to become active participants in the transformation of their societies. Learning should also focus on the values, attitudes and behaviors which enable individuals to learn to live together in a world characterized by diversity and pluralism’. It is true that the school is the basic stage in the process of socialization and value education takes place at school level as the child is exposed to friends, teachers, syllabus and various extra-curricular activities. Further, values cannot be taught like abstract subjects like history, science or math. However, they can be inculcated only through situations deliberately planned while teaching the subjects. Education in its aims, curriculum and methods is linked with values.
It is through education that society seeks to preserve and promote its cherished values. Whatever is learnt and imbibed will determine to how students will live out their lives in future. Educational institutions provide a structured environment where children learn values of cooperation, hard work etc. With all these, the great role of every educational organization is creating the kind of society we wanted to have is given much emphasis. This is an absolute truth, it is imperative.
During times of rapid social change, such as the second half of the 20th century, the role of experimentation is emphasized. When things are going well, especially economically, more experimentation with education is supported, and more idealistic goals are pursued, such as equity of educational opportunity. It is in the ideological and moral spheres, however, that education is most clearly expected to play a leading role. Social change takes place as a response to many types of changes that take place in the social and nonsocial environment. Education can initiate social changes by bringing about a change in outlook and attitude of man. It can bring about a change in the pattern of social relationships and thereby it may cause social changes. Education can be used as a tool to empower the individual, through child centered learning, students are able to see their own role in transformation. Societal change comes from the collective transformation of the individuals within that society. It has become secular today. It is an independent institution now. Education has been chiefly instrumental in preparing the way for the development of science and technology. Education has brought about phenomenal changes in every aspect of men’s life. Education is a process which brings about changes in the behavior of society. It is a process which enables every individual to effectively participate in the activities of society and to make positive contribution to the progress of society.
Education today is oriented to promoting values of an urban, competitive consumer society. Through the existing education system, a number of scientists, professionals and technocrats who have excelled in their fields had made their way to fame.
However, not all Educational organizations put their heart into the ‘education’ of learners geared towards the development of responsible people, and providing opportunities for them to be an active participant of any endeavor towards societal change. Many still are blinded with selfish motives, offering service for mere gain. Education for some has been and is a business, for some it is just a source of livelihood. And if the stakeholders are not committed to become a catalyst for change, then the Educational organization can’t be a functional vehicle for social change. Others opt even to be unaffected, just focused on their organization’s benefit and gain. There is no concern with the teachers, students and others who are important members of their organization. There may be many institutions whose purpose of being founded and established is not yet clear though it is highlighted in their mission statements; but there are a lot more organizations who have set their vision on to what role would they be playing in the transmission and preservation of values and promoting positive change.
Nonetheless, whether all schools are heading into that direction or not, we can run away from the function, that role, accountability and responsibility. That is the very purpose of every educational organization, whatever mission objective they may have, still it is generally true that they are to educate, to create, to empower and to bring innovative change in the society.