What Is The Importance/Impact Of School/Education On Early Socialization?

What is the importance/impact of school/education on early socialization?

W.F. Ogburn adds,

“Socialisation is the process by which the individual learns to conform to the norms of the group.”

According to Horton and Hunt (1968),

“socialisation is the process whereby one internalises the norms of his groups so that a distinct ‘self emerges, unique to this individual.”

E.S. Bogardus states,

“Socialisation is the process of working together, of developing group responsibility or being guided by the welfare needs of others.”

Socialisation can be defined as the process of learning to associate and relate with other people.

School or education and Early Socialization

When it comes to socialising at an early age, school plays a highly crucial role. The future is said to belong to children as they form the future generation and hence, ensuring that their growth and development is well rounded is highly essential for ensuring the betterment of the society as well. Although a school is mainly known to fulfil the role of imparting education, it has other roles to fulfil too. From grooming the children personally and morally to transforming them practically, a school plays an integral role in the development of a child. There are many factors in the school that affect a child’s development such as surroundings, curriculum, teachers, and the like that can help a child develop good values and ethics.

Importance/Impact of School/Education on Early Socialization

1. Provides Knowledge:

The first and foremost role fulfilled by a school in the process of early socialisation is that it imparts knowledge to the child. It helps them to gain all the skills and knowledge that are necessary for them to build a successful career in the future. The concepts taught in the school not only encourage the students to memorise it but also help them to apply the subject in real life.

2. Social Skills:

After the family and home, school is the most foundational and fundamental institution that enables the child to socialise and help build social skills. A school gives the child an environment where they can interact with people of different cultures and backgrounds which helps them to develop and inculcate the quality of cooperation. It also helps them to make new friends and build and be part of a social circle.

3. Personal Development:

Apart from academic activities, a school also aids a child in their personal development by facilitating a wide range and diverse varieties of co-curricular activities ranging from cultural to sports, technical to literary, and more.

4. Personality Development:

School is a place where a child is exposed to different learning materials and resources. Along with this, they are also exposed to different learning opportunities and may get to engage in a wide variety of learning options. They can learn different languages, different concepts, different ethics, which helps them build a personal identity and also helps them in grooming themselves so that they can develop a well-rounded personality.

5. Future Citizens:

With all the learning and development a child gains through the school, it enables them to become a part of the society, a member of the society, thereby enabling them to become future citizens. They are raised to become responsible individuals who can contribute to society.

Socialisation is a process that begins when a baby is born and continues into adulthood, shaping each of those stages of development all the while. Every single interaction the child has, regardless of how big or how small it is, aids them in learning language skills, coping with emotions, and working within social norms. This eventually helps them in identifying their thoughts and emotions as they grow.