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UCSP Module 8 Summary
UCSP Module 8 Summary
Education is the most crucial aspect of society. Why? It is for the reason
that when it given great attention it will become the powerful tool to make every
individual the catalyst of change, a change than can make the society progressive
and functional. Society and every individual should work hand in hand so that no
one would be set aside and become outdated knowing that we are now living in a
highly modernized society. In order to achieve that, everyone should be aware on
the functions of education in the society.
In the previous lesson, you were able to explain the forms and functions of
state and non-state institution wherein in gives a leeway in providing our society
the necessary needs and support to be able to cope with this vast changing world
that we are living. It also employs how state and non-state institutions are put to
work to further human security, state and non-state institutions help people cope
with and reduce the multiple insecurities in our lives.
In this module, you are going also to look into how education functions in
our society, thus, after going through this module you are expected to examine the
functions and importance of education in the society.
Definition of Education
Education is the social institution through which society provides its
members with important knowledge, including basic facts, job skills, and cultural
norms and values (Macionis, 2012). Education is the acquisition of knowledge,
habits, skills, and abilities through instruction and training or through self-activity.
It is systematic training of the moral and intellectual faculties of the mind. It is the
process of transmitting to the young, the vital cultural heritage of a group.
Types of Education
In general, there are three types of education, these are:
1. Formal education
This refers to the hierarchically structured, chronologically graded
educational system from primary school to the university, including
programs and institutions for full time technical and vocational training.
At the end of each level, the learners must obtain certification in order to
enter or advance to the next level. Formal education shall correspond to
the following levels in basic education:
a. Elementary Education
Elementary education involves compulsory, formal education
primarily concerned with providing basic education, and usually
corresponds to a traditional six grades or seven grades, and in
addition, to preschool programs. Such preschool education normally
consists of kindergarten schooling but may cover other preparatory
courses as well.
At the basic education level, the Department of
Education (DepEd) sets overall educational standards and
mandates standardized tests for the K to 12 basic education system,
although private schools are generally free to determine their own
curriculum in accordance with existing laws and Department
regulations.
b. Secondary Education
Secondary education, public schools and private schools, is
concerned primarily with continuing basic education of the
elementary level and expanding it to include the learning of
employable, gainful skills, usually corresponding to four years of
junior high school and two years of senior high school.
c. Tertiary Education
Institutions of higher education may be classified as either
public or private college or university, and public institutions of
higher education may further be subdivided into two types: state
universities and colleges and local colleges and universities.
Most institutions of higher learning are regulated by the
Commission of Higher Education (CHED). Colleges typically offer 1 or
more specialized programs while universities must offer at least 8 or
more different undergraduate degree programs in a wide array of
subjects and at least 2 or more graduate programs.
Public universities are all non-sectarian and offer a wide-range
of programs, with English as medium of instruction. Public
universities are government funded, with the largest, the University
of the Philippines, receiving a substantial amount from the annual
budget. There are also several private tertiary institutions, sectarian
or non-sectarian as well as for profit or not-for-profit.
2. Non-formal education
It refers to any organized educational activity outside the
established formal system to provide selected types of learning to a
segment of the population.
As a concept, non-formal education emerged in response to the
world crisis in education identified by Philip H. Coombs in 1967, who
argued that the formal education system have failed to address the
changing dynamics of the environment and the societies. The skills that
are needed to foster economic development are lacking due to untrained
labor force that is not able to access formal education. Non-formal
education enables a student to learn skills and knowledge through
structured learning experiences. A student learns his/her values,
principles, and beliefs and undergoes lifelong learning.
3. Informal education
It is a lifelong process whereby every individual acquires from daily
experiences, attitudes, values, facts, skills, and knowledge or motor skill
from resources in his or her higher environment.
It offers alternative learning opportunities for the out of school
youth and adults specifically those who are 15 years old and above and
unable to avail themselves of the educational services and programs of
formal education. It reaches out to citizens of varied interests,
demographic characteristics, and socioeconomic origins and status. Its
primary objective is to provide literacy programs to eradicate illiteracy.
*Special Education
Special Education refers to the education of persons who are
physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, or culturally different from so-
called “normal” individuals, such that they require modification of school
practices to develop their potential. Special education provides distinct
services, curricula, and instructional materials geared to pupils or
students who are significantly higher or lower than the average or norm.
SPED aims to develop the maximums potential of the child with the
special needs to enable him/her to become self-reliant and take
advantage of the opportunities for a full and happy life.
1. Productive Citizenry
Education systems enable citizens to be productive members of a
society, as they are equipped with knowledge and skills that could
contribute to the development of their society’s systems and institutions.
This highlights the importance of formal and non-formal education in the
development of oneself and the society. Consequentially, it is crucial for
educational systems to adapt to the changing demands of the
environment to efficiently capacitate individuals.
Being a productive citizen requires critical thinking. One must have
the ability to understand his or her duties and be able to respond to
them by making decisions. Through education, individuals are
introduced to concepts concerning democracy, power, inequality, and the
like. This promotes greater awareness in his or her society. It encourages
vigilance and participation. Educational attainment does not only
contribute to the individual’s success but also to the betterment of his or
her environment.
2. Self-actualization
Education develops one’s sense of self. As a huge part of the
discovery process of oneself, education encourages having the vision to
become self-actualized. Moreover, it enables one to see your strengths
and maintain them. It enables one to determine weakness and adjust to
them. This helps one reach full potential and establish oneself as a whole.
According to Abraham Maslow, self-actualization is the highest
form of human need. It was defined as “to become more and more what
one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming.”
The concept of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is once that level is
fulfilled the next level up is what motivates us, and so on.