LIVING WATER ESSENTIAL COLLEGE INC

(Formerly Javier E. Garde Essential Colleges Inc.)

VALUES, ARTS AND LANGUAGE SCHOOL
PALOMARIA, BONGABON, NUEVA ECIJA

LESSON TITLE: Historical Foundation of Education

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. state the relationship of society and schools
2. prove that schools transmit cultural values by stating facts from education history in the world and
in the Philippines
3. explain the meaning of socialization as a function of schools

Concept Note:
 Education or school is an institution created by society. Education is a function of society and
as such arises from the nature and character of society itself. Society seeks to preserve itself and
to do this it maintains its functions and institutions, one of which is education, to assure its
survival, stability and convenience.
 As John Dewey claimed, it is the school that "introduces and trains each child of society into
membership within such a little community, saturating him with the spirit of service, and
providing him with the instruments of effective self-direction..." When schools succeed to do
this, in the words of Dewey "we shall have the deepest and best guaranty of a larger society
which is worthy, harmonious, and lovely. This is called the socialization process. Socialization is
the "process of learning the roles, statuses and values necessary for participation in social
institutions ......" (Brinkerhoff, D., 1989)
 Socialization is a lifelong process. It occurs primarily during early childhood but as we progress
from infancy to old age we shed old roles and adopt new ones. Role learning that prepares us for
future roles is termed anticipatory socialization. (Brinkerhoff, D., 1989) Because of anticipatory
socialization most of us are more or less prepared for our future roles like spouse, parent,
professional teacher.
 The family is the most important agent of socialization. Psychology tells us that the self-concept
formed during childhood has lasting consequences. Besides, "the parents' religion, social class
and ethnicity influence the child's social roles and self -concept which in turn influence the
expectations that others have for the child, and they determine the groups with which the child
will interact outside the family". (Brinkerhoff, D., 1989)
 The school is also an important agent of socialization. It is an institution charged by society to
impart specific knowledge and skills necessary for functioning in a society. They are also
charged with the task of transmitting society's cultural values. The next part of this Chapter is
devoted to how schools (formal or informal) did their task as agents of socialization in different
periods of history.

Education in Primitive Society Brinkerhoof (1989) explains further: In primitive societies,

preliterate persons faced the problem of survival in an environment that pitted thorn against natural
forces and wild animals. To survive, human beings needed food, shelter, warmth and clothing. To
transform a hostile environment into one that is life-sustaining, humankind developed life skills that
eventually became cultural patterns. These life skills included 1) tool or instrument making, 2)
adherence to the moral behavior code of group life and 3) language.
 Early humankind found security in group life based on kinship and tribal patterns. Life in the
human group was educational as children observed and learned from the elders and as they were
deliberately taught by their parents and elders. For these cultural patterns to continue, the adults
had to teach these skills and values to their children. This is socialization, a function of education
in society. Socialization is the process by which individuals internalize the norms and values of
society and so social and cultural continuity are attained. This is also informal education in
action.
 As abstract thinkers, human beings could create, use and manipulate symbols. They could
communicate with one another through gestures, sounds and words. These symbols were
expressed in signs, pictographs, letters. The creation and introduction of oral and written
language made a great leap on literacy which in turn had tremendous educational consequences
which citizens of a civilized society like netizens of the 21" century now enjoy.

Key Periods in Educational History

THE TEACHER AND THE COMMUNITY, SCHOOL CULTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP
 Below are key periods in educational! history from 7000
• to AD 1600. Study the table thoroughly. The notes should make you see that education and school
are a function of society and schools reflect the nature and character of society itself. What society
considers important is what education focuses on to preserve society

Table 1. Points of Emphasis on Education in Flistor

THE TEACHER AND THE COMMUNITY, SCHOOL CULTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP
  In primitive societies survival against natural forces was the need and so what were taught were
survival skills and values to cultivate group cohesiveness.
 For the Athenian in ancient Greece, what mattered most in education was the rounded
development of every individual while for the Spartan it was the development of soldiers and
military leaders.
 For the early Romans, schools needed to develop a sense of civic responsibility and to develop
administrative and military skills as citizens of the Roman Empire.
 For the ancient Arabic world where Islam rose the most important concern of education was to
cultivate religious commitment to Islamic beliefs.
 During the Medieval period, schools were concerned with the development of religious
commitment, knowledge and ritual to establish order.
 Renaissance period was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic
"rebirth" following the Middle Ages. Education was focused on the rediscovery of classical
philosophy, literature and art.
 The Reformation period had as for its educational goals the cultivation of a sense of commitment
to a particular religious denomination and general literacy

STUDENT’S ACTIVITY

Direction: Answer the following questions regarding with your understanding.

Read the quote from the famous John Dewey then answer the following questions:
“When a school introduces and trains each child of society into membership within such a little
community, saturating him with the spirit of service, and providing him with the instruments of 1 •
effective self-direction, we shall have the deepest and best guaranty of a larger society which is worthy,
lovely, and harmonious."

1. What is the function of schools according to John Dewey's statement?

2. Who creates schools?
3. What is the relationship between schools and society?

THE TEACHER AND THE COMMUNITY, SCHOOL CULTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP