The Institution of Education

I think that the institution of schools is not even something that is thought about today. It is just accepted as normal and appropriate. This system, described by Berger and Luckman shows how the schools of today became the way they are. I thought their explanations show how the individuals can become overlooked in the education system.

The 'history and control' aspect is an important part of understanding the schools of today. Right now, going to school is not questioned, it is an institution that has been accepted as part of our society and everyone is expected and is actually required to take part in it. Because it is required that everyone takes part in the institution there are so many students that must go through the system, so it must become as ‘efficient’ as possible. The methods used must become less focused on the individual learner to benefit the most amount of students possible.

The authors talk about habitualization in terms of individuals; however I think that it can apply to schools as well. The lessons that schools use have become habitual because it provides the student with as few choices in their own learning as possible. If every child had these choices, it would be impossible to maintain the institution. Which brings up the aspect of control, if the institution is going to survive then the actors in charge must maintain a high level of control. It is through this control that they are able to accomplish their goal of giving every child an education.