Asses the usfulness of the functionalist perspective on education.

The Functionalist perspective argues that education has three broad functions. These are Secondary Socialisation which is socialising young people into key cultural values. Skill provision this suggests that education teaches the skill required by a modern industrial society and Role allocation this is the allocation of jobs to suit a particular person and their talents. Functionalists argue that education is positive in helping society to functions because it provides a value consensus and social solidarity. …

…therefore it cannot be meritocratic as they say. Marxists believe that education is not fair and not meritocratic, they believe power and income are the key to achieve a higher status. The functionalist argument like the Marxist one is too deterministic, this means that they assume that individuals behaviors cannot be controlled by themselves. The functionalists argue that schools serve both the interests of individuals and society, through secondary socialisation, skills provisions and role allocations.