The Impact of Education on Caribbean Society and Culture

To begin with it, Education is known to be the social institution that leads members of the society to socialize into the norms, values, knowledge and skills.

Education can be formal and informal, meaning that in families one learns things about living and surviving in the society into which one was born. On the other hand, formal education is known to be the transmission of knowledge and skills in social organizations for example: Schools. Education is seen in various ways: The Functionalist views educations as performing function or role in the social system so that it enhances social solidarity or integrations of the society and maintains order for benefit of all. The Marxist sociologists point to the inequalities in educational system and say that it is skewed (twist) so that children of the best and the talented will succeed.

On the slavery period the formal education was for the children of the Europeans. After emancipation the elites felt that education would help the ex-slaves to make the transition to a free society. A few elementary schools were built, after one was done with it, it was not expected to go further. A few elementary schools were offered but fees were charged. And after that some scholars (mostly males) were able to attend British universities and they returned as lawyers, doctors, writers or teachers. By the 1960s and 1970s most of the former British colonies had become independent showing that the planters were right and that secondary and further education were likely to substitute dissatisfaction ad desire to end oppression.

Some ideas of Educations throughout the nineteenth century throughout the twentieth century:

An idea was that only children who are bright and show aptitude for academic work should be educated at the secondary level and beyond.

For example: Students are sorted and allocated to secondary schools based on selection mechanisms such as national examinations. Because is a customary practices and traditions are derived from the institutional ideas and beliefs about education.

In the aftermath of slavery, education was to insulate English values and customs so that governing newly freed people would be easier. But to the former enslaved education represented a means of social mobility. Until today this instrumental purpose is still with us. To get a good job. During the 20th century the purpose