The role of education in Social Change

THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN RELATION TO SOCIAL CHANGE

It must liberate the individual

For education to play its role in changing society, it must have as its purpose the liberation of the minds of the people.

It must promote national unity and integration

Education must promote national unity. That is the type of education that will make the recipients think of themselves as a Ghanaian first before their ethnic group.

It must give equal access to education 

The individuals must have an equal opportunity of access to education. That is, educational opportunities must be opened to as many people as possible.

It must stress the importance of the dignity of work

Many Ghanaians do not pay any serious attention to the time when it comes to working. Education must train people to respect the time and use it productively. Education must teach pupils or students life of hard work. This will make them be better and responsible citizens in adult life.

It must promote the love of the nation

It must instill a high sense of patriotism and commitment to the cause of our nation.

It must Empowerment

It must lead to the empowerment of the individual. That is, it must help the individual to achieve a fuller development of his/her potential.

It must be tailored to the culture

It must not be the type of education that makes one know much of other nations and cultures to the determent of one’s own nation and culture.

It must give attention to science and technology

Education must give prominence to science and technology by, for example, tilting admissions into second cycle and university institutions a bit in favour of science. This is because it is universally acknowledged that the development of a nation depends partly on the development of science and technology.

It must be sustainable

Education must be such that it can produce people to meet challenging situations of the present and the future. Society today is constantly changing as a result of increasing population, technological improvements, socio-economic and political changes, etc. This means society’s learning needs are also changing, and our educational system must change in tandem.

It must promote sustainable development

Finally, education must make us better informed about population and environmental issues, so that we can take the necessary steps to satisfy the needs of present and future generations. 

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