User:Motivation413/Educational legacy

Educational Legacy refers to the consequences of curriculum, policy and/or theory on educational systems in particular societies and/or among specific groups. Every society has some form of an educational system influenced by a contribution of thought and/or initiative. Still very few educational systems operate in a similar way. "Different nations have different views as to the norms that apply to themselves" The main function of education as a cultural process is to help socialize and initiate the younger generation to become productive citizens in their society. Education systems are modeled after what is most valued in a society. In most cases, knowledge, skills, and other abilities highly favored in a society become legitimate competencies through the process of institutionalizing. Educational legacy aids in this process. In contemporary practice, many social scientist use educational legacy as a perspective for understanding current conditions of global educational systems. Educational legacy can be survived from several factors including social science theorist, policies by leaders, political and/or social movements ,  and religious ideology.

Moral education and educational Legacy
Emile Durkheim advocated for moral education to be incorporated into education systems. .  He emphasized the importance of  integrating a civic education curriculum for students in order for society to function undisturbed. Durkheim believed there are moral facts (link morality) provided by society and these facts must be taught to young children. Durkheim further theorized society is "organic" with its own rules, ideas, sentiments and character. Individuals should be taught, in Durkheim's view, how this organic system works in order to become functioning individuals in society. In his view, society is the highest authority and individuals must learn how to abide by the agenda of society. Durkheim based this type of education on a "rational, secular model" that could remain separate from religious irrational model but still maintain a spirituality conducive to the workings of society. His philosophy of a civic education is still present in the education system of France.

Cultural capital and educational legacy
Pierre Bourdieu notion of cultural capital implicitly critiques Durkheim's assertion of an organic society and the function of education systems. Bourdieu's idea of the "social world" is the setting where people use their skills, networks, power knowledge and values to "pursue their interest" for power and superiority. In his view it is the dominant bourgeois class that establishes the desired living standard and the means to attain this standard. According to Bourdieu, economic capital is disguised as cultural capital where "belief is imposed" through education systems to the younger generation in a society. Processes are developed that aid in the development and maintenance of cultural capital. Cultural capital is an investment of time and resources into the establishment of knowledge, skills, and abilities for scholastic and academic achievement. The structure of education systems are endlessly redesigned to ensure that certain knowledge is imposed and delivered to meet the desirable behavior of society. Additionally Bourdieu challenges the premise that success and failure is based on the scholastic aptitude of students in a particular society. . The culture of poverty framework gained popularity and was used as an explanation for why children from low income or poor communities performed poorly in school. Bourdieu argued against this idea by adding that educational systems “perpetuate cultural capital as legitimate competence”. Bourdieu asserts that cultural capital is unequally distributed among individual students and when students enter into educational systems what level of capital they possess determines if they will be successful. Institutionalizing cultural capital allows individuals to get ahead in the education system (educational attainment) in order to gain economic prosperity and upward social mobility. The changes in education systems assist in maintaining the legitimacy of homogeneous knowledge. Presently Bourdieu's concept is often used as an analytical framework into the inequalities among student performances in schools.

The legacy of unequal schooling in the United States
After the South lost the Civil War in the United States, this region maintained the theory of white supremacy in society. Many White people of the south were against the educational attainment for black children and used intimidation and violence to prevent the schooling of these individuals (Butchart 24). Others would refuse to allow land for black schools resulting in limited venues of education for black children. Still black community schools were opened and black teachers taught the younger generation with the objective of transmitting a knowledge to help succeed as newly freed individuals (White 270). These schools would receive less funding than white schools. It wasn’t until 1890 when this practice of unequal distribution of economic capital towards schools would become legislated that would begin that would officially begin the legacy of unequal schooling in the United States.

Plessy v. Ferguson mandated legalized segregation in public institutions, influencing the structure of educational institutions in the United States. Under this ruling, it was declared that separate meant equal, and black and white people in the United States were to maintain separate facilities and institutions from each other. Economic support continued to be unequally distributed between white and black schools. Separate but equal legacy resulted in both lack of resources, and the inability for social mobility of the subordinate group.

Brown vs. Board of education repealed the doctrine separate but equal by declaring separate is unequal. This judges did not use the justification of unequal facilities and institutions as a basis for the ruling, rather it was based on the mental health and social well being of black students  This ruling ordered for the desegregation and integration of schools with all deliberate speed. As a result of desegregation, many black schools were closed and black teachers and principals lost their jobs. Once integration was imposed, cultural capital was lost through the lost of the black intellectual teaching and/or socialization the black student inline citation.

Current conditions of the educational systems in the United States include a large achievement gap among white, black and Hispanic students, a large population of black students in special education programs, and a larger drop out rate for black and Hispanic students. Presently there is an emphases on equal educational opportunity where policies developed are aimed to closing the achievement gap and increasing retention rates.

Indigenous education and the legacy of assimilation policy
The education systems of indigenous peoples, specifically in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, has been heavily influenced by cultural assimilation imposed by British and United States colonizers. Education systems for indigenous peoples were built on the premise that these groups will unite with the governing group in order to learn how to participate in the new dominant society. This premise was extended further by the idea not preserving any indigenous knowledge because it was not valuable and the Anglo knowledge was the most desirable. Boarding schools to teach indigenous children the values, knowledge and skills of the dominant group and reservation camps were created to house indigenous groups. It was assumed that these skills will assist in the transition of indigenous population into mainstream society. Some indigenous individuals successfully assimilated into mainstream culture. The individuals who were unsuccessful became poor and uneducated. Presently there is an emphasis on self-determination through schooling. The Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act (link) was a policy introduced in the United States in 1975 ). This idea develops from a framework of cultural pluralism in order to counterbalance the legacy of assimilation policy and practices .    Indigenous knowledge about he environment  is being recognized as valuable and is incorporated into the curriculum of some educational systems .  Currently there are some challenges in the different ways groups view schooling.  .  After conducting research in a Navajo community, Kathryn Manuelito found that the inclusion of Indigenous epistemologies in public education can only strengthen the development of self-determination, empowering Natives and non-Natives alike.

Political or social movements
Education in Uganda has been transformed since pre-colonial times to the present day due to various changes in the social and political environment. During pre-colonial times, education focused on manual labor and production of goods that were of immediate use for the society. Uganda comprised of several tribes who knew of their history not through schoolbooks but from their own family oral history of ancestors, beliefs and customs. The arrival of missionary schools and western schooling from the British transformed educational philosophy and policy for individuals in Uganda. Missionary schools focused more on academic training in literacy and arithmetic than agriculture. These schools brought the educational philosophy of the British into the education system of Uganda. This resulted in more job seekers than those who could create jobs for the economy. The value of education also changed with the appearance of the British, where education in the formalized fashion was held in higher esteem. Tribes began to disappear as the missionaries pushed for a Ugandan national identity. Many individuals of Uganda began to desire the more formalized British education they had, the better chance of achieving a high living standard and material success. In the 1960's African nationals educated in the British formalized system and world organizations began to encourage a "education for national development" philosophy for African nations. As individuals and groups prepared for independence from the British, they began to realize the need for diverse industries to exist. There was a movement towards job creators in order for national development and pride to be sustained. Civil war in Uganda challenged the education system in several ways. When Idi Amin came into power in the early 1970's, the curriculum of education system was revised and economic policy by Amin affected education systems and professional. Intellectualism was frowned upon while the spirit for a national identity was encouraged. Many stores owned by foreign national became nationalized while the desirable ethnic groups maintained stability. In addition many children were recruited as soldiers and some schools were used as hubs for soldiers. Presently, the Ugandan education system emphasizes national identity and political socialization. Western-style education is still being questioned as a legitimate competence as parents are concerned that the "school does not properly prepare them(children) for life's realities .  There has also been some concerns that educational materials in Uganda "are still constructed in terms of Western models that are inadequate not only for African children, but for children generally".

Religious theology
Hutterities: The Hutterities are a Western cultural group who migrated to North America from European nations due to persecution of their religious beliefs. They maintain a commune with an emphasis of enculturation of the younger generation. The Hutterities developed separate colonies, apart from mainstream society, and maintain their cultural capital, belief system, language, and identity through the education system. They can trace their ancestor back to several generations assisting in the maintenance of their own cultural capital. Education serves as the most crucial institution for development and survival for the younger generation. According to the field research conducted by George and Louise Spindler, the Hutterities priority on religious instruction and basic academic skills including reading, writing and arithmetic ensures a students success in adult life. Children attend school from the age of 3 until the age of 16. This is when the young adult will depart from the education system and enters into mandatory labor. In order to comply with the law for children to attend a licensed school the Hutterities send their children to a public school during their school aged years while attending a Hutterian German school after school and on Saturdays. In some cases the Hutterian have taken over some schools in order to satisfy the requirements of the state and maintain their customs and knowledge.

The legacy of Milton Hershey School
The Hershey Industrial School (now currently known as the Milton Hershey School) established 100 years ago in Pennsylvania boast of legacy of success for impoverished children. The boarding school offers "education, recreation, food, housing, clothing, medical and dental care all free of charge". The original emphasis on the school was agriculture due to the location and the environmental setting. Other trade programs were gradually introduced to prepare students for "society transitioning ". The curriculum of the school has gone through several changes to reflect the changing times, attitude and values of people in society. The Milton Hershey School now offers a curriculum mixed with vocational and academic training with the philosophy to train the younger generation for a "post secondary setting" (kemmery 49). The school, originally for white orphan boys, is now coed with a diverse group of students. Programs at the school adjusted to meet the needs of a diverse population entering. As a result health occupation, technology and communication programs were included. The Milton Hershey School continues to serve youth who are disadvantaged

The importance of
Researchers, policy makers, and social scientist analyze policies and determine the long term-effects it may have on the current conditions of educational systems in assorted nations. Educational anthropologists seek to discover several solutions to problems that exist in education systems. Every society has an education system that serves as a transmission of knowledge and culture. According to educational anthropologist George Spindler (2000; 5) The schools are constructed out of demographics and cultures of the past, and are created in every society to ensure the continuance of the status quo. Educational regimes have a legacy that shows it is not just historical forces that set education on a specific trajectory. Educational legacy helps to establish a context for the study of education adds Calhoun, since education systems fluctuate and change frequently.