Childhood and Education

Introduction

Blundell talks about Childhood and education and reveals that no social group figures in discussing social problems like children. Therefore he is concerned about children mainly being affected by social issues regardless of being perceived as a source of hope for most society’s problems. Furthermore, there is also a concern about how children’s academic attainment can sustain economic viability and challenging all issues facing social cohesion and well-being, including recent issues of gangs, drugs and obesity. Blundell refers to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development which reveals that intelligence changes as children grow. He says that the most notable contributor in thinking about childhood is Jean Piaget, Whose theories suggest that childhood is a natural phenomenon structured by universal processes of development and scientifically observable development that bring physical and cognitive growth (121). therefore, I am going to talk about how he reaches the point of suggesting that children often figures in the discussion of social problems.

Blundell says this education is always situated in disputes about standards, social class, policies, ethnicity and gender. He defines education as a tool for making things better (117). Therefore due to various social issues, children are overly burdened as a source of hope to many social problems, including the future of the UK’s economic success, social cohesion, health and crime. Therefore, Blundell seems to explain how the community idea about children and education is a source of solution to social problems. He also says the burden placed on children can be solved by using social construction (136). The social construction help turn society attention away from the notion that are universal and essential truths about children and creates the impression that societies and cultures construct are shared social realities. He also reveals that "social construction suggests that things do not have to be the way they are and they can be different” (136). Similarly, according to Cook et al. (2014), education is a critical issue in a country's economic prosperity and social mobility, as per the Welsh Government, which states. The study says that good education is essential for better life chances, and achieving this has been a critical part of the culture of modern Wales since devolution. The idea by Cook et al. (2014) is similar to the concept of Blundell, and both show how the community place the burden of solving social issues and economic issues on children and education. This suggests that the community relies on education and children to solve the social problems in the community.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Blundell says that children are subject to social problems, and childhood is perceived as a time when social issues can be addressed via education. Therefore fore childhood is perceived as a stage to solve and transform society issues. Moreover, schooling and education occupy a crucial position in addressing social problems. Lastly, to better understand the topic, I am also reading a book by Brown (2016) which explore UK primary school teachers’ positions on education ideology.

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References

Blundell, D., Isaacs, S., Young, T., Foley, A., Silverstone, D. and Mcdonough, B. 2015. Social Problems in the UK: An Introduction.

Brown, Z., 2016. ‘We just have to get on with it’Inclusive teaching in a standards driven system: the design decisions of a Q-Methodology study.

Cook, R., Rutt, S. and Sims, D., 2014. Deprivation in Education. Final Report. National Foundation for Educational Research. The Mere, Upton Park, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 2DQ, UK.