Importance of Social Factors in UK School Curriculum

This essay discusses the importance of social factors in the UK school curriculum and how it helps in the development of an individual. It covers topics such as the role of schooling in children's lives, the impact of new technologies on education, and the societal factors considered in the curriculum. The essay also highlights the negatives of differentiation and ranking in the curriculum and the importance of religion and dressing in society.

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Education studies
Essay
7/11/2018
Student Name

1 | P a g e Education studies
It is a well-known fact that the humans get knowledge from society. There is no human
endeavour that found to be without moral and values. Values and beliefs, both are conscious
and unconscious, of its proponents. Schooling in children’s life plays an important role. Some
of the children and parents take school education for granted but it is not true in reality.
Giving education and following school curriculum gives a structured and stratified element of
social relations in the society. In school, time is a crucial framework for pupils and teachers
to negotiate their social status, local social and cultural practices, mediate the mechanism of
power, and control. However, new technologies used in the education field are beginning to
disrupt this finely tuned aspect of instructional life that leads to the formation of new
learning. These learning will be self-determined and self-learning for a student in his life.
This will allow learning them the new forms and values of society that will take place in the
classroom and in timetable-based models. The social curriculum followed in the UK is
similar to the culture followed in the society whereas there are some deviations too
(McLaren, 2015).
Before doing the research on this topic, I considered the UK to be the country in which the
education is given much importance in the society. The country like UK in which all age and
income group people are there and want their children to be educated well. Knowing the
norms, rules, and regulations of the society is the want of all parents and family (Topping,
2012). The mobility of the culture has increased in the country. This implies that people are
living apart from their families. However, the kinship relationship is remaining the regular
communication and family reunions. However, from the past decades, it can see that the
people from the varied background had greater access to the higher education and business
opportunities that are leveling the wealth distribution in the country. This will increase the
upward mobility in the country. Hence, the middle class and the working class become more

2 | P a g e Education studies
homogenous in the country as there is still too much elite a privileged class in Britain
(McLaren, 2016).
However, after doing the research I come to know that the social ideology followed in the
UK is something which brings the unity and integration in the working for the individual. The
school curriculum specifies the behaviour and norm to follow in the society by the individual.
The UK economy supports the education in such a manner that will bring the best result out
of the options available to them. The best available option available to the government in the
UK is that providing the free education to the children living there. Not only the government
is contributing to the development of the individual in the social factors among the
individuals but the individuals are also learning the societal factors considered the best to
adopt (Roberts, 2016). In my point of view, the factors that taken into consideration in
societal factors which are there in school curriculum are the lifestyle, educational and cultural
factors (Ball, 2012).
Nevertheless, after doing the research, many other factors should also be taken into the
consideration to facilitate the proper education and learning to the students in their school
days. The proper education and knowledge is the right of each and everyone in the society.
The person who follows the nature and culture of the society is the person who will have the
more goodwill and respect in the society. In a country like the UK, the education gives free to
the students to increase the literacy level in the country. This will encourage the parents to
send their child to the school. This will help to develop them the communication and
diversity knowledge in the society. Normally the education divided into two separate stages.
They begin with the primary education at the age of five and this usually last until they are
eleven. The focus of the curriculum of UK focuses on developing the students for their
future growth throughout the years of their education. In the early age of 2 to 5 years, the

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focus is given on the giving the notion and literacy. Through their active participation in the
playful activities that will helpful in development of the country (Spring, 2016).
The education given cannot be value-free and neutral. It is also important to understand the
social factors present in the society while evaluating all the present and past factors as well as
the different views on the education. Understanding the nature of society and the purpose of
education plays an important role in the development of an individual. The nature of the
education depicts the type of education is give in the curriculum to give the utmost
knowledge and information to the students studying in the school (Stewart, Nicholson, Smith
and Hoye, 2018).
This will not only able to promote the social culture and needs but also fulfills the individual
social requirement of the person. Every individual in the society expects to have the want of
having the equal reputation and respect which he gets from the society and this can only be
done when they are educated enough to give and take the respect from each and other person
living in the society (Street, 2014).
The curriculum of the students in the UK includes art design, citizenship, computing,
geography, languages, music, history, and technology. Previously the UK has less technology
in the economy but after the people get educated and knowledgeable, they started developing
the new strategies and technologies in the business and environment that will benefit the
individual and society to grow more in the society. The cultural ensures that each individual
will experience a wide variety of high quality in the cultural experiences, ensuring both the
quality and best use of the public investment (Kalantzis and Cope, 2014).
To my knowledge, I consider the social factors to follow in the curriculum of each school
whether it is in the UK or any other any country. This will develop the ability of the children
to understand the culture followed in the society. This will make help in learning the other

4 | P a g e Education studies
nation’s culture too as all the society focus on following the ethical decision taken by
everyone in the society. Coordination and integration with the cultural factor of the country
make the person able to interpret the changes done in the society. To cope with the changes
done in the society, the understanding of the culture and society should be there. This is the
reason in the school curriculum, all this teaching will give to the student in their school life
(Commisceo global, 2017).
Afterward at the age of 5 to 11, when children have shifted to the primary schools, the focus
will shift to the other important things. The focus gives on developing the communication
skill and etiquettes to behave in the environment. The relation and values of human, science,
technology, art has taught to them to develop the multi-disciplinary topics and knowledge
through these subjects (Jarvie, 2013). At this point, some people think that they are
developing the innovative approaches to jointly following the curriculum in the society with
groups of academies or free schools. According to my research, it was found that the
statement was quite true that the school curriculum in the UK a socially constructed. All the
teaching given by the teachers are based in the society and all the teachers are focus on giving
the students the best moral and ethical value so that they can contribute more to the society
(Holzman, 2016).
The teacher guides their student in such a way that they are getting the best values from their
teaching. The teacher focus on giving the educative and informative knowledge about the
society that how they have to behave in the society while maintaining their personal
reputation in the society. The teachings given in the curriculum related to the behaviour and
etiquettes followed in the society and their studies also tell them how their ancestor played
and behave in the society. One of the curriculum studied by the students are history in which
they are taught all the ethically an unethical work done the rulers and their impact
(Commisceo global, 2017). Teaching this subject in their curriculum is the only mean that

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whoever adopts the social and ethical nature in their life will survive more and get the success
than the person who is following or using the unethical practices in their work. Good and
moral values taught to them so that they can adopt only those values that are good in nature
and are able to differentiate between the socially responsible activity and non-social activities
existed in the society. The only person who can able to differentiate between the good and
bad activities in the society is the person itself (Grogan, 2016). Another example can be taken
as the culture followed in the school of UK that their curriculum teaches them the activities
that are done in their past. The technological inventions done in the society is for the welfare
of society.
When they more grew up, at the age of 11 to 14, the focus is given on building the students
ability to work in the competitive environment independently and can able to develop the
critical thinking in their thought process. Upper secondary students are taking the diploma
and other degrees that make them specialize in a particular subject or field that gives a person
the uniqueness in them. The teaching given to the children in school is a social ideology as it
teaches the entire individual that all the work should do within the boundaries of the society.
Any work done without the permission or unethically in the society is not acceptable in the
society. All this teaching a person gets from his school curriculum only. The school will
teach them all the requirements that need to be fulfilled in the society (Fairclough, 2014).
However, there are also some negatives issues involved in the curriculum in which grading
and ranking are fine in which there will be differentiation done among the students which
make them feel to be separated and alone from the other (Valentine, 2017). Development of
this feeling in the individual brings an adverse and negative impact on the society. The
differentiation is done in the society on the curriculum-followed ion the school brings the
many advantages for the society. People start following the wrong way to implement their
plans and procedures. They will try to succeed in the market and society by hook and crook.

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They start thinking that what they are thinking is always right rather than what the society is
thinking and preferring (Delamont, 2016).
To implement this change properly in the environment various measures taken by the
government and society so that no children will get the wrong belief and thought about the
society and its culture followed. The books and curriculum designed in such a way that the
students get the knowledge that based on the various assumptions followed in the society
(McNair, 2017). The lifestyle followed in the UK based on the things that are modern in
nature. The curriculum also followed the same pattern in teaching. The methods and patterns
used in the teaching are unique and different in nature and the faster channel of
communication followed. The use of technology that found updated in nature that makes the
students also to learn and grab the new things from it. The use of smart classes and tabs in the
classroom makes them know the new updating present in the market (Banks, 2015).
On the other hand, there is a negative side also, that students got the high learning and
teaching from their classrooms sessions. This will make them talented but also develop the
skill, which makes them move in the wrong direction. These may include opposing the social
policy made by the society, not believing in the facts that are old in nature (Commisceo
global, 2017).
Another factor, which takes into consideration, is that the religion followed in society. The
UK peoples found to be the Christians in nature. In UK, first name known as the ‘Christian
Name’, although this has little to do with the religion today. The traditional followed by a
middle name and then the family name that in the UK is known as the surname. This will
teach to the individual in their school days so that they will also follow this culture in
society. In the previous centuries, children tended to name after a member of the family or a

7 | P a g e Education studies
religious figure. Catholic families have named their children in particular tend to be their
children names based on the name of saints (Berkenkotter and Huckin, 2016).
The school curriculum teaches the individual way to wear clothes in gathering. The
knowledge and information relating to the formal and informal wear told to student in school.
This will able to develop the feeling and sense of dressing which individual while live in
society should do. The person lives in society should also have manners and etiquette that
they are addressed to the individuals. In addition to the professional titles, such as doctor or
professor, it is polite to refer to men with Mr and women as Mrs or Miss. Formal titles should
use unless stated otherwise (Chaucer and Ellis, 2014).
From the above discussion, it can conclude that tradition is the major determinant and
influence on the education system in general, on the national curriculum and on teacher’s
pedagogy in schools. While looking at the discussion, it can say national cultural traditions
are the philosophical base on which system built. Without understanding this pedagogy and
changes done in society, the success cannot predict by individuals. The debate on school
curriculum constructed purely through using the social factors. Majority of the points, which
we have discussed in discussion, are in favour of society. The teaching includes in UK are
relevant and are focussed towards socially developing the individual so that they can become
a good citizen of the country. The focus of school curriculum focus on teaching lessons,
which relates to the ethical practices done by their ancestors by teaching them their past
stories. The subjects like history and other stories are teaching them to know the great leaders
and persons. All these stories have socially responsible as well as an unethical person does
too and result from these stories that individual comes to know about the right and wrong of a
person. The path, which a person has to choose to become a successful man, taught through
those lessons.

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References
Ball, S.J. (2012) Politics and policy-making in education: Explorations in sociology. Oxon:
Routledge.
Banks, J.A. (2015) Cultural diversity and education. Oxon: Routledge.
Berkenkotter, C. and Huckin, T.N. (2016) Genre knowledge in disciplinary communication:
Cognition/culture/power. Oxon: Routledge.
Chaucer, G. and Ellis, S. (2014) Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales. Oxon: Routledge.
Commisceo global. (2017) Award Winning Culture Guide [Online] Available from:
https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/uk-guide [Accessed on: 10th
july 2018]
Delamont, S. (2016) Fieldwork in educational settings: Methods, pitfalls and perspectives.
Oxon: Routledge.
Fairclough, N. (2014) Critical language awareness. Oxon: Routledge.
Grogan, S. (2016) Body image: Understanding body dissatisfaction in men, women and
children. Oxon: Routledge.
Holzman, L. (2016) Schools for growth: radical alternatives to current education models.
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teaching writing. Oxon: Routledge.

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