Marxists argue that education benefits the ruling
class while feminists see it as benefiting men
Education promotes the norms and
values of society as a whole
Marxists see education as
promoting the values of
powerful groups. Hargreaves
believes education promoted
competition and individualism
rather than shared values
Education promotes
social solidarity
Education can be divisive because of
a hierachy of schools and universities
which can separate social classes
Education
achievement is
based on merit
A great deal of research
shows that class, gender
and ethnicity influence
educational achievement
Education selects the
most appropriate people
to do particular jobs
Other factors apart from qualifications influence the labour market