The presentation of propaganda is one of the ways political agendas are advanced using the educational system. Historically, educational systems are used to teach ideas that are often scientifically false. An example of this would be the teaching of the inferiority of blacks as a way to shape the argument on race relations during the slavery period. A more recent example of that practice would be the attempt to change the content of text books to shape the concerns relating to the evolution and creation debate. The pro-creation side of the debate would like text books to not contain statements that support evolution. The debate for civil rights and in particular gay rights required educational changes to advance the movement. The gay rights movement while political is supported by having an educational system that suggests gays should have rights. This approach uses education to shape the ideas of future generations and that influences the political process.
Political institutions of a country are predominantly concerned with the distribution of power and resources. Under these conditions the stakes are very high as the loss of political power will result in losing the ability to influence the transfer of wealth within the country. Political structures tend to function in a similar manner without regard to the type of political system that is within the country.
The previous comments suggest that educational systems are highly conservative and only reinforce the status quo and existing structures. A divergent view however is that education challenges the status quo. This occurs in two ways, the first is through educational imperialism where foreign...
In this regard universities can become centers for political and social change. The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 are an example of the role education can play in affecting the political process. While the prodemocracy protests were not successful they indicate the powerful position of education. These protests were generated by university students who were determined to improve the political process in China. This demonstrates that beyond being only a passive reinforcement of the political process education can challenge and even shape the process.
The interaction between political and education is a complex and dynamic process. The educational systems generally maintain the power structures, by transmitting the norms and values within the country. There are times however when the educational system encourages and facilitates change and growth within a society.
References
Carnoy, M. (1975). Education as Cultural Imperialism. Teachers College Record 76 (4):688-690
Myer, J. (1977). The effects of education as an institution. American Journal of Sociology. 83(1):
55-77.
Russell, B. (1916). Education as a political institution. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1916/06/education-as-a-political-institution/305258/?single_page=true
Searle, J.R. (2005). What is an institution? Journal of Institutional Economics 1(01):1-22.
DOI: 10.1017/S1744137405000020
