Education & Social Mobility Essay plan

Does education provide the means to attain upward social mobility in modern Caribbean society?

This is a rough guide

Introduction:

Define/explain the concept of education and social mobility.
Briefly state its function for Caribbean territories, particularly making reference to the transition from a bond/un-free/colonial society to a free to independent society.

Body:
Using Case studies eg Jamaica,Trinidad or Barbados for eg, trace the historical development of education in these territories and show the degree to which social mobility has been attained by its citizens.

Linking theories:
Pre to immediate post-emancipation into the first half of the twentieth century, Marxist theory can be used to show how education or the lack of it helped to maintain social class/caste positions throughout the BWI's. Bowles and Gintis etc...

Independence to present: The functionalist expalnations can be used here to show the education policies of the newly elected independent local government and what benefits they expected to derive from expanding education to the wider population. Davis and Moore

Criticisms Melvin Tumin, and other Marxist theorists to show that although social mobility was attained, the social structure of society in particular the class based system continues to exist and continues to perpetuate social inequalities in these socieities. Also highlight that students were streamed via the junior and senior secondary schools (usually lower working class children were sent to these schools).

Conclusion:
Highlight the progresses made by BWI societies because of education, in particular upward social mobility. Also note the inadequacies of the education system (inadequate placements, unqualified teachers or lack of continous teacher training in some territories etc... )