... social beings. Durkheim believed that a vital task for all societies is to create some form of social solidarity which means that all individuals feel a sense of belonging and that they are part of a bigger social unit. Therefore, education provides this link where children can see that they belong to a larger social group (the school community). This collective consciousness, brought about by similar morals prepares children for later life and teaches them that they each have a specific place in society. Durkheim also argued that in complex industrial societies, schools serve a function which cannot be provided by integration with the family or peer groups. School is like a miniature society in which a child must interact with other members, and this mirrors society as a whole as school has similar structure and rules. Durkheim thought that the rules at school should be strongly enforced, not only ...

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