Some would argue that the education system mainly exists to select and prepare students for their future work roles and careers. Marxists believe that the education system’s role is the ideological apparatus of the state; it spreads ruling-class ideology and favours the middle class. Marxists such as Althusser, Bowels & Gintus and Bourdieu disagree with this statement as they argue working class children get a second class education compared to middle class and are given an unrealistic expectation for the future.
This is further highlighted by Althusser (1971) who believed that educations main function is to reproduce an efficient and obedient workforce, Althusser believes that the education system has taken over from the Church as the main agent of ideological transition. For example, in the past most people accepted their positions in life, no matter how unbearable, because they believed it was Gods will. They were poor because God wished it so, they were hungry because God wished it so, and they were powerless because God wished it so. Such beliefs are now in decline, although many still hold them, much more common is the belief that everything boils down to the God of education. Those who are smart and hardworking do well in education and gain educational qualifications and in turn do well in the world of work. Those who are unemployed and working in low paid jobs did not gain educational qualifications and were probably not academically gifted. This is, however, an ideological belief as it has been shown that the higher your parents social class so the higher your educational qualifications and duration spent in education. Class still determines where you end up in the majority of cases. The education system propagates the view, however, that success is all down to intelligence and hard work. This evidence suggests that the education system selects people for