Allocation Role Definition

The allocation role denotes the education system’s capacity to choose and place students in appropriate vocational positions.

Explanation

As per functionalists like Talcott Parsons, one purpose of education is allocation, which entails filtering and sorting individuals into the roles they will eventually play in life. Marxists say the education system perpetuates class inequities, whereas functionalists see this as meritocratic.

Parsons saw the educational system as a crucial instrument for preparing a population segment for future societal roles. According to him, educational structures serve to assign these human resources within the role structure of adult society.  Schools can pair their abilities, skills, and capacities by assessing and evaluating pupils with the most suitable professions. The school is consequently seen as the primary tool for assigning roles.