Functions of the Formal Education

This article seeks to analyze the mechanisms of Iran’s education system, using the critical theories, especially that of Ivan Ilich. First, we discuss the social issues which can be traced to education system’s mechanisms, directly or either indirectly. Then these issues are analyzed through the lens of critical theories, during which the relationship between some traits of the mechanisms of Iran’s education system, its malfunctions and dysfunctions of the system are unraveled. Based on this analysis we propose some solutions to amend the education system. Overwhelming emphasis that the state recruitment system puts on certificates makes people obey the rules of education system blindly in order to gain formal qualifications and certificates. Some traits of education system such as categorizing based on age and certificate, centralized curricular materials, hegemony of specialists, mandatory schooling, long years of education and schooling, and so on, sprang up numerous educational and social problems. The proposed solution is that education system and the state recruitment system must change radically in order to regain efficiency.