Since children spend a long time in schools, which provide them with a fairly organised set up for interaction with teachers and peers, school is today being viewed as a more important agent of child socialisation than parents and family. Children learn not only cognitive skills (e.g., reading, writing, doing mathematics) but also many social skills (e.g., ways of behaving with elders and age mates, accepting roles, fulfilling responsibilities). They also learn and internalise the norms and rules of society. Several other positive qualities, such as self-initiative, self-control, responsibility, and creativity are encouraged in schools.
These qualities make children more self- reliant. If the transaction has been successful, the skills and knowledge children acquire in schools either through curriculum or interaction with teachers and peers also get transferred to other domains of their life. Many researchers believe that a good school can altogether transform a child’s personality. That is why we find that even poor parents want to send their children to good schools.
Peer Groups One of the chief characteristics of the middle childhood stage is the extension of social network beyond home. Friendship acquires great significance in this respect. It provides children not only with a good opportunity to be in company of others, but also for organising various activities (e.g., play) collectively with the members of their own age. Qualities like sharing, trust, mutual understanding, role acceptance and fulfilment develop in interaction with peers.
Children also learn to assert their own point of view and accept and adapt to those of others. Development of self-identity is greatly facilitated by the peer group. Since communication of children with peer group is direct, process of socialisation is generally smooth. Media Influences In recent years media has also acquired the property of a socialisation agent.
Through television, newspapers, books and cinema the external world has made/is making its way into our home and our lives. While children learn about many things from these sources, adolescents and young adults often derive their models from them, particularly from television and cinema. The exposure to violence on television is a major issue