Explain the manifest and latent functions of education.

The idea of manifest and latent functions comes from the
sociologist Robert Merton.  Merton argued that things like education have manifest
functions (the ones that the participants are aware of) as well as latent functions
(ones that they are not aware of and which may not be
intended).

In education, the manifest function is to learn
skills and gain knowledge.  Students know that they are trying to do this.  They know
that they are trying to learn how to do algebra, for
example.

However, education may also have other functions,
intended or not.  For example, education may bring about more
inequality in a society.  Those who get more and better education
become the elite while those who do not fall further behind.  No one really intends this
and students are not aware of it, so it is a latent
function.

You can also argue that a latent function of
education is to socialize us.  It is partly through our educational that we learn the
values that our society wants us to have.  We learn, for example, to compete with others
to try to be the best.  This is a characteristic of a capitalist society but it is one
that we are not aware that we are learning as we go through
school.