How does the school carry out political function?

Answer 1

The school system, in addition to imparting skills to support the individual, is the main mechanism for political indoctrination. The teaching of history and civics, in the lower grades especially, is necessarily simplified so it can be grasped by younger minds; during this simplification process, the true complexity of the political system and history of the U.S. is obscured. Ideally, as the individual matures, they become able to understand the workings of history and politics more completely, and develop their own "take" on history, which more or less follows the broad outline imparted in school. Unfortunately, many people neglect to cultivate a better understanding of how things work and insist on simple answers to complex questions. This leads to the hyperbole and hostility so characteristic of today's political discourse, and eventually to seditions and social upheaval. Bacon warns us to beware of the signs of approaching troubles:

Libels and licentious discourses against the state, when they are frequent and open; and in like sort false news, often running up and down, to the disadvantage of the state, and hastily embraced, are amongst the signs of troubles.

This is an apt description of the notion, for instance, that Obama was born in Africa. Purveyors of this nonsense sow the wind. It is up to the educational system (along with our families and mentors) to provide us all a political "starting point", and, notwithstanding some deserved criticism, this is a good and necessary thing; is it up to us to undertake the work of becoming an informed citizen.