Abstract

The paper articulates debates surrounding schools and schooling in the contemporary era with a view of showing some granted assumptions about schools and schooling by some educationists. The paper further shows that schools are always arenas or sites of struggle where ideological hegemonic control is fought for by various actors, such as: the state, church, teachers, parents or students. This, therefore, warrants that schools should be looked at differently and be scrutinized in order to understand the dynamics within them, as power and control are contested on a daily basis by different stakeholders. It is hoped that educators will begin to open these ‘black boxes’ so as to improve their pedagogy.  

Key words: State, schools, schooling, society, ideology, hegemony, debates.