What is a key function of family socialisation in relation to education?

• A. Transmits norms and expectations shaping attitudes toward schooling, discipline and achievement.
• B. Determines curriculum choices.
• C. Governs school funding decisions.
• D. Has no relation to schooling.

Answer: (A)

Family socialisation shapes how children view education by passing on norms and expectations about schooling. Through everyday interactions, parents and other family members communicate what schooling is for, how students should behave in class, and what counts as successful achievement. This helps form a child’s attitudes toward schooling—whether they see effort as important, how they respond to rules, and how motivated they are to do well. Those attitudes influence study habits, persistence, and actual performance, linking family life directly to educational outcomes. For example, families that encourage reading, provide help with homework, and hold high expectations tend to foster greater engagement and attainment.

Curriculum choices and school funding are responsibilities of schools and government or governing bodies, not determined by family socialisation, which is why those options don’t fit. And there is a clear relation to schooling, since families’ norms and expectations shape how children approach and perform in education.