According to Randall Collins, our educational system is much like a "tribal initiation rite," a "secret society," or a "closed occupational caste." For Collins, it is not a rational system that produces more efficient production but a mechanism for:

-creating gender inequality in the workforce.

-reproducing the existing class structure.

-punishing those who deviate from mainstream American values.

-teaching the values and ideals that we need to function in society today.

-making inner-city schools extraordinarily unhappy places.

-punishing those who deviate from mainstream American values.

Explanation:

Randall Collins is a very influential American sociologist today. His works have been translated into several languages and his thoughts regarding political and economic changes, social conflicts, micro-sociology and others are followed by many people across the planet.

Collins has a strong opinion about the educational system that we have today, for him this system is weak, unresponsive and has no responsibility and commitment to those who go through it. He believes that currently the education established in the country, informs that it will form citizens ready for the job market that will evaluate their technical and intellectual capacities, however, the educational system ends up indoctrinating people with the standards of cultural respectability that it believes is essential for the society. As a result, this system ends up punishing those who deviate from the main American values, to a lower quality life through precarious jobs.