The sociologist Randall Collins argues that the true function of schools is to sort and rank students based on their abilities, and to allocate them into positions in the social hierarchy. This process, according to Collins, serves to reproduce and maintain
Collins's theory is based on the idea that schools are not just places of learning, but also sites of socialization and credentialing. Students are evaluated and ranked based on their academic performance and other characteristics, such as race, class, and gender, which determine their access to educational opportunities and social mobility.
According to Collins, schools are part of a larger social system that reproduces and reinforces social stratification and inequality by allocating individuals into different positions in the social hierarchy based on their abilities and credentials. This process is seen as necessary to maintain social order and stability, but it also perpetuates existing inequalities and may limit social mobility for some individuals and groups.
Critics of Collins's theory argue that it may be too deterministic and pessimistic, and that schools also serve other important functions, such as promoting civic engagement, social integration, and personal development. However, Collins's theory highlights the complex and often conflicting roles that schools play in society, and the challenges of achieving educational equity and social justice in a stratified and unequal society.