Final answer:
During middle childhood, school should support socialization and interaction with peers, which is crucial as schools not only teach academics but also serve the latent function of socializing children into societal roles and teamwork.
Step-by-step explanation:
During middle childhood, school should serve as an environment wherein socialization and interaction with peers can occur. This is crucial as it is a period where children learn to navigate various societal roles, including participating in teamwork, following a schedule, and conforming to social expectations. Schools also prepare children to enter the workforce by providing a standardized curriculum, a hidden curriculum that teaches norms and values, and by socializing them into teamwork and collaboration. Socialization is a major manifest function of education, as elucidated by French sociologist Émile Durkheim, who characterized schools as agencies teaching children to get along with others and prepare for adult economic roles. Schools are not exclusively about academic learning but also about the latent function of socializing children. Activities like sports or other peer-group activities provide opportunities for social development beyond the standard classroom environment. The first school experience, often daycare, preschool, or kindergarten, is a key socialization agent for young children and impacts their behaviors and understanding of societal roles, including the expectations as they grow older.