Final answer:
Social placement is the educational function where schools determine future occupations for students based on capabilities, often using tracking to sort students onto different educational paths.
Step-by-step explanation:
Schools determining which people will enter what occupation based on their capabilities is referred to as social placement. This concept is a function of the education system where students are sorted and classified based on academic merit or potential. Various mechanisms, such as tracking, are used to place students on different educational paths that are intended to align with their skills and future career opportunities. These tracks may include advanced programs for those identified as most capable, often through testing and classroom achievements, which prepare them for college and subsequent professional careers. The process facilitates a form of educational sorting that can influence their eventual social standing and job opportunities.