Final answer:
Preparing students for a future career or college is a manifest function of education, as it is an anticipated and intended outcome, not a latent one.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is true. The latent function of education refers to the unintended or unanticipated consequences of the educational process. In this case, teaching the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in a career or college is a latent function of education.
The assertion that teaching the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in a career or college is a latent function of education is false. Manifest functions are the anticipated or intended consequences of a social process, such as the official curriculum in schools.
In contrast, latent functions are the unrecognized and sometimes unintended consequences, like forming a peer network or participating in extracurricular activities that contribute to one's personal development. As such, preparing students for a career or college is considered a manifest function of education, as these are the explicit objectives of the educational system.