The Growing Education Gap Between The Rich and Poor Student

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Education as the saying goes, is a tool for fostering equality by providing the disadvantaged with the needed leverage and knowledge to grow. But is this really so? And do the facts really back education’s ability to create social equality?

Here, I will attempt to answer these questions using a holistic approach that would present the facts and figures behind receiving an education before making educated inferences that would provide the needed answers.

It is a proven fact that education has played a huge role in the United States by creating a more level playing ground for people of diverse races. Statistics show that the test score deficit accrued between 1950 to 1970 – of African American students in the 9-17 year old demographic, had been drastically reduced by 50% in 2012. Thereby providing a base for these students to catch up and improve the living standards of African Americans. These positive growth among minorities which includes Native Americans is quickly erasing the education gap between white students and students of minority descent. But in the midst of these positives, a newer form of inequality is rearing its ugly head, in the form of an educational gap between students from wealthy homes and these from poorer homes.

Although this new educational gap still affects minorities to a large extent, this menace does not care about race but takes into account a family’s financial status. Therefore it affects both white, black, Hispanic and Asian students from low income backgrounds. According to Sean Reardon of the Centre for Education Policy Analysis at Stanford, racial disparities are still a stain in the US’s education sector but its biggest problem today is ‘class’.

And how does class create this new gap? Students from wealthy backgrounds are privy to more educational opportunities such as the expensive private preschool programs in the United States which already puts these kids ahead of their peers right from infancy. This means that in most cases, students from wealthier homes already learn and test at a higher level than even smarter kids from poorer homes on starting kindergarten.

The next hurdle for students from low income families who manage to somehow close the learning gap encounter comes in the form of education policies in public schools. For those who inevitably attend middle school located in poor districts, a new set of challenges come up. Statistics show that schools in poorer districts are more likely to be assigned first time teachers with little or no experience than those in wealthier districts. These teachers usually get their hand full quickly and do the bare minimum required to get students ready for tests.

Other hurdles include the lack of certain important subjects students need to learn before pursuing higher education degrees due to no available teachers to teach them. Another disturbing statistics put the number of High schools, located in poorer districts that do not offer Algebra II or chemistry as one in every four. Lastly, unfair punishment policies affected by teachers who are more likely to suspend students of minority descent end up leaving these students jaded and these combined forces have led to a dropout rate of approximately 13% among black students.

And the circle continues for only 5% of Americans age 24 to 35 whose parents didn’t finish high school go on to attain a college degree. Comparing the above figure to statistics from over 20 countries which show a figure of 20% of college graduates come from parents who didn’t finish high school proves that the fault lies in the US education system.

In conclusion, this gap truly exists and can only be closed if policies are made to equalize education achievement of every student between the ages of 0 to 14. This policy will in turn provide students from every background with enough ammunition to enroll for and attain a college degree.

References:

http://eduregard.com.ng/growing-education-gap-private-public-schools-nigeria/

https://www.customwritings.com/blog/essay-topics-and-ideas/20-education-topics-essays.html

http://erinsmarlore.com/text/qa/education-essay-topics-for-university