When
talking about education, we naturally connect it to things like “Knowledge is
Power” “No children left behind”. We tend to think of stories of poor young
children succeed through hard working in school. Education supposes to allow
natural abilities overweight the artificial inequalities. In fact, it has more
to do with maintaining the current social structure.
The
reading helps me understand the history of education better. With the advent of
industrialization in the nineteenth century, more and more people become
literate (education is a prerogative of most dominant strata before that period).
It is also used as a tool of social control. “They saw in the spread of
universal and free education a means of alleviating social distress without redistributing
wealth and power.” (359) For example, lots of Irish people settled in America
with “uncouth and dangerous” element and education is seen as a purification of
them. “Schooling has been at once something done for the poor and to the poor.”
(359) Jefferson wanted using “laboring and the learned” allow “raking a few
geniuses from the rubbish”.（360）
Although
it was times that education was for the poor, it actually becomes a means of enhancing
the power of the rich. Years of schooling and college attendance has strong
connection with family socioeconomic background (360). Children from low-income
families receive fewer years of education and even less attention from teachers.
Children from rich families can get resources easily, including education.
The
phenomenon of college legacy admission enhances the inequality.
(Like
University of Miami, you can click on the following link: http://www.miami.edu/admission/index.php/undergraduate_admission/apply/legacy_admission) Most of them are Ivy League universities. Harvard’s
acceptance rate for legacies has hovered around 30 percent—more than four times
the regular admission rate. One of my friends received offers from
UCLA because his father and grandfather went there. Some people assume that
children from the “university family” receive better education than others.
However, it turns out that the “special” groups of students receive lower
scores in SATs or ACTs. Another possible explanation is donation. Education is
more like a product. Universities need more money to maintain their academic
level. This is how capitalism works. Like the readings points out: “ Education
was to help preserve and extend the capitalist order.”(360)
Inequalities
of education exist in high school systems, too. After listening to the life of
Harper High school, I was wondering why life is so tough for the students there. They have the
chances of being shot at any time, which is hard to imagine could happen in any wealthier regions. One of my friends went to a private middle
school and a public high school. She said she nearly learned nothing during the first
year in the public school. Private schools usually have more disciplines and
students are motivated to learn new things. The students at there are
usually from the same economic background and can become network of each other in their
future career life. I attended a private high school in China which had better equipment and teachers. I felt comfortable raising questions in class, experienced new
style of teaching and felt happy learning there. I have no idea how different the high schools are in America.
In
sum, what America offer is education opportunity, but not equal opportunity.
I think that it is absolutely true that children from wealthier families receive resources more readily than those who come from low SES homes, however, we are beginning to see some push back and action against that. For example, while it is widely viewed that college is not accessible to everyone, there are many options for poor families out there. The government gives out many grants to children from these families; this in turn, helps to finance an education, and subsequently increases the chance for class mobility.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I agree with your point on donations having an influence on education. One thing in particular that came to my mind was how philanthropy influences university ranking, and thus the "value" of a degree. I work with to help solicit donations for Michigan from potential donors and one thing that the university loves to highlight to alumni is the fact that their contribution helps us to get better rankings nationally, which means that their degree looks better. Also, interestingly enough, most times the big donors (gifts of 1,000-10,000+) have multiple children and spouses who have also attended the university. This makes me question how much legacy does actually play out in the college admissions process.
I agree with Yuting that education has become a factor that enhances the power of the rich. While, wealthier individuals may not directly curtail the education of those who are less affluent, people without resources find it difficult to access more years of schooling and thus are unable to enjoy the opportunities that come as a result of education.
ReplyDeleteIn a similar manner, the process of gaining an education is also very different among different socioeconomic classes. At Harper High, a lot of the focus of the administration and teachers is creating an environment whereby the violence that occurs on the streets and in the neighborhoods does not trickle into the high schools ground. The school has an overwhelming responsibility in trying to make these students experience as 'normal' as possible given the unusual environment they are surrounded it. Teachers are involved in these students lives, from knowing which gangs they are affiliated with, to even picking up students from their homes in the morning.
So while the government may provide options for families in such neighborhoods, their daily lives over shadow their educational lives because survival becomes crucial, and education just a means of escaping violence and death.
Inequalities in education are extremely evident in all grade levels. I am able to relate to both the YouTube video and what Yuting is saying about the difference between private and public schools. I went to a public school up to 6th grade before transferring to a private school. The difference between schools was drastic. Not only was the education different, but also the students were different. Students in the private school were more interested in who they were eating lunch with at lunch time rather than what they were gaining educationally. Although I wasn’t getting the best education at the public school, I was able to learn more socially and culturally from a more diverse group of people. Whereas in the private school, the majority of students came from the same background: wealthy. From my experiences, where one stands socially tends to correlate to the education they are able to receive.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Yuting's comment on the vast difference between public and private schools I can completely agree on both sides because of certain factors that make it that way. First of all, the learning environment in a private school is obviously much more conducive to promote participation because of the amount of technology (ex. smart boards) or motivation to produce education from the teachers. Also, private schools (at least at mine) encourage a surplus of activities that many public schools do not. For example, we were required to do a minimum of 10 hours of community service a year and also participate in two athletic seasons a year for our entire high school career. I believe this can help kids to stay out of activities that are negatively pressured by having more free time on their hands. To compare this to the American Life podcast, Devonte used activities at his hand like hosting a bible study to keep out of trouble and gang affiliation. It is differences like this, besides the economic advantages, that really makes the difference between the public and private education system in todays society.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Yuting that America provides educational opportunities but students are not getting equal opportunities in education. Educational inequalities exist because of social class and family background. Inequalities in education were evident in the Youtube video. It showed the barrier difference between socioeconomic classes. The wealthier students seemed to benefit more than the poorer students. Some of the critical factors that schools should have in order to promote success from their students are school resources and academic opportunities. For instance, students from the less affluent school have limited resources. Teachers had to take money out of their own paychecks in order to provide school supplies for their student, rather than the school supplying it for them. Additionally, students from the less affluent school seem to be less likely to be placed in advanced curricula, such as advanced placement classes, or participate in extracurricular activities. I think availability of resources is one of the many factors that contribute to the education gap.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything that has been said, and even further the educational system overall has changed.Dramatic growth of high school enrollments, the increased use of IQ tests for track placement, and trends in the Great depression have contributed to educators "dumbing down" the secondary school curricula. The increase use of IQ tests for track placement contributed to educators “dumbing down” the secondary school curricula because this certain tactic allowed the pupils an equal opportunity to choose (or be chosen for) a failing program. These programs lead to a bigger problem, due to the economic crisis a huge number of adolescents were forced back to school. “By 1940, 7,123,009 students between the ages of 14 and 17 were in high school, more than 73 percent of the age group”(Mirel) During this time, education leaders argued that the intellectual abilities of the new high school entrants were weaker than those of previous groups of students (Mirel). The result of the way the education leaders were thinking lead to allowing the students to graduate through a less-demanding curriculum. Letting students earn credits through easier courses and water down graduation requirements. This cycle went on for a while since success was defined by quantity rather then quality. “Between 1928 and 1973, foreign language course taking went down from 9.5 percent to 3.9 percent. Math dropped from 12.8 percent to 9.2 percent.”(Meril).
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the opportunity for education is unequally distributed for American children, but I also think socioeconomic status works to reinforce level of education just as much as education works to reinforce socioeconomic status.
ReplyDeleteFor example, lack of resources tends to make learning a more difficult task. In the video you posted, A Tale of Two Schools, Jackson Langford complains that parking is a huge issue at his school. As Cedrick Forte points out, however, many kids where he goes to school don’t have the privilege of owning transportation, and so the effort it takes them just to attend school is greater. The fact that it costs money also detracts from its accessibility for low-income students.
The podcast from this week seems to reconfirm the theory presented. Students attending school at Harper High School face not only the challenge of acquiring an education, but also of staying alive. Gang violence and the threat it presents provide an obvious distraction at the school, where learning is a secondary priority next to survival. As such, it isn’t just education that provides unequal opportunity to improve social class; social class also presents unequal opportunity for achieving an education.
Inequality in education is prevalent in America and countries outside of America. Our status, financial background, connections, and the people around us play a huge role on whether we can make use of all of the resources.
ReplyDeleteYuting mentioned that education supposes to allow natural abilities to outweigh the artificial, which i agree with. In class many of us agreed that determination and hardwork pays off, but then connections also play its part. Having access the education is a gray area.