Educational disparities exist in the United States. Such a lack of quality education is persistent, problematic and needs to be diminished as much as possible. Educational disparities are more prevalent in low-income communities because they are often deprived of countless educational resources such as modern buildings, supported teachers, advanced courses and information technologies. Such educationally-disadvantaged communities are disproportionately comprised of people of color: blacks, Native American, Latinos and Southeast Asians. These groups often struggle to excel in educational atmospheres, compounding and perpetuating numerous other disadvantages such as access to healthcare, employment opportunities and housing options, to name a few.
Where the Shortcomings are Seen
Disparities are apparent in countless areas of learning, especially from \ the grades K-12. The shortcomings are revealed in test scores (SAT scores, science exams, etc.), dropout rates, advanced programs and course participation, expulsion rates, and various other achievement markers. These markers of educational disparity demonstrate how difficult it is for systematically-disadvantaged students to succeed in the current educational system.
Social Inequality
The United States has been characterized by social inequality since its inception. Social inequality also has led to educational disparities that have deprived generations of children from fully realizing promising opportunities and futures. People of lower socioeconomic status struggle to reach a higher socioeconomic status because the system as it is inhibits the American Dream. Poor peoples’ children disproportionately attend under-funded schools, which in turn impairs economic progress, creating a self-perpetuating cycle.
How Do These Disparities Unfold
The consequences of educational disparities are substantial and enduring: diminished chances to get a college degree, consequently lower earnings, limited housing options, worse access to healthcare, etc. These losses of opportunities hinder many people’s chances for promising futures.
Acknowledge the Disparities
Similar to many issues in the United States, issues that do not affect privileged groups of people render this component of our population more likely to be unaware or indifferent to such endemic problems. It’s even worse when the disadvantaged groups are blamed for their situations. Certain groups believe that providing more resources to disadvantaged groups would create a “culture of dependence,” which is the concept of people in poverty becoming powerless to the middle and upper class. The preponderance of social science research indicates that direct financial and educational support programs result in substantial, ongoing benefits for the recipient families and children; pre-K programs such as Head Start have been an unmitigated success; a recently completed two-year direct, unrestricted financial support study in the City of Stockton, California demonstrated a significantly reduced rate of unemployment in the recipient group. As a nation, we need to be perpetually aware of how drastic the gap is between educational opportunities between whites and people of color.
Resources, Resources, Resources!
Low-income families send their children to low-income schools, which means those with fewer financial resources receive fewer academic resources as well. The United States needs to do a better job at redistributing funds, resources, and better teachers to low-income school districts.
The United States pioneered the concept of universal, free primary and secondary education. We need to re-dedicate ourselves to the concept that the more educated we are as a people, the better it is for all of us. The more educated we are, the more we earn, the more taxes we pay, the healthier we are. Better education results in a virtuous cycle that benefits us all. Let’s go!
Written By: Olivia Fitzgerald
