Equity
EFA Goal 3 is formulated to fulfil students’ basic learning needs through “equitable access to appropriate learning and life-skills programmes” (UNESCO. 2000, p.16). Goal 4 of SDGs declares one of the development agendas beyond 2015 clearly, “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” (UN, 2014, p.6). The spotlight of “equitable access” and “equitable quality education”, on the one hand, has justified “equity” as a prerequisite for good quality education. On the other hand, it has drawn policymakers’ attention to the theme of “equity” in education. This can be seen in the case of China.
The term “equity” embodies a multitude of concepts, encompassing “justice”, “fairness”, “equality of opportunity” and “equivalent treatment” (Field et al., 2007, p.29). The questions of what equity is and how it is distinct from equality have been discussed conceptually for a long time (Cook & Hegtvedt, 1983), however, no consensus has been reached (Unterhalter, 2009). “Equity” and “equality” are often used interchangeably and analysed with regard to the dimensions of resources, opportunities, inputs, processes and outcomes (Klees, & Qargha, 2014). To uncover the major difference between equality and equity, equality is concerned with uniform distribution where everyone gets the same level of access to education, whereas equity prioritises fair and just treatment even if it is to be achieved at the cost of unequal distribution (ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee, 2005).
Equity in education is set as a key objective of teacher rotation policy. Challenged by the region-related inequity faced by people living in rural or economically backward regions (Lee, 2002), the practice of teache...
... middle of paper ...
....517). To better understand the mechanisms for achieving equity, Paquette (1998) divides equity into vertical equity (“giving to each according to need and merit”) and horizontal equity (“giving to each according to the common lot” (p.41). In an attempt to give equitable treatment for the underrepresented and disenfranchised groups, vertical equity approach has raised questions of reconstructing the way in which resources are redistributed. Education resources redistribution within teacher rotation policy is justified by vertical equity approach, in which “disadvantaged have an even greater claim on governmental resources” (Brown, 2006, p.517). Adopting a vertical equity framework, teacher rotation policy has recognised students in rural and low-performing schools as the disadvantaged group whose educational needs deserve greatest priority in resource redistribution.
In “The Teacher Wars”, by Helen Goldstein, the book focuses on the historical implications of school policy and how it affects teachers. The author goes into depth with everything from the rise of female teachers to the rise of technology in today’s teachers. As Goldstein argues teachers have an incredible ability to be able to widen equality, yet can also narrow the achievement gap that is created from birth. Her showcase of the constant strife against teachers throughout the ages gives way to multiple ways politics and decisions affect the achievement gap.
Social equality is the concept in which all individuals possess the same fundamental basic liberties, opportunities, moral value/respect, and social benefits. The concept of ‘equality’ has a multiplicity of meanings and definitions, and with the rise of liberalization and democratization around the world ‘social equality’ has become the most predominant. As economic openness creates greater wealth disparities, the parallel rise of democratization has enabled citizens to demand more accountability measures and public welfare services from their governments in order to manage such disparities. Although the movement towards greater social equality has made significant strides with the establishment of equal rights (especially in the 1960s following the civil rights and women rights movement), inequality is still widespread in society among different ethnicities, social classes, and even religions. Inequality is not, however, a characteristic that only encompasses/embodies developing countries, but also embodies developed countries as well.
The assumptions that everyone can learn, and that schools have the potential to transform a country with a tradition of hatred and an unequal distribution of wealth, extend from the vision of education as a democratic practice where there is "a struggle for both change and the freedom to change" (Irwin, p. 51, 1991). The change is about transforming an exclusive, often oppressive and disempowering system into a more inclusive, equal, and equitable one that is accessible to children from ...
Skiba, R., Simmons, A., Ritter, S., Gibb, A. Rausch, M.K., Cuadrado, J., & Chung, C.G. (2008). Achieving equity in schools: History, status and current challenges. Exceptional Children, 74(3), 264-288.
Peske, Heather G., and Kati Haycock. "Teaching Inequality: How Poor and Minority Students Are Shortchanged on Teacher Quality: A Report and Recommendations by the Education Trust." Education Trust. N.p., June 2006. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
In America, the idea of equality between people is important, it is in fact, written into the Constitution. However, for years the American educational system has operated in a completely inequitable manner due, in part, to the way that schools are funded, mostly through local or property taxes. The differences between schools in wealthy neighborhoods and those in poor neighborhoods are, many times, reminiscent of the differences between white schools and black schools before the end of segregation. While there is a desperate need to fix this broken system, there has been little progress. The issue is so divisive and the problem so big and entrenched in American laws, many politicians refuse to even attempt to come up with a solution. The answer lies with the federal government. To make American public schools equitable the federal government needs to step up its role in funding and administering the schools.
The U.S. Educational system has historically divided into two objective groups. The first objective focuses on increasing opportunity. The second objective focuses on stabilizing an unequal society. The objective of increasing opportunity has mainly emphasized on practition more than discussions of schooling. Thomas Jefferson implemented a plan in 1779, it promised the laboring class more opportunity to attend higher education. The point of the plan was to rake out the brilliant from the poor class, and add them to the prospering upper class. The goal of the plan was to divide the youth
The issue of equality in education is not a new problem. In 1787, our federal government required all territories petitioning for statehood to provide free education for all citizens. As part of this requirement, every state constitution included, “an education clause, which typically called for a “thorough and efficient” or “uniform” system of public schools” (School Funding 6). Despite this requirement, a “uniform” system of schools has yet to be achieved in this country for a variety of reasons, many of which I will discuss later on. During the early part of th...
In many low income communities, there are teachers that are careless and provide their students with poor quality education. These teachers are there just to make sure that they keep receiving their monthly paychecks and act in this way because they believe that low income students do not have the drive, the passion, or the potential to be able to make something of themselves and one day be in a better place than they are now. Anyon reveals that in working class schools student’s “Work is often evaluated not according to whether it is right or wrong but according to whether the children followed the right steps.” (3). This is important because it demonstrates that low income students are being taught in a very basic way. These children are being negatively affected by this because if they are always being taught in this way then they will never be challenged academically, which can play a huge role in their futures. This argument can also be seen in other articles. In the New York Times
...tention and turnover rates for minority teachers highlight the discrepancy that exists in education programs that are unsuccessful at keeping educators in the classroom. Dilworth makes a bold move by addressing these concerns as the problem currently has failed to be acknowledged or directed.
For decades, the United States educational system has provided opportunity for millions of Americans to attend school. However, the gap between the lower income and middle-class students continue to narrow in terms of who will drop out and who would succeed. The articles I chose speak both of issues regarding education and inequality and the growing gap of educational success between the haves and the have nots. In addition, how race and lower class play a large factor on those who succeed and those who do not.The articles also bring to life possible factors such as funding towards a child’s education, in particular the early years, parent involvement and race.
The means of justifying these inequalities are important for the entire world. Education played and will always play a big role in everyone’s lives. Equality in education will eventually guarantee every person a better position in society. Educational inequality is the difference in learning effectiveness and results as faced by students with varying backgrounds. The effects of educational inequality are not only left within the circles of education, but also remain further to have an impact on other life aspects. All over the world, there have been unending calls to reform education at each level. With various causes that are very much connected to society, history and culture, the educational inequality has apparently been one of the most difficult challenges to address. Regardless of the challenges faced in removing educational inequality, education has continued to be a very important part of society with a big expectation of moving it forward. In the current-day America, very many disadvantaged children have continued to grow up missing key skills. Discrimination has continued to persevere in educational achievement between racial issues. Above all, low performance levels among these disadvantaged children have over the years been responsible for the long-term issues, especially in such an society with higher levels of skills and a failing incomes offered to those people that are less-skilled.
In great detail, Stewart (2012) and Ripley (2013) explained the characteristics of the education systems in Finland, Poland, South Korea, Singapore and Canada that made them the leaders in education. One characteristic that was interesting is the value placed on equal education. The education superpowers believe all children should receive the same quality of education. These countries have one set of rigorous standards that all schools use and require all teachers to have the same credentials. Equality in all sectors of education give all children the same opportunities and learning experiences. Another characteristic is the connection between education and their society (Stewart, 2012; Ripley (2013). For example, in South Korea, their greatest resource is their citizens, so they invested in their human capital by assuring all children had access to a quality education (Stewart, 2012). Ripley (2013) explained that in Finland their education system functions as a collaborate effort. All stakeholders work together to make major decisions in their education system. This allows for all voices to be heard and have the opportunity to contribute their ideas. These examples provided by Stewart (2012) and Ripley (2013) show how important equal education is to countries that are leaders in
All people deserve the right of education equality no matter gender, race or financial income. According to the daily star, by 2015 only seventy percent of countries will have achieved equality between the sexes in primary education and fifty six percent will have achieved equality in lower secondary education. Education equality is one of the main problems in school systems.
The inequality of education is a disparity among our children experience in their education compared to other children. The relations of educational success focus on grades, test scores, dropout rates, college entrance rates, and college completion percentages. Unfortunately, the inequalities of education are linked to the difference in socioeconomic status, racial, and geographic reasons. According, to Colclough (2005) “it is commonly presumed that formal schooling is one of several important contributors to the skills of an individual and to human capital. There’s not just only one factor parents, individuals and government officials have the abilities to contribute” (p.40). This perception of inequality of education does not only exist in the United States, but also all over the world. When associated with other nations the United States invests the most in education, however manages to obtain lower levels of student performance than many other countries. The children around the nation are not responsible for the injustice of inequality in education but sadly enough they are our victims. Although, the ones to blame would be our government they should be accountable for creating a vicious cycle that eventually trickles down to our public education. Our government highly contributes to our problem on the inequality of education because they are the ones in control of the Board of Education were they have the opportunity to analyze their trouble schools including their state test scores, their academic school standings, and school dropout rates. By knowing and having easy access to valuable information there shouldn’t be any an excuse on the behalf of the government or on the Board of Education for not trying to working together i...