Social disadvantage in education is described by Marginson (n.d.) as the inequality for all students to be provided the same level of education. Within society, socio-economic status has a bearing on where someone lives, how they live and how their children are educated. Private schools are simply unaffordable for some and they must send their children to the government school within their catchment area. Education allows opportunity and success, however, Australia’s education system is far from fair and evenly distributed (Lamb, 2015). The educators and the curriculum stakeholders are constantly changing the way education is delivered in this country and it is up to teachers to implement the best practices to allow equality. Relying heavily …show more content…
Tony (2016) recalled during his schooling, his family were very supportive and had a positive view of education. He went on to explain that this was not always the case with other families. Although it is often stereotyped that low socio-economic status families value education less, Strauss (2013) expresses her concerns that, as educators, stereotyping in this way can be detrimental to the students schooling. Strauss (2013) believes the evidence does not support that parents with less on-site involvement do not hold education highly, in contrast she believes it is possibly the opposite, that education is held in high regard so they can avoid the cycle of low socio-economic living. This further highlights the teachers’ importance in these issues to affectively negate any pre conceived views and to educate equally and without any prejudice. Families have different opinions when it comes to education and coupled with cultural differences this can cause potential issues in their schooling. Bowes, Grace & Hodge (2012) underline this, stating children moving from group to group are likely to be confused with their identity and have no sense of place in either group. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au) as of 30th June 2015, 28.2% of the estimated resident population was born overseas. With this diversity of cultures within society, it also translates to the ongoing diversity in the classroom. Tony (2016) recalled many different cultural backgrounds that were represented throughout his schooling and this is rising more and more. Siraj-Blatchford & Clarke (2004) expresses that diversity in ethnic background, language, gender and socio-economic class can all be intentionally or unintentionally causes for disadvantage. Teachers now more than ever need to confidently deliver all parts of the
The myth that Australia is a classless society is still, till this day, circulating. With education opportunities differing, depending on your status in society and socioeconomic background, not all Australians share the same opportunity of education. Whether being a middle class citizen or an “elite” or from working class, all education opportunities offered, will be influenced by your financial status and hierarchy in society. Power can influence the outcome of an individual’s life.
Schools in all regions differ from one another, from lack of resources to the level of education being received “You swim like a public school boy” (Arvanitakis 2009). Education opportunities are provided to schools from certain areas and status in society, and those who are privileged and wealthy tend to go the best schooling and receive the best education due to their parents or families wealth. This determines where the child would receive schooling and what type. The wealthier Australians use their wealth to their advantage and know they have the power to choose whatever school they desire. “If your parents could afford to send you to a private school – which are much better funded than poorer public schools – chances are that you would have access to better resources than at a public school” (Arvanitakis 2009). Status and schooling can determine your outcome and status in society and without wealth, you can be deprived of proper
The inequality in Australian education can be attributed to a history of low expectations and discrimination placed on Indigenous people by the government and society. Aboriginal children were denied the right to education until the 1970s due to the discrimitory views of the government and society. The Indigenous population were the sub-standard race of humanity with little to no chance of succeeding in life and these attitudes affected the educational choices offered to them (Ray & Poonwassie, 1992). As the superior race, the Anglo-Celtic Australians, considered themselves both intellectually and socio-culturally more advanced than their inferior Aboriginal neighbours (Foley, 2013). As a consequence of these racially and culturally motivated preconceptions, children of Aboriginal descent were considered unskilled outside of their own and were deemed incapable of excelling in ‘civilised’ white society (Foley, 2013). As a result, the Australian Government, in an effort to civilise and nurture politeness within the Aboriginal people, constructed “structured” (p 139) education training institutions in 1814. However, these problems only provided sufficient schooling for menial work: Aboriginal male children were prepared for agricultural employment, while girls were trained for domesticated services (Foley, 2013). Thus, as a direct consequence of low expectation for life success, Aboriginal children were offered minimal schooling ‘consistent with the perception about the limitations inherent in their race and their expected station in life at the lowest rung of white society’ (Beresford & Partington, 2003, p43). According to Foley (2013) this combination of low expectations and poor academic grounding meant that Indigenous children we...
This discriminate behaviour causes children to feel like they do not belong; there for withdrawing themselves from their school and learning. It is up to us as teachers, to further our learning and educate ourselves on the diverse world we live and teach in. The gender, culture, skin colour, dress and appearance of a child does not change who they are inside and their capability to learn. Teachers must not have preconceived ideas of a child. When children have strong relationships between home and school their learning and development is best supported (Hedges, Cullen & Jorden 2011). When teachers are interpreting the curriculum it is important they include practices that that link the home, family and community experiences. With a positive and supportive school environment, children can learn to feel and show acceptance for all people no matter of age, sex, race, culture and socio economics. Children can learn to value and respect themselves and each other. Australia has a diverse range of culture and ethnicities in schools and majority of schools are using effective methods to cater and enrich a child’s learning experience. Schools must support the ongoing professional development of teachers in gaining better knowledge of different cultures and the links between educational outcomes. Every child has the right to enjoy school, and it is up to us as
...the opportunities to discover ways that their own practice is discriminatory toward various socioeconomic groups. Finally, as Tilly and Taylor posit (2012), it is not enough to try to change the world view of individual learner and teachers; rather, the focus must be multi-faceted, including both the content, the curriculum, school policies and institutional practices. My position on the department head council within our school affords me a voice in various structural and academically-concerned decisions. This awareness of my own prejudice will allow me to add a critical perspective to the conversation that considers the ways that the working-class population may be affected by our institutional practices. In these ways, I hope to help students overcome the discrepancies they face as well as to help our school overcome the discrepancies we have unknowingly enforced.
Education is a concept that is synonymous with anyone one that is living a good life. It is believed that in order to live a prosperous life that members of this society must first obtain a good college education. But how can education be considered a founding block of success when only the privileged enjoy the benefit of a proper education? A large percentage of undocumented immigrants arrive to this country because they want their kids to be able to attend a good school and receive a proper education but that is not always the case. Undocumented people arrive to this country with no money; therefore they are forced to live in low-income communities. As we have discussed in class, the schools in neighborhoods with low economic status are not as good
Social problem is a broad topic, there is “No conclusive idea of what constitutes a social problem.” To define a social problem, there are generally three different ideas to define a social problem, “Something that impacts a large group; Something that the people in a society collective agree it is problematic; Something that violates a moral code.” (Logan) Healthcare has been on the spot light, because of The American Health Care Act. I’d like to present health care in United States as a social problem, because it qualify the three ideas to define social problem. First of all, it impacts a large group in the society, because of its cost. According to CDC, “28.2 million people who are under age of sixty five are insured” (CDC). Second, people in a society collective
“Social Justice in Education” by R. W. Connell discusses the role of education in society and the implications that social justice issues have on education. Connell begins by establishing that education and social justice can be examined separately yet they are inescapably linked through the social medium of their implementation. “Education concerns schools, colleges and universities, whose business is to pass knowledge on to the next generation. Social justice is about income, employment, pensions or physical assets like housing.”(Connell, 1993) Three points validating the equal importance of social justice and the education system to people of all delineations are: 1.) in Western society public schools are key forums of social interaction and comprise some of the largest social institutions 2.) educational institutions are highly economic bodies and have become “major public assets” (Connell, 1993) 3.) teaching becomes a vehicle by which society is ultimately determined and has a great influence over society’s morality. Connell describes the meaning of justice in education as being “a question of fairness in distribution… equality.”(Connell, 1993) “Justice cannot be achieved by distributing the same… standard good to… all social classes.”(Connell, 1993) By stating this, Connell summarizes that in the attempt to achieve equality, unequal means must be employed.
This paper explores the way social inequality affects schooling. In a classroom setting, one student can be treated unequally just because of their race, ethnic background or religion. Taking notes from Purcell- Gates and Boykin, A.W. & Noguera, P., the topics of ethnicity and the achievement gap will be discussed in the event that all students should be treated equal. Also bringing in the topic of the “No Child Left Behind Act” introduced by former president George W. Bush in 2001 and was signed into law in 2002. For a long time, social inequality places a negative effect on schools around the country. The common urban verse suburban educational battle has been going on for way to long and there is a fix that needs to be made.
Socioeconomic status can be defined in terms of family wealth and assets as well as educational background. For this reason, many comparisons can be made between socioeconomic status and education. Furthermore, academic achievement and the level of education reached by an individual, is determined by socioeconomic status. Research has shown that environmental circumstances and family issues greatly influence a child's future because the impact of the socioeconomic status depends on the level to which an individual becomes successful in life. Research also shows that family conditions can impact a child’s education and their quality of life. For example, being raised in a high-economic culture increases the chances that a child will attend
By labelling the schools from decile 1 through to decile 10 as it is seen today, instils a belief that your child will not get as good of an education in a lower decile school then you would at a higher decile school. This way of prejudiced thinking has developed into something that is colloquially known as ‘white flight’ or ‘geographic fallacy’. White flight, or geographical fallacy, is where families with enough wealth intentionally move their child into a higher decile school mesh block. This consequently enhances one community at the cost of another community. Because of this manipulation of the communities due to misconceptions of the decile ratings, the wealth is becoming even more concentrated around higher decile schools. This leaves even less wealth for the lower decile schools (Education and Science Committee of the 46th Parliament, 2003). Additionally, Gordon (2015) makes the observation that lower decile schools have seen their roles getting smaller over the last decade, whereas the higher decile schools are becoming larger due to the exodus of wealthier families. This exodus only serves to obscure the lower decile schools’ mesh blocks. The fewer students that attend a particular school, the less funding
In Australia, teachers must be familiar with the many federal and state laws, regulations, and frameworks, which apply to inclusive education. At a national level, the following Acts and Standards protect students: the Commonwealth (Cwlth) Anti-Discrimination Act 2004; Cwlth Disability Discrimination Act 1992; Racial Discrimination Act 1975; Cwlth Sex Discrimination Act 1984; Human Rights Commission Act 1986; Australia’s ratific...
Obtaining a good education is probably one of the most sought out dreams in America. Although education is free for all American citizens, there are several obstacles that impact the population from receiving equal education benefits. Two groups that experience a difference when receiving an education are the rich and the poor. Inequality among different social classes in America can make it extremely difficult for the poor to receive the same type of education as the wealthy. These inequalities can lower the chance of individuals living in poverty stricken communities from receiving a reasonable education. Education can be impacted by location, wealth, and state funding. Each factor plays an important part in the education citizens across
There are many social problems plaguing the world, including the issue of aging inequality and elders. This social problem is significant because the baby boomers of the 1946-64s are now starting to be the youngest old. Our society is starting to, and needs to, change to accommodate the needs of the elderly. There are many different problems coming with this making people have many political viewpoints, theoretical perspectives, and solutions for this social problem. Baby boomers are a group of people that were born between the years of 1946 and 1964. Just nine months after WW II ended people were having babies at rates higher than ever before. In the year 1946 there were 3.4 million babies were born, nearly 20% more than the prior year. This
Imagine a family, a family that has it all. Good neighborhood, schooling, and robust health. Everything seems to be going right for this family, then all of a sudden one event changes the course of their future forever. The father makes a poor business investment which causes the family to loose their savings. Now that all of the savings are gone and they are living off check to check, they need to cut back on wasteful spending. The kids may need to attend a lower public school than the normal private school they once attended, thus causing them not to learn or advance at a level that they once could. Within the span of what could be not more than a year or two, this family has went from having a stable life to a family that is on the verge