South African American Education

2388 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Racial segregation us schools essay

Marginalized Mis-Education:
Comparing Higher Education in South Africa and Black America

“Education is the great engine of national development… the disparities in funding tell a story of racist education.” –Nelson Mandela, Long Walk To Freedom

South Africa’s apartheid system has afflicted the country with deep-seated, racially oppressing educational disparities. Similarly, the United States also shares a rich history of the so-called “mis-education” of marginalized racial communities, especially with African-Americans (Green 154). The systematic enforced segregation employed by both governments has implicated a huge cost for people of color, notably seen in “vast disparities between academic achievement and proficiency rates” between whites …show more content…

1837). The purpose of these schools was to give the opportunity of higher education African Americans. Americans soon realized after the ending of the Civil War that former slaves would require education as members of society. The group who stepped up to the challenge may surprise most: Missionaries. These Christian abolitionists sought to create academic institutions for slaves, and found opposition when Southern whites, nowhere near thrilled with the idea in the first place, attempted to compromise by pushing an agenda for vocational schooling (Green 160). Green calls their opposition “vehement objection.” But the missionaries would not falter, setting a precedent for African American higher education for decades to come. The mantra of these missionaries was to prove that White and Blacks were “equally able to learn and to achieve”. Deeply historical institutions such as Fisk University and Atlanta University were all founded by …show more content…

That is, students of color are highly disadvantaged in terms of ability, specifically within STEM courses. The recommendation made by Badat in her reports specifically suggests improved access for black students in the fields of science, engineering, and technology, predicated upon “significant improvements” within the South African school system. For America, the improvements also must occur at the municipal level. Impoverished areas populated primarily by minorities (in many cases as a result of “white flight”) find that college is synonymous with debt. 90% of black students take out federal student loans, while only 65% of whites

Show More
Related

  • Mis-Education Of The Negro By Carter Godwin Woodson

    2169 Words  | 5 Pages

    The materials that were used in black schools were different than those in white schools in order to get the students to go toward these paths and professions. These factors made it to where these black students were not interested in pursuing a higher education. Those that did pursue a formal education did not stay in the south. They went north to more “tolerant” schools. 66.

    Read More

  • African Americans And The Education System

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    Even though the Brown v. Board of Education was 62 years ago, African Americans are still fighting to have an equal education opportunity. “But many schools are as segregated today as they were before the ruling, and black children throughout the United States are performing at the bottom of the American educational system” (Jackson 1). Nevertheless, it took decades of hard work and struggle by numerous African Americans for a better education system. Education is the key to success, it gives people the knowledge that they need to strive and become more intelligent thinkers, which leads to more opportunities for them in the job industry. Ever since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination of any kind, African Americans have every right to have this equal educational opportunity like everyone else. But yet, they were stopped in their tracks by disapproving Americans, who confined the succession of African Americans in the education system. Now that we are in the 21st century, there’s still negligence on black’s education. The black community do not have equal education opportunities because of the lack of funding, poverty experienced by the children in the neighborhoods and society’s views of the black community.

    Read More

  • Role Of Education In A Lesson Before Dying

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    The education gap between the north and the south has many roles in the African American community. The north has always been industrial while the south was agricultural, many of these children who was suppose to be attending school was helping on farms working and helping their parents throughout the day instead of getting an education. “The percentage of all schools with so called racial or socio-economic isolation grew from 9% to 16%” Today students still experience or has been a victim to social and racial differences. When segregation was abolished it allowed students to be in the same classroom together, be able to eat and go to the same bathrooms, also being taught by the same teacher. However many teachers failed to realized or wanted to teach these students based on the color of their skin, causing many students to drop out of school because of not being heard. The black community has a low rate of graduation rates in the south than the white community “In the last four years more than 69 percent of white louisiana males graduated making for a 16 point difference, while 59 percent of black louisiana males graduated” These school systems doesn’t care that they’re not being taught or graduation. Based on race in louisiana it’s a 10 percent difference that causing them to less likely become successful. Still causing the social differences teachers refused to teach an African American student

    Read More

  • Analysis Of A More Perfect Union Essay

    1183 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his speech, Obama says,” Segregated schools were, and are, inferior schools; we still haven 't fixed them, fifty years after Brown v. Board of Education, and the inferior education they provided, then and now, helps explain the pervasive achievement gap between today 's black and white students.” Obama is saying that because of the effects of separation in the past, it still affects children. By having parents who have little interest in an education since they did not receive one. Lindsey Cook, a writer for U.S News, says “Black parents, most of whom are less educated than their white counterparts, don’t expect their children to attain as much education as white parents expect. Lower expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies, contributing to lower expectations from the student, less-positive attitudes toward school, fewer out-of-school learning opportunities and less parent-child communication about school.” This shows that because of 50 years ago, by having parents who did not receive a good education, are more likely to not provide their children a good education. The article Cook wrote continues to show how black students do poorer in all aspects than their white counterparts. With these issues since childhood, it is harder for blacks to get into a top college and a high paying job. Therefore there is a need to

    Read More

  • Brown v. Board of Education

    1158 Words  | 3 Pages

    African-Americans endured poor academic conditions throughout the entire United States, not just in the south. In Prince Edward County, Virginia, the segregated school had no nurse, lockers, gym or cafeteria. In Clarendon County, South Carolina, buses were not available to the African-American school, but were available to the white schools. In Wilmington, Delaware, no extra curricular activities or buses were offered to the African-American school. In Washington DC, the situation in segregated schools was the same as in the other states, but the textbooks were outdated. (Good, 21-34)

    Read More

  • Historically Black Colleges and Universities

    1952 Words  | 4 Pages

    Contrary to many beliefs the majority of HBCUs were not first established by African American educators. The founders were often white slave owners. With the land the federal government received they built many institutions to help improve public education. Getting an education as a former slave was not provided by the state; therefore they had to band together and teach each other to read and write. Any form of an education was a death wish. They knew that but they wanted to better their future and the future of those to come. For slaves that meant get caught and die or get lucky and manage to avoid detection and get a mediocre education. Abraham lincoln was known for...

    Read More

  • Black Male Success in Higher Education

    2278 Words  | 5 Pages

    African- American males have been underrepresented among college students and degree earners for years, however the reason for this is often misconstrued. The percentages of white high school graduates “In 1998-2000 had jumped to 46. However, only 40 percent of African-Americans and 34 percent of Hispanics in the same age group were attending college” (McGlynn, Angela Proviteira). The question then to pose, is why minority students are not succeeding in college compared to Caucasian students, “Only 47% of Black male students graduated on time

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Race On Retention (Pat)

    1319 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 2001 statistics reported by the United States Department of Education indicated that during 1997-1998 African American students received 8.3% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. Concurrently, Hispanic students as well as Asian or Pacific Islander students received 6.0%, while American Indian/Alaskan Native students only accounted for .7%. Although statistics from agencies who report differ, clearly on a national level, minority students

    Read More

  • Achievement Gap

    1449 Words  | 3 Pages

    The achievement gap is defined as the disparity between the performance groups of students, especially groups defined by gender, race/ethnicity, ability and socio-economic status. The achievement gap can be observed through a variety of measures including standardized test scores, grade point averages, drop out rates, college enrollment and completion rates. The Black-White achievement gap is a critical issue in modern society’s education system. Although data surrounding the issue clearly indicates that the racial performance gap exists in areas of standardized tests, graduation rates, dropout rates, and enrollment in continuing education, the causative reasons for the gap are ambiguous—therefore presenting a significant challenge in regard to the most effective way to close the gap. The gap appears before children enter kindergarten and it persists into adulthood (Jencks 1998). Since 1970, the gap has decreased about 40 percent, but has steadily grown since. Theories suggest the Black-White achievement gap is created by a multitude of social, cultural, and economic factors as well as educational opportunities and/or learning experiences. Factors such as biased testing, discrimination by teachers, test anxiety among black students, disparities between blacks and whites in income or family structure, and genetic and cultural differences between blacks and whites have all been evaluated as explanations for the Black-White achievement gap (Farkas 2004). The research that follows will elaborate on these factors as they affect the decline in academic performance of black males—particularly the literacy achievement of black males.

    Read More

  • African American Students and Equal Education

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...e and prepared for college work. For a student in a black that is majority black and under resourced is highly unlikely to receive an education and graduate on time and won’t be college ready. Unfortunately this scenario happens way too often. Lots of black students do not receive the knowledge that they need to further their education in college and many students that do try to further their education do not end up finishing. Because they missed out on so much information they have a very difficult time doing their work and get the feeling that they need to drop out. It is unfortunate that today, not all students can receive a good education and have a chance a furthering their education and becoming successful. This is why it is necessary that the education system change immediately so that all students can receive an equal opportunity to further their education.

    Read More

  • Women In 1930's Education For Women

    1405 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Nationally, more than one-quarter of the students in the 1930s were black. Yet they received only about one-tenth of the total education revenues. Many Americans believed that African Americans were simply not capable of excelling in school” (“The 1930’s education…”). For colored women, it was more difficult to prove their abilities than any other race. For example, Asian women were not affected as much simply because their skin color was closer to that of a white’s than a black person. As black women were treated unequally in the education department, white women have also struggled in getting a higher education. “They gave young women a chance to gain the same kinds of education as their brothers without having to spend much of their time and energy fighting the prejudice they would have faced at male-dominated institutions. At the same time, they provided a proving-ground in which college administrators, professors, and students could demonstrate that women could flourish intellectually while remaining healthy and ladylike.” (“The Value

    Read More

  • Identifying Strategies to Improve African American College Student Retention and Graduation Rates

    1677 Words  | 4 Pages

    As previously stated, it appears there are persistant barriers present that hinder enrollment, retention, and rate of graduation for African Americans in higher education. It is imperative that educational concerns for African Americans are addressed at all levels, but it is particularly important at the post secondary stage. Higher levels of education are associated with both lower unemployment rates and a higher income. If...

    Read More

  • College Readiness

    2483 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. (2006).Black Student College Graduation Rates Remain Low, But Modest Progress Begins to Show. Retrieved from: http://www.jbhe.com/features/50_blackstudent_gradrates.html

    Read More

  • A Significant Issue in Education: Teacher BIAS

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2004) reported that Black students continue to trail White students with respect to educational access, achievement and attainment. Research on the effectiveness of teachers of Black students emphasizes that the teachers’ belief about the Black students’ potential greatly impacts their learning. Teachers tend to teach black students from a deficit perspective (King, 1994; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Mitchell, 1998). White teachers often aim at compensating for what they assume is missing from a Black student’s background (Foorman, Francis & Fletcher, 1998). The deficit model of instruction attempts to force students into the existing system of teaching and learning and doesn’t build on strengths of cultural characteristics or preferences in learning (Lewis, Hancock...

    Read More

  • The South African Educational System

    1900 Words  | 4 Pages

    The South African educational system has been through many changes dealing with cultural, political, and social issues. There has always been a concern about equal academic opportunities for all the races within South Africa. Where most of the black South African students are given the disadvantage and the White students have the advantages. It wasn’t until 1994 when things took a slight turn for black students in South Africa. That year marked the end of the apartheid. Theoretically non-white students were now offered the same education as Whites. Although in South Africa there are still some areas that the government should offer more beneficial teaching and learning for all of the non-white students. These challenges the South African education systems have been through and are now in the process will further influence an equal opportunity for black South African students. The question this research paper asks is, about how does education vary for black and white students in South Africa, after apartheid ended? There are still economic, political, and racial difficulties for non-white individuals.

    Read More

More about South African American Education

Open Document