B.F. Skinner, an American psychologist, once said: ‘’Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten’’. To clarify, Skinner defined education as acquiring unforgettable knowledge. Yet, the majority of the population considers education and school as synonyms even though anyone who has ever attended school is aware of its focus on remembering information rather than grasping the concepts into long-term memory. Furthermore, the education system can do more harm than good in regards to students’ mental health. Thus, integrating more psychological and sociological considerations in education practices will not only promote long-term academic success but also escalate equality and contribute to the generation of fitter …show more content…
From personal experience, not many teachers, if any, have even touched the concepts surrounding inequality. Notably, Martin M. Grossack claimed that ‘’the chances are that you were brainwashed into accepting the cultural stereotypes of success and failure, the idea that personal worth is measured by social status.’’ (Grossack, 1965, p. 280). To add on, he suggested training teachers to teach students that their worth is not determined by their social status without being overly optimistic since individuals should be aware of the inequality they indirectly face to confront it and move a step closer to changing society as a whole (Grossack, 1965). The idea of raising awareness for discrimination has also been highlighted by Mustafa Sever as he stated that ‘’ The overwhelming presence of concepts of racial and gender inequalities in critical readings in education may point us towards assuming that a minoritarian approach is adopted, whereby the focus seems to shift away from “low level” phenomena that explain underachievement, for example.’’ (Sewer, 2012, p. 660). In fact, Walton and Cohen (2007, 2011) concluded that African-American college students that attend social sessions designed specifically for them regularly for 3 years …show more content…
However, even the most supported theories can have opponents as proved by Flora Macleod and Michael Golby who stated that ‘’centralised, highly specified curriculum and its associated assessment procedures limit the possibilities. Perhaps most damaging, however, are the limitations imposed by narrow orthodoxies on teachers’ capacities to adopt imaginative, problem solving approaches to teaching in the practical situation.’’ (Macleod and Golby, 2003, p. 345). By definition, a specified curriculum does limit teachers in terms of what they can teach but it does not necessarily constrict teachers to a specific method of teaching. On the other hand, orthodoxies (the teaching methods taught in teachers’ college) do limit future-teachers abilities but still show evidence of being the significantly effective on students. For example, according behavioural learning theory, teaching should be based on reinforcement of positive behaviour through rewards thus teachers would be much more fit if they were instructed to chunk assignments and give regular encouraging feedback to student (Syomwene, Kitainge, & Mwaka, 2013). Shiundu and Omulando have supported this theory in 1992 as they noted that students reciprocate and learn much better through reinforcement from teachers (Syomwene,
Equality, America is driven by this one simple word, but how much of America is actually equal
In 2001 George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act and the act took effect in 2002. The United States, and President Bush, thought that the act would aid immigrant students and American students in education from the time they entered elementary throughout adulthood. The NCLB does just the opposite for most immigrated students and native students. Although the act was a good idea at the time in 2001, the lasting effects on students with their education now are appalling because of all the negative feedback that the act provides for most school districts because all the students’ different learning abilities show lower test scores in standardized testing. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was passed in 2001 for aiding the development of education from 2001-2014 by creating standardized testing in hopes of creating more intelligent children, but there are more children left behind now, supporting the opinion that the act fails.
As time moves on the world has plenty of opportunities to improve and make changes. The world has an abundance of dilemmas, but equality should no longer be one of those dilemmas. Equality is seen as a part of humanity and if there are limits to equality, then there are limits on humanity. In the story, The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara, the topic of equality and socioeconomic status are often discussed. According to the American Psychological Association the definition of socioeconomic status is, “the social standing or class of an individual or group. It is often measured as a combination of education, income and occupation” (socioeconomic status). The story is about an educated African American teacher who takes her barely
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...
Inequality in American schools The issue of inequality has been known in many of life. The education sector is not an exception. When addressing equality in education, many differences exist, ranging from wealth, and race, gender, and class. Education is very important and highly influential in children's future in the United States. Government and children’s parents encourage young people to obtain higher education.
...ork City Cheated Out of State Money: Pataki Blames City for Lack of Funding.” Student Briefings. 12 Feb. 2010. ProQuest Newspapers. ProQuest. Wor-Wic Community College Media Center. 21 Mar. 2014.
As time has passed by, class inequality has lost its utmost importance (Scase, 1992). Even though it may not seem vital it is still prominent in today’s society and everyone’s lives. The term Class if taken as a form of identity which is stuck onto every individual as a signpost, there is no way of getting rid of it nor escaping it. The class is not as vital anymore because there are more opportunities available so it’s much easier for social mobility to happen in the 21st century. In the past people were victims of circumstances and stood no chance to move up the class ladder; they were born into a class they would die in. Now social mobility has become easier so moving up the class system is not as difficult as it was before, which is why the importance of class is diminishing. A recent example that can be seen of Sadiq Khan, his father was a bus driver in Pakistan and now he is the Mayor of London. The concept of Class has no ‘correct’ definition but it’s known as an inequality
There is an unequal balance in America's public school funding system. Every state and district requires different amounts of federal funding for their schools. Therefore, living in a poverty stricken community compared to a wealthier community, school funds would look a lot different. Wealthier communities typically have a greater pay for teachers, therefore attracting the best teachers. There would be more plentiful materials to help children learn as well due to funding. Less fortunate communities would be somewhat of the opposite. This inequality in the public school system is unfair to the most vulnerable - children.
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.
School is the training ground for molding students to know their place in society and prepare them for the role they will play as adults in the disunited world. These standards are very stringent and enforced heavily by teachers and sometimes the students themselves. Lower class students have a very low bar set and usually do not have any intentions on surpassing that bar as they are unaware that socially there is not much expected out of them. According to Rose “Students will float to the mark you set. I and others in the vocational classes were bobbing in pretty shallow water" (126). Students are categorized into social class groups that restricts the level of education they will reach in their academic career. This is not because the students are not knowledgeable or willing to learn, but because of the standard, the norm, ‘what they’re supposed to do’ and no matter how high or low, the students will follow suit. Despite how elementary it seems, the hidden intentions that remain in education to this day, seem to be the blueprint to our future. Mantsios discusses a reality "From cradle to grave, class position has a significant impact on our well-being. Class accurately predicts chances for survival, educational achievement, and economic success"(391) We as Americans are naturally born into a social class and whatever that class may be, it poses as a barrier for some or an opportunity for others. Depending on the social class one obtains, success may be a struggle and being mediocre is common. Education is a common comparison when social class is discussed. As Americans, we are to believe that to be successful, we must have a good education and in most cases that means reaching a higher level of education. Students in the lower-class tend to have a standard and that is based off of their social status and barricades them in the mediocre learning curriculum. With having
Develop an argument on or some ideas of understanding about curriculum as multicultural text by relating the works of Darling-Hammond, French, & Garcia-Lopez, Delpit, Duarte & Smith, Greene, Nieto and Sletter to your experience of curriculum, teaching, and learning as affirming diversity. You could think specifically about the following questions: Is there a need for diversity in curriculum studies and designs? Why? What measures do you think will be effective in incorporating such a need into curriculum studies and designs? What is the relevance of diversity to your career goal, to education in your family, community, and school, to education in Georgia, and to education in general? In which way can you develop a curriculum which helps cultivate empathy, compassion, passion, and hope for citizens of the world, and which fosters social justice?
Imagine living in tall two story mansion with the best furniture and toys money can buy, and then imagine living in a small cramped room with barely enough money to keep the electricity running. The difference between these two situations is that one is living in comfort, and the other is living in poverty. Money greatly affects , money doesn’t always affect the way a child learns, but in the articles “Inequality in the American Education System” by William H. Schmidt and “Inequality in Education” by Kevin D. Williamson. These articles show how much money affects the education in America, without money most students living in poverty will not be able to make it far in life. While those with money will most likely become the future generation of businessmen and doctors. Thus, as long as social inequality continues to thrive inside of our education system the education students receive will not be equal - instead we should provide the same education for both the
Many people believe that “having an economy that places a greater value on skills and education is a good thing” and that is the thing that is needed to improve people’s lives and futures (Baicker, Lazear). If what our economy is trying to do a good thing they why are so many students still suffering? The main issues are the low-income education that many students have. Many schools are getting money from the government but that is not enough to pay for everything students need. Educational standards have continued to increase throughout the years but that does not help the students who are unable to pay for the better education. These students who cannot pay for the better education are stuck barely getting by with a low education. A low-education can affect many areas of regular schooling. The students who are at low-income schools do not know what type of disadvantage they have compared to other students across the country. These students believe that they are getting the best education, but there are many students who are getting a better education at a school that has the funds to pay for everything their students need. Low-income students are suffering due to the environment they are in at school and they continue to suffer throughout their life due to it. These students will continue to suffer unless something is done about the low-income schools and improve them for the future. Improvement has to come from all areas, not just one aspect of schooling but from all aspects. Although education has improved along with technology many low-income students still suffer from the vast inequalities. These inequalities will take many years to find a way to fix and even more years to actually fix, until this happens the students will...
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
To me, equality of opportunity in public education is where every single person deserves and is entitled to an equal chance to obtain a good education, grow and make positive progress throughout their time in school, and be successful in reaching their full potential later in life. These people should be treated identically, not differently due to their gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.