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1 Lack of Education in the United States GEN499: General Education Capstone

Lack of Education in the United States Lack of education amongst students in the United States is becoming one of the country's most significant issues. Schools all over the country see students drop out every year, which studies have found leads to lower pay throughout their lifetime. In order to make positive changes in the school environment, further research must take place to narrow down the weak spots in public education and figure out what could be done to make school better for the students. Some students are privileged enough to continue their education through high school and into college. Whatever their studies may be, they have an ethical obligation to share their information with those around them. Being a global societal issue, lack of education can be helped by those that share what they have learned along the way. Sharing their knowledge may help others also be successful in life, creating a better country for all American citizens. In order to fix the lack of education issue, state funding measures need revision for those schools with geographical disadvantages to make education needs equal for the wealthy and those in poverty, and ethical issues such as teachers need solutions. Problem The lack of education in the United States has become progressively worse as years have passed and continues to be an issue that is not recognized by those who can change the educational system. There are many reasons the lack of education became a problem in the United States to include students outnumbering teachers, lack of school funding for educational resources, and many more reasons. Many of society's problems stem from the lack of education in areas throughout the nation. Without proper education, students lack the skills to contribute to 2

society positively. For instance, if students do not finish their high school education, they are not subject to attending college to obtain a degree or certification required to complete many jobs today. Carnevale et al. (2020) explain the need for a degree as "35 percent of the job openings will require at least a bachelor's degree, 30 percent of the job openings will require some college or an associates degree” (p.1). If students do not pass their classes throughout high school and into college, they eliminate themselves from 65 percent of all jobs the nation offers. This information means the median salary will drop lower, and living below the poverty line could become more common. College dropout rates have increased by .06% over two years (Hanson, 2021) and may continue to grow more as well. Having educational benefits allow people to contribute to society effectively. Among the many issues that arise is the declining healthcare of those not fortunate enough for continued education. The Virginia Commonwealth Center on Society and Health (2015) explains that education leads to better jobs and higher earnings, allowing families to easily purchase healthier foods and pay for better health services, earning over $800 more a week than the median family in the United States. State benefits that are given to those in need do not allow them to choose their doctors but instead send them to a facility that may not have the resources they need. Many communities that use statewide benefits are more populated have a higher possibility to suffer from a shortage of healthcare providers and facilities. They also have "Higher crime rates, exposing residents to greater risk of trauma and deaths from violence and the stress of living in unsafe neighborhoods" ("Center on society and health," 2015). Sexual education is a concern for all students, no matter the area. A lack of sexual education can lead to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases. These diseases can decrease the health of a person 3

and sometimes lead to death as well. All these factors contribute to the community's overall health, affecting them in negative ways across the board. A second issue that contributes is poverty. Children who are not exposed to adequate guidance and support throughout their educational journey are at higher risk of poverty. Hout et al (2011) compare unemployment rates among those with various levels of education, “Prime- age workers with no credentials had an unemployment rate of 11% over 2007-2009 period compared with 7.4% for prime-age men with high school diplomas, 2.8% for prime-age college graduates, and less than 2% for prime-age workers with advanced degrees” (as cited in Hout, 2012, p. 381). Those students with college degrees are more than five times less likely to be unemployed throughout their careers, giving the evidence needed to show that education makes a difference throughout many facets of life. Solution There are many possibilities to solutions that will help fix the lack of education problems in the United States. The first is to make education opportunities fair for all students no matter the level of poverty in the community. Those geographically disadvantaged students are not entitled to the same benefits as those children in areas well above the poverty line, which can lead to a decrease in educational opportunities throughout their lives. Although education is free throughout the United States, it is not equal. The General Accounting Office reported that those schools in districts with lower property taxes did not receive the same benefits as students with higher property tax rates (1997). Since schools are state-funded, the fundings are given to schools based on a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons a school is funded is based on 4

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