Education And Income Inequality : New Evidence From Cross Country Data Essay

Throughout decades, education inequality is still one of the most deliberate and controversial issues in the United States. Thus far, the privilege or right to receive education has not attained the level of equality throughout the nation. Poor districts obtain less educational funds while rich districts obtain more, which create an immense gap between the quality of schools in poor and rich areas. In other words, the education gap is the root of inequality in America. Inequality in education is linked to the major problems in the society. The need for studies to be done to find ways of overcoming these inequalities is very inevitable. The means of mitigating these inequalities are important for the entire world. This is something of great interest due to the fact that children need quality education which is a pillar for a guaranteed future. Generally speaking, the distinctions among races, genders, and classes in the society have caused the educational inequality in America.

The inequality of education in the United States is a pressing societal issue that has been the main catalyst for the division between the social classes. Education is a public good, and thus if it used by one consumer then it will not reduce the availability to another consumer. Education can also be considered the largest single factor in determining a person’s success and quality of life in society today.

Gary Becker’s and Kevin Murphy’s article, “The Upside of Income Inequality”, analyzes the positive effects of the income gap, and Paul Krugman’s New York Times column, “Confronting Inequality”, stresses the negative impact of the income gap; it is apparent by juxtaposing these two texts that income inequality can be effected by economic development, education, and social equality.

The United States is a country based on equal opportunity; every citizen is to be given the same chance as another to succeed. This includes the government providing the opportunity of equal education to all children. All children are provided schools to attend. However, the quality of one school compared to another is undoubtedly unfair. Former teacher John Kozol, when being transferred to a new school, said, "The shock from going from one of the poorest schools to one of the wealthiest cannot be overstated (Kozol 2)." The education gap between higher and lower-income schools is obvious: therefore, the United States is making the effort to provide an equal education with questionable results.

     Will Durant, a businessman and the founder of General Motors, once said, “Education is the transmission of civilization.” Unfortunately, education is still one of the most deliberated and controversial issues in the United States. Thus far, the privilege or right to receive education has not attained the level of equality throughout the nation; poor districts obtain less educational funding while rich districts obtain more, creating an immense gap between the quality of schools in poor and rich areas.

(2014). Compensatory advantage as a mechanism of educational inequality: A regression discontinuity based on month of birth. Sociology of Education, 87(2), 74-88.

is through socioeconomic status. According to Sean Reardon, a main outcome of the widening income gap for families has been a widening gap in achievement among children, which he refers to as the income achievement gap (Reardon, 2011). Therefore, the children of the poor remain at an educational disadvantage when their parents’ income becomes as much of a predictor of their educational achievements, as their parents’ educational obtainment. To emphasize the results of the income achievement gap, Reardon states, “As the children of the rich do better in school, and those who do better in school are more likely to become rich, we risk producing an even more unequal and economically polarized society” (Reardon, 2011, p. 111). For example, as standardized testing shifted towards standardized achievement testing to determine a student’s academic achievement, parental investment in their children’s cognitive development began to increase. Educational disparities occur when affluent families can very easily afford tutoring outside of the classroom for their children to perform highly, while children being raised in impoverished homes are at a disadvantage, and at a lower chance of doing well on these exams. This becomes problematic when SAT reading, math, and writing scores increase with income as exemplified by the disproportionately small amount of minority students in higher education (Brand lecture,

The focus of Becker and Murphy’s article “The Upside of Income Inequality” is “Growth in the education level of the population has been a significant source of raising wages, productivity, and living standards over the past century.” (585). Becker and Murphy wrote “The Upside of Income Inequality” as a statement “committed to expanding liberty, increasing individual opportunity, and strengthening free enterprise.” (581). They argue that the average income for a person with a higher education keeps getting higher, and the lower class will also see a raise in the income they receive and raise the overall standard of living for communities.

An important factor in the creation of inequality is variation in individuals’ access to education (Becker, et. Al, 2007). According to Bosworth et. Al, (1999) education in a field that requires or demand a high number of workers, creates high wages for those with advance education. As a result, those who are unable to afford good quality education or choose not to participate in schools or colleges, generally receive much lower wages and thus it lowers aggregate savings and investment. In particular, the increase in family income and wealth

Over the past 30 years, income inequality has been growing markedly as the gap between different social classes. Income inequality interests me the most as it is a future-related issue that anyone can be subject to. Briefly speaking, when incomes are distributed unequally for the same working hours/type of job depending on gender, race, disability, fortune, or age. As the gap is forming between the rich and anyone else, the middle class slowly started to fade. One of the many disadvantages that this issue carries is its effect in giving birth to discrimination between different social groups. This can also lead to decreasing employment chances depending on certain shallow details. The United Nations can address this issue by establishing a

The Upside of Income Inequality written by both Gary S. Becker and Kevin M. Murphy share their beliefs on the gap of income between people. The authors believe that one major cause of this gap is due to the education, those with a college degree and those with a high school diploma, using this they give reliable points on why this is true with graphs and data. He begins with this topic in foreign countries saying that “despite the widening gap in incomes, rapid economic development dramatically improved the lives of China’s poor”. Saying that even though there is a gap, the upper class has been able to help the poor in ways that they could to one day have a better economic status. This too could come into play

People think poverty is not happening in their neighborhoods, or these programs are a waste of time and money because they only affect a few people. Well that is not true “14.5 million (19.7 percent) children under the age of 18 are in poverty. (11 Facts About Education and Poverty in America)” That is almost a quarter of Americas children. These food programs are necessary, the education programs are needed. America needs to break the poverty cycle, and give the next generation a better opportunity to have a better life. “In our local tristate two of the three states are on the top ten list of states with the most food insecurity’s Kentucky 17.6 % and Ohio 16.1 %. (11 Facts about Education and Poverty in America)”. All schools in America

First, the increased income inequality in the United States is due to increasing problematic issues in the education sector. Education plays an increasingly vital part in the economic success in the United States as technological transformations and globalizations increase. A weakening middle class leads to decreased improvements in the education system, while a stronger middle class leads to increased

Kozol explores and calls attention to the gross socio-economic inequities exhibited in public education. He discovers his findings through interviews, research, and examination. Among the influx of inequities, Kozol analyzes rationales that contribute to the inequalities of the American education. Two rationales that the author suggests that lead to segregation of schools is the No Child Left Behind Act from the Bush administration and the immense amount of standardized testing that they place on students. These implications harm the lower socio-economic side of society. At the end of the book, the author makes a purpose to inform the readers that the segregation is not the necessarily the schools’ fault but rather the blame should be

The middle class seems to be dwindling as the years go on. Nevertheless, it is still there but, families of who were once in the middle class are now shifting to the ever-so-growing Lower Class. And why is that? I personally believe it is due to a difference in power and the inequality in education, this is not due to any lack of education, however. Allow me to explain; the previous generations have seen the fruits of their labor after going to college, and like any generation, they want to pass on the same fortune they received to the next generation. Because of this, the next generation is constantly being pressured to go to college and leave with at least a bachelor's degree. Accordingly, when everyone in the workforce has the same amount of education it is no longer seen as going above and beyond standards, it is seen as the minimum requirement.