Education Is The Most Powerful Weapon 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 idea of a universal education system is criticized by many, because the idea of giving everyone a chance to prosper, has a detrimental effect on government resources; and the value placed on a post- secondary education, is somewhat diluted. This is wrong though, as people be judged on their academic skills, character and drive above their economic restrictions. The finances which a young person is born into, should not determine the life and career which they have. It has been shown that a college education increases a person’s earning power, but this education is contingent on money, which dictates your chance of achieving a recognized education. This is against the ‘education gospel’ which supports the idea that schooling should be for everyone, and that the more people who are educated, the less prejudices there will be in society. Education is universal, but post-secondary education, and one which leads people to positions of power and influence, is not. It is for the select few, of whom have the finances and opportunities to prosper that other, more underprivileged people do not, and that needs to change.

Reminisce when you were a child between the ages of about six to eighteen years old. For a vast majority of us, we would think about memories from elementary, middle, and high school. Now ponder how your life would change if you never went to school? Seems like an unimaginable task for many of us. Many people just assume that every child has the opportunity to be educated. The heartbreaking fact is that there are still people in the world today who don’t have access to education. In “The Future Progress of the Human Mind,” Condorcet discusses and emphasizes the importance for equal access to education. Education is crucial and no matter who you are or where you come from, everyone should be entitled to an education.

Expansion of education is closely related to idealistic views of democracy. In developing and wealthy nations, education is valued because it helps the individual mind to develop capabilities. In contrast, education has also been seen as a way to promote equality. Having access to public education, in theory, has the potential to reduce poverty and promote equality. If all are entitled to the same public education, not to mention they are required by law, why do school systems seem segregate their students? Researchers have searched for the answer and have theorized that economic background, tracking, and hidden curriculum are a few things that help contribute to the imaginary lines drawn between students in society.

In early America, only a couple of schools were open, and children were mainly taught at home or were sent to a boarding school. In 1837, a man named Horace Mann led the Massachusetts Board of Education and he seeked free, equal, non-religious education for all social classes. This was a major step towards obtaining natural rights. In documents H and E, it shows that education is one of the most important things in life. For example, “... It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility towards the rich; it prevents being poor” (Doc. H). This quote shows that having an education can prevent someone being in poverty because, if you are smart, then you can get a high paying job, which will prevent you from being poor. Another example is, “When he goes to school he walks quickly, and does not lose time on the road. ‘My parents,’ he says, ‘are very good to save some of their money in order that I may learn to read and write’...” (Doc. E). This shows that his parents were willing to spend the extra money for their child to get an education, which will give him a chance at a better life. Without having an education, you will not get very far in life. It is a necessity to life. Education really helped expand democratic ideals in the United States because, giving different class people the chance to attend school and get a free education is the best possible way to do it. You are giving poor and wealthy children the

The education system has been the cornerstone of freedom and equity for economic success in The United States. However, the history of education has never been so crucial to the collective future of our nation and to the young people. The public schools must struggle to provide equality in educational system as never before. The demand for education has become necessary and growing to provide education for all students to comply with the rigorous academic standards on a global scale (Baker, B. D., Sciarra, D. G., Farrie, D. (2010, p. 1).

When people learn that an education can give oneself freedom, power, and knowledge oneself can conquer any problem that comes its way. It is oneself responsibility to take advantage of its free education that I and everyone is given here in the United States. It seems people that are restricted from receiving an education are the ones that are determined to do whatever it takes to get an education so oneself can improve one’s life.

It is important that people have the opportunity for an education, which will allow him or her to earn a living for themselves and for their families. Most people, given the chance, will work hard to help their families. With a good education, one can learn skills that will be the most powerful tools that he or she can have to rise out of poverty. There are ways in which one can attend school, such as with grants or loans. With the lack of education, one’s job opportunity will be limited. Most employers want their employees to have an education. People in poverty do not always have the chance to go to school or even to finish school. They are needed to work for the family by getting low paid jobs that will keep them in the poverty which they are living

Education is a key factor to reduce and prevent global poverty. If someone in poverty graduated from college they would have a 86% chance to move up the income ladder. Education is emphasized by Mathabane in the text Kaffir Boy when he states “Education will open doors where none seem to exist” (par.1). Education is an important way to keeps kids off the streets. Going to school and recieving homework gives kids something to do rather then them being on the streets where they could possibly end up joining a gang. Mathabane adds another element to the idea of education by asserting that “An education will get you a decent job. If you can read and write you’ll be better off than those of us who can’t” (pg.11) People who have been educated have more chances of getting a job than those who haven’t. Although education may be an important aspect in order to escape poverty, more may be

A solution to decreasing the educational gap between the educated and non-educated can be solved by providing free education to those in need. Providing free education can eventually get the poor out of turmoil and to a life free of debt and

These systemic obstacles that create circumstances that hinder the education attainment of the poor can be changed, their limits lessened, by positive actions to elevate living conditions – given the school system promotes and

Throughout the world, there have been continuous attempts to reform education at all levels. With different causes that are deeply rooted in history, society, and culture, this inequality is difficult to eradicate. Although difficult, education is vital to society’s movement forward. It promotes “citizenship, identity, equality of opportunity and social inclusion, social cohesion as well as economic growth and employment” and for these reasons, equality should be promoted (Shrivastava,67).

Education still remains the institution that indorses equality of opportunities in America society as the textbook explains. Even though education diminishes inequality among individuals with different backgrounds, inequality still exists in the sense that not everyone who graduates from high school has the same opportunity to attend college. Individuals born into wealthy family will have more opportunities in attending college compared to someone born to a poor family. Although, opportunities are more limited in America, having education will compensate those that do well in school by rewarding them with life opportunities. Social class, race, and gender play a major role for education success, experiences, and outcomes.

While poverty affects the quality of education, if a student is driven enough to graduate at least high school, he or she has the capabilities to improve their life situation. With a high school diploma alone doors in the professional world begin to open. If a student decides to further their education by either becoming certified or going to college, the number of opportunities become endless and their salary will also increase as they have invested time and money into becoming more educated. With this, a hard working student can make it out of poverty and become successful. Oprah Winfrey for example was born into poverty and states that, “for every one of us that succeeds, it’s because there’s somebody there to show you the way out. The light doesn’t always necessarily have to be in your family; for me it was teachers and school.” Statistics also back up that education leads to more financial success. On a global scale, if we look at some of the least educated countries in the world, including Niger (literacy rate of 28.7%), Mali (literacy rate of 33.4%), and Ethiopia (literacy rate of 39%) we find that they are also on the list of the poorest countries. Meanwhile, nations such as Japan (44% of the population has secondary education) as well as the United States (with 41% of the pop. having secondary education) are some of the most educated. Both Japan and the United States are found on Forbes’ twenty wealthiest countries of 2015, which was based on total individual

In the modern world, education is the crucial key to the economic success. It can help a poor country become a developed country, or make a developed country become a more advanced one. A successful education system is a system, which makes sure that every student can have access to knowledge equally. Although the United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, there seem to be many inequalities in the American education system. In this essay, the education inequalities will be classified into four areas: race, economic background, gender, and standardized educational testing.