Did you know that 61 million children in the world do not attend school by choice? Did you also know that the majority of those 61 million children are girls? What is the reason that is causing people, mostly girls to choose not to go to school. Education is “the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life” (dictionary.com) and “the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession” (dictionary.com). In today’s society it is nearly impossible to find a decent job that does not require a degree. Although by law children have to go to school up until a certain age, education is a privilege to the ones who want to be successful. Many children drop out of school or decide not to go to college when they are able to make those decisions. A right and a privilege may have many similarities but they also have a lot of important differences. A right is defined as “granted by society to its members in order for it to function” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) A privilege is defined as “granted by a group or individual as either a reward for, or conditional upon, good behavior” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Yes, a student may have the right to drop out of school or continue to not go on with their education, but they do not have the right to education and to knowing the different knowledge without attending
The function of the education system is to improve students education and prepare them for the real world. Students within that system should receive an “A” when they have mastered the information they are being taught. However, grades no longer accurately reflect how much students have learned. Since 1998 teachers have handed out more A-grades while the average SAT scores have actually fallen. In fact, as Greg Toppo states, an author for USA Today, the amount of A’s handed out actually went up close to ten percent (4). Students can manipulate their courses so that they can get good grades without actually learning much of anything. With grades not accurately representing what students have learned and charter schools failing to solve problehms, teachers need to change how they structure their class or grade assignments.
Have you considered a world where kids did not have to attend school? For decades it has been routine that that youth attend school and strive for excellence. But what if they could opt not to? Instead what would they do? Find a job or learn a trade?
Teachers shape the minds of students to realize what their purpose is in life. Lately, because of certain educational reforms, it has been hard for teachers to say what they need to say. “In 40-plus states, the math and English guidelines determine the knowledge students have to master by the end of each grade, what they’ll be tested on this year, and in many cases, how teachers and principals will be rated at their jobs once those test scores are released” (Strauss). Most educational reforms are adopting standardized testing and should be reconsidered. Statistics even show that since we have taken part in reforms like No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and Common Core State Standards math and reading are declining. These standards tell teachers what to teach and what the students should know by the end of the school year. The reforms also evaluate teacher performance by how well the students learn the information. Some people believe educational reforms should not be telling teachers how to teach their students, and others believe that the reforms are absolutely fine the way they are. However the truth is educational reforms are yet to be perfected.
With landmark Supreme Court decisions in regards to education such as Brown v Board of Education, which made segregation within schools illegal, one would be inclined to believe that modern schools are void of any inequality. However, at a deeper glance, it is apparent that there is a glaring inequality within public school systems at the national, statewide, and even district-wide level. Such an inequality has drastic results as the education one receives has a high correlation to the college they will attend, and the job they will work. It is in society's best interest that public school systems be improved to equally supplement students with the tools necessary to succeed. While the public school system aims to reduce the inequality within it, they have proven ineffective in guaranteeing children of all races and economic classes an equal education.
What is one of the things that most people are accustomed to? Something that has been a part of their daily life. There are many things but what I am referring to is school. School has been around for hundreds of years. Whether it was to learn about religion or the mandatory classes we take now in the 21st century, many of us have been advised to go to school. It has changed a lot over the years and the system is still trying to improve how they could better educate their students in the future. Now, after going through many levels of school, people question themselves: why did I learn all of this? They question why they couldn’t learn more about taxes, buying a house or the important aspects when you get a car. School has become a
Imagine a store only sold two sizes of the new shirt you wanted. In today's society that is the perfectly painted picture on college education. College has become an option, a granted privilege, and no longer a necessity. Jobs such as small business owners, Web developers, and Wind Turbine Technician no longer require a college degree. College education is still worth it because college, ¨encourages students to think, ask questions, and explore new ideas, which allows for additional growth and development and provides college graduates with an edge in the job market over those who have not experienced a higher education¨ (McGuire). A college degree is an essential tool in an adult's life because of prominent health, labor market balance, and overall career success.
What is the difference between a right and a privilege? A right: is just a claim or title, whether legal, prescriptive or moral. So in other means you have the right to say what you please. A privilege: is any of the rights common to all citizens under a modern constitutional government (dictionary.com). The idea of whether or not healthcare is a right or a privilege has been a question brought up since our constitution. People for years have been fighting for the right for free healthcare. A right is also something that society values so much that we guarantee it to all citizens. It is something that you are born with and die with. An example of this would be the right to privacy which protects US citizens from invasion of property or person without due process. Regardless of who you are or where you come from, you are supposed to be treated equal. A right is also something that no one can take away from you unless for illegal reasons. But, even people who get put in prison do not fully get their rights taken like healthcare. A privilege on the other hand is something granted to you by Church, or the state, and can be removed. And this is normally caused by a failure to do
Over 7,500 animals are killed in zoos because they are deemed surplus, as stated by Liz Tyson an animals rights activist. This giraffe in particular sparked a huge controversy. HIs name was Marius, he was homed at the Copenhagen Zoo and was 2 years old when the staff killed him with a bolt gun. Marius was then dissected and fed to lions in front of ongoing zoo goers. What got people fuming is that he was a healthy, young giraffe. Therefore I believe the killing of Marius should not be justified.
Public education in America needs reforms to adjust to today's fast paced, technology based society. "Changing Educational Paradigms Animation" by RSA Animate and "Reinventing Education for the 21st Century" by Tony Wanger, prompted me to wonder how does teaching problem solving and critical thinking skills in schools socially and economically benefit students? Both of these videos touched on critical thinking and problem-solving skills and their importance in educating today's work force, but Tony Wanger blew me away with High Tech High, a Sandiego high, middle, and elementary school dedicated to teaching problem solving skills to a wide range of students (Wanger). This school system was an excellent model of students working on their own to create, utilize problem solving skills, and display their hard work. This gave me the idea that we need to shift our education to focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills to better benefit students entering the work force.
Thank you for your comments and concerns about HR 610 and HB 820 proposed federal and state legislation dealing with school choice. I always enjoy hearing from my constituents so I may accurately represent their beliefs and legislative priorities.
In the world, we live in has many problems that need to be resolved but one that hits close to many students is free education. College isn't cheap and for those who have families who fall in the “middle class” or below it may be impossible to attend college. Families wonder how they’re going to be able to afford college for their kids. Many families save for years to be able to provide their kids with the best education but what about those who aren't able to save? Although there are federal programs that will assist with paying for college but in a lot of cases that just isn't enough. I feel offering free education will help with the raise in college admissions which then affects our economy.
Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The United States Public Education isn’t giving children this weapon but is failing the children that are our future. The United States has high confidence of the quality of education but when it comes to test scores they are low compared to other developed countries. The adults making the decisions of student’s education aren’t making these decisions to help the students succeed but for the benefit of themselves. Poor choices are being made on who is shaping these children's minds and the budgeting for these public schools.
Can you imagine a world in which parents were free to send their children to only the best schools, no matter which neighborhood they lived in? What if cost wasn’t a factor? Imagine if even a student in the poorest section of town had access to the best education. What could that child achieve? What would they become? How would their life change? Those questions that I asked lead now to the focus of the essay. The world we live in is ever so changing, with that the need for education also needs to be changing. No longer do classic public schools fit the job in all certain situations. That is why with school choice being a controversial issue in education reform, school choice public funds should be used to support school choice programs that offer parents alternatives to traditional public schools.
Education plays a huge role in today’s society. The only downfall about education is not being able to afford it. Education eats your bank account and costing people to lose thousands so they are able to do something they love or just get a degree. People always question one another asking why people do not go to college. Why are people not taking advantage of something that will pay well after it is completed? Most of the answers for that is that they cannot afford to pay for schooling or they have to work to provide for their family and school is not a number one priority right now. If education was tuition free students would only be able to focus on studying and passing college then looking for money to pay for their schooling and that would help them perform better at school if they do not have to worry about finding a way to pay for it. Education should be free because it would help lower the homeless population, dropout rates, and stop student debt after they graduate college.
Having escaped rule from a tyrannical British government, the United States was founded on ideals of freedom and equality for all people. These fantasies of universal egalitarianism turned out to be merely that: fantasies. American history is full of stories of the oppressed struggling to get the rights they deserve and of the controversy over these issues that consequently ensues. “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery” by Frederick Douglass and “We Shall Overcome” by Lyndon B. Johnson are two speeches made confronting two of these issues. Douglass’s speech, delivered in 1852, condemns the institution of slavery and maintains that slaves are men and are therefore entitled to freedom. Johnson’s speech, on the other hand, was written in 1965 and discussed the civil rights movement. In it, he implored local governments to allow all American citizens, regardless of race, to vote. Despite the significant gap in time between these two addresses, both speakers use similar persuasive techniques, including ethos, pathos, and parallelism, to convince their audience that change needs to be implemented in America.