Issues Around The World

Educational Inequality

Written by:
Ivy Frater & K Eng

TL;DR

The concept of freedom is such a fundamental tenet of the American society that it is even enshrined in the words of its constitution and the lyrics of its national anthem: Americans are purportedly created equal, live in “the land of the free'' and have the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. The issue with this sentiment is that not everyone in American society is able to enjoy the same freedoms - including free access to education.
01

Introduction

How do we define
Educational Inequality
as a
Societal
issue?
✷ Estimated reading time:
1
mins

As Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”¹ However, in many cases, not everyone has equal access, or even any access to this powerful weapon. This lesson plan examines the determinants of educational inequality and the reasons behind its occurrence.

Disclaimer

STOP & THINK
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02

History & Context

What is the history of
Educational Inequality
issue and the context around it?  - A timeline.
✷ Estimated reading time:
7
mins
1783 to 1950s: Founding of Public Schools in America

Following the Revolutionary War, public schools were established across America aiming to teach students important literacy skills while moving away from religion-based education (Race Forward).

However, this free, public education was not open to all. The Trans-Atlantic slave trade remained active, and Southern states sustained their ban on allowing enslaved people access to this form of education. Following the Civil War, although slavery was abolished, Black people still had limited access to education.

1954- 1960s: Integration

In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. This led to a ruling that segregating schools is unconstitutional (US Courts). Despite this ruling, there was limited action to put desegregation at schools in effect. Further to address this lack of action, in 1968, Green v. School Board of New Kent County led to a ruling that prompted active desegregation of schools. (Brittanica).

School boards began separating schools by grade level instead of race and especially focused on desegregating faculty, staff, transportation, extracurricular activities, and facilities. Unfortunately, this ruling also had little effect as showcased in the following statistic three years post Green v. School Board of New Kent County: 85% of Black students attended a “Black school” while no white students attended a “Black” school  (Britannica).

In response, the courts strengthened desegregation efforts nation-wide by formulating new integration plans to eliminate all traces of segregation in schools through establishing committees to help school boards address issues related to desegregation.

1970s-1990s: Re-Evaluating the Education System

Starting in the 1970s, many studies argued that schooling experience and level does not affect an individual’s life successes and failures, but rather family background directs these outcomes. Consequently, the current education system adopted a more “laid back” approach with a lower emphasis on non-English language classes, as well as a lower credential requirement when hiring new teachers (Ravitch).

The low test scores became an increasingly prevalent issue in the 1980s and led President Ronald Reagan to shift focus on improving the education system. This resulted in the appointment of a new Secretary of Education, William J. Bennett, who was determined to increase the current, low test scores of American students.

Additionally, during this time period, students from lower socioeconomic and/or minority households were more likely to fail or drop out of school, participate in drug-abusing tendencies, along with a higher likelihood of becoming pregnant (Ravitch). During the late 1980s and early 1990s, support for these students was increased through call to actions for better schools, and also scholarships (Ravitch).

Further, throughout the 1990s, the education system benefited from technological advancements, for instance the introduction of computers. However, despite these benefits, technology also created a new gap between schools who could afford new technology versus those who could not.

Now: Segregation in modern-day

Segregation still exists in our nation today. For instance, a controversial practice, ‘Tracking’, puts students on separate paths based on their previous academic performances. Researchers have argued that ‘Tracking’ is largely responsible for creating the education gap between Black and Latino students, as well as white and Asian students.

Tracking is the practice of separating students into different groups or classes based on academic ability and test scores. Although some students in marginalized ethnic groups achieve higher test scores and the grades required for entry into higher level classes, many of these students are not enrolled in these classes as a result of ‘Tracking’ (Kohli & Quartz). Another reason for this low enrolment is related to wealthier families, who are predominately white, have the means to ensure their kids are tested, leading to their subsequent enrolment in higher level classes.

QUESTION
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03

Subtopics

Educational inequality and race
The school-to-prison pipeline
Other issues surrounding
Educational Inequality
✷ Estimated reading time:
7
mins

The School-to-prison pipeline is a concept where public school students are pushed out of the school system and into the criminal justice systems as a result of zero tolerance policies, as well as the presence of police officers inside schools. This contributes to behavior criminalization handlings at school with overly harsh punishments.

Black students are at an highly disproportionate risk for these overly harsh punishments. In fact, these students are suspended and expelled at a rate three times greater than White students (ADL).

Students with disabilities are also affected by the School-to-prison pipeline. Further, disabled students make up 8.6% of public school attendees, yet juvenile detention centres consist of 32% disabled children (Elias). Schools having inadequate resources also contributes to the ‘pipeline’.

Moreover, when schools fail to meet their students’ educational needs, such as providing special education teachers. This results in an increase in student dropouts along with a heighten risk of these students becoming involved with crime.*Special education is a term widely used in the education system, however it is up for debate in the disabled community*

In the past couple of years, higher education inequality has grown. In 2013, 9% of students in the bottom income quartiles obtained a post-secondary degree (Marginson). In addition, college tuition has exponentially increased over the years, with selective schools quickly becoming too expensive for the vast majority of Americans.

In accordance with Yale University’s Dean of Admissions, only 5% of American families can afford to pay their tuition in full (Marginson). Therefore in Tier 1 private American universities, or the most prestigious and selective schools in the country, 64% of students come from families who are amongst the top 10% of earners, leading to the majority of high achievers from low-income families not applying to these schools (Marginson).

In fact, while the majority of upper class students who score in the top 10% of the SAT/ACT enroll in the most selective colleges, only 34% of low-income students with the same scores will enroll is highly selective colleges (Higher Learning Advocates). This gap was only further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, where students from lower income families were twice as likely to cancel college plans due to the pandemic versus wealthier families (Higher Learning Advocates).

“Meeting the hygiene needs of all adolescent girls is a fundamental issue of human rights, dignity, and public health.”
QUESTION
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04

Recent News

Recent events, activities, and government actions on
Educational Inequality
✷ Estimated reading time:
mins
Key
Government Actions
(Federal)
Government Actions
(State)
News Events
November 22, 2022
News Event
Gov't Action (State)
Gov't Action (Federal)

Politico

Student loan payments cancelled
President Joe Biden extends pause on student loan payments and cancels student loan payments
August 29, 2022
News Event
Gov't Action (State)
Gov't Action (Federal)

Wall Street Journal

Permanent virtual classes
Various US schools are now offering permanent virtual classes in order to protect vulnerable children.
August 29, 2022
News Event
Gov't Action (State)
Gov't Action (Federal)

New York Times

Student newspaper shut down after LGBTQ publication
A Nebraska school shuts down the student newspaper after a LGBTQ publication.
August 25, 2022
News Event
Gov't Action (State)
Gov't Action (Federal)

US News

Gender Equality in education
The Best States for Gender Equality in Education
August 24, 2022
News Event
Gov't Action (State)
Gov't Action (Federal)

US News

Student loan debt cancelled up to $20,000
The Biden Administration makes the decision to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt.
August 18, 2021
News Event
Gov't Action (State)
Gov't Action (Federal)

CNN

Statement on Afghan women and girls' rights to education
The U.S., along with other countries, releases a joint statement saying they are “deeply worried about Afghan women and girls, their rights to education, work and freedom of movement", and called on actors in positions of power to “guarantee their protection”.
April 28, 2021
News Event
Gov't Action (State)
Gov't Action (Federal)

White House

American Family Plan announced
President Biden announces the American Family Plan, which includes universal access to free Pre-K and a $3 billion investment in maternal health. These key policies are often heralded politically as "women's issues" and do impact women's lives and their societal power.
QUESTION
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05

Reflection Activities

Educational Inequality
Check your awareness and understanding level on the issue of
✷ Estimated reading time:
mins
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06

Citations

Sources used for
Educational Inequality
issues page
✷ Estimated reading time:
5
mins
[TLDR & Intro]
  1. Duncan, Arne. “Education: The Most Powerful Weapon for Changing the World: USAID Impact.” USAID , USAID Impact, 23 Apr. 2013, https://blog.usaid.gov/2013/04/education-the-most-powerful-weapon/.
[History & Context]
  1. Gordon, Vivian Hopp. “Green v. County School Board of New Kent County.” Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 20 May 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Green-v-County-School-Board-of-New-Kent-County.
  2. “Historical Timeline of Public Education in the US.” Race Forward, 8 Oct. 2015, https://www.raceforward.org/research/reports/historical-timeline-public-education-us.
  3. “History - Brown v. Board of Education Re-Enactment.” United States Courts, https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/history-brown-v-board-education-re-enactment.
  4. Kohli, Sonali, and Quartz. “Modern-Day Segregation in Public Schools.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 18 Nov. 2014, https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/11/modern-day-segregation-in-public-schools/382846/.
  5. Ravitch, Diane. “Education in the 1980’s: A Concern for ‘Quality.’” Education Week, Education Week, 10 Jan. 1990, https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-education-in-the-1980s-a-concern-for-quality/1990/01.
[Subtopics]
  1. Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2006, Race Matters: How Race Affects Education Opportunities, https://assets.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/aecf-racemattersEDUCATION-2006.pdf.
  2. Carrillo, Sequoia, and Pooja Salhotra. “The U.S. Student Population Is More Diverse, but Schools Are Still Highly Segregated.” NPR, NPR, 14 July 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/07/14/1111060299/school-segregation-report.
  3. Cimpian, Joseph. “How Our Education System Undermines Gender Equity.” Brookings, Brookings, 9 Mar. 2022, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2018/04/23/how-our-education-system-undermines-gender-equity/.
  4. Elias, Marilyn. “The School-to-Prison Pipeline.” Learning for Justice, 2023, https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/spring-2013/the-school-to-prison-pipeline.
  5. “Factsheet: Equity Gaps in Higher Education.” Higher Learning Advocates, Feb. 2021, https://higherlearningadvocates.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/101-Equity-Gaps-in-Higher-Education_2021_v.2-1.pdf.
  6. Kantrowitz, Mark. “Women Achieve Gains In STEM Fields.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 7 Apr. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/markkantrowitz/2022/04/07/women-achieve-gains-in-stem-fields/.
  7. Marginson, Simon. “Higher Education and Growing Inequality.” Academic Matters, Jan. 2016, https://doi.org/https://academicmatters.ca/higher-education-and-growing-inequality/.
  8. “School-to-Prison Pipeline.” ACLU, American Civil Liberties Union, https://www.aclu.org/issues/juvenile-justice/juvenile-justice-school-prison-pipeline.
  9. “What Is the School-to-Prison Pipeline.” Anti-Defamation League, 2015, https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/what-is-the-school-to-prison-pipeline.pdf.
  10. “Why Gender Inequality in Higher Ed Is Still a Problem.” Bentley University, Bentley University, https://www.bentley.edu/news/why-gender-inequality-higher-ed-still-problem.
[Recent News]
  1. “American Families Plan.” The White House, The United States Government, https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-families-plan/.
  2. Braithwaite, Sharon. “EU and US Are ‘Deeply Worried about Afghan Women and Girls.’” CNN, Cable News Network, 18 Aug. 2021, https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-taliban-us-news-08-18-21/h_b6273b0ef355379fc56cf47185e2050d.
  3. Camera, Lauren. “Biden Administration to Cancel Up to $20,000 In Student Loan Debt.” U.S. News, U.S. News & World Report L.P., 24 Aug. 2022, https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2022-08-24/biden-administration-to-cancel-up-to-20-000-in-student-loan-debt.
  4. Chapman, Ben. “Permanent Virtual Classes Now Offered at Some U.S. Schools to Protect Vulnerable Children.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, Inc., 29 Aug. 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/virtual-classes-are-now-permanent-offerings-at-some-u-s-schools-11661765401.
  5. Medina, Eduardo. “Nebraska School Shuts down Student Newspaper after L.G.B.T.Q ...” New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/29/us/nebraska-lgbt-school-newspaper-closed.html.
  6. Stratford, Michael. “Biden Extends Pause on Student Loan Payments amid Legal Limbo for Debt Cancellation.” POLITICO, 22 Nov. 2022, https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/22/biden-extends-student-loan-payments-pause-00070550.
  7. Wolf, Christopher. “Best States for Gender Equality: Education | Best States | U.S. News.” US News, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/best-states-for-gender-equality-education.

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