Problem Statement about Equity in Education

Education is an essential aspect of the society where everyone is free to enjoy it without critics or any limitations. However, this is not the case in our society that has been marked with multiple instances of inequality (Castelli, 2012). This is because multiple factors determine equity in education among them being the socio-economic factors, income, racial and costs of education. In the United States, for example, the minority group is disadvantaged and cannot access the required educational services as the majority, and this is due to their incapacity to afford the education services. Ainscow (2015) asserts that lack of economic resources and racial discrimination has contributed to equity challenge in the Education over the years. Equity in education comes with multiple effects with the major one being the denial to access education by those individuals who are vulnerable in the society (Castelli, 2012).

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Only a certain percentage of the population can access education, while the rest of the society is left out, and this has effects on the standards of living due to their incapability to access job opportunities (Ainscow, 2015). There are also high cases of school dropout among the students whose parents cannot afford the cost of education, which has contributed to high cases of criminal activities and drug use among the disadvantaged communities. However, the fact that education should be accessed equally regardless of the race or the socio-economic grounds, it is critical for the measure to be taken to ensure that the problem of equity in education is controlled. It is also critical to understand the problem due to the adverse effects that it has caused to the society and also help the disadvantaged people access the life services just like the others. This will help in attaining the status of quo where everyone is equal and have similar chances in accessing the resources of the society without any form of discrimination.

The vision of Change and Goal Clarification

Addressing the equity social challenge is not an easy thing, and in this case, it is essential to address the factors that contribute to inequality. In this case, it is necessary to consider the economic factor, the social factors, the race factor and the cost of education. First, the goals implemented should focus on addressing the elimination and minimizing of the caused. For instance, there should be programs that should aim at improving the living standards among the minorities that will create employment so that they can afford education. At the same time, the programs should also encourage equity so that they provide equal chances for all the races to access the education. The education cost should help be standardized to be fair for everyone in the society regardless of the economic status. Lastly, the program should also discourage the concept of racial discrimination in education and create a platform where everyone is free to access education from different perspectives. Through this, the issue of equity will be addressed, and not only the minority stand to benefit from the plan, but the economy will also improve due to improved standards of living that foster the revenue generated.

Historical Background and Current Conditions

The major contextual factors that have contributed to equity in education issue include the economic and the social factors that are based on the race. Education is essential, and this is the reason it is attached to improved costs. Education is costly and for one to acquire the quality of education they are supposed to be living above the poverty level. The minority community living under poor economic status has the challenge of accessing the required education services due to financial constraints. According to Card (2007), over 14% of the families with children in the United States are living below the poverty level, with most of the families being racial or minority. There 4 million of the total families are the Hispanic, 2.9 million are the blacks, while 800,000 are the other minority groups. In these families, 73% of the families have one employed adult while others are unemployed. The Hispanic families are likely to have a working adult full time, while the blacks are equally likely to have a working adult. In one of the studies, it was found that the students from the families are earning above $200,000 yearly with the combined score of 1,710, while the students from the families are earning less than $2,000. These families are not able to access the education as the rest (majority).

Further, racial discrimination has also contributed to education equity an element that is observed through the unequal admission of students. It was reported that close to 20 million students of color are radically and socioeconomically in public schools. Most of the minority school are under-resourced and also over-disciplines. As a result, students attending the schools lack the necessary materials to advance in their coursework (Biamonte 47). This has at the same time contributed to differences in race admission where the majority report high levels of admission compared to the minority races. According to the functionalist theory, the society comprises of interconnected parts that work together in achieving the equilibrium point. In this case, the social institutions must cooperate in making sure they have maintained the social balance in the society and that there is no form of discrimination.

Consequently, the fact that equity in education has been a persisted issue in the USA means that the institutions have failed in observing the functionalist theory. Using the theory, it is evident that the social institutions have failed to implement functionalism theory and connect different parts of the society and this is the reason there is division in the society. The segregation began where the race difference was created depriving the minorities of the resources that they have the right to access.

Possible Directions to Achieve Desired Change

Segregation of schools is also issued that need to be addressed seriously. Gone are the days that schools are classified according to class or race. The United States education system needs to implement a program that will address the segregation of schools. The minority schools should be funded, and supported by resources just like other schools in the country. It is also vital to ensure that the minority races students are well groomed and equipped with the resources.

Poverty is also an issue that has played a significant role in enhancing inequality in the scores. It is therefore essential to ensure that the issue is addressed. The students from the minority families lack both financial and moral support. The nation should work in ensuring that the minority are provided with improved opportunities regarding employment. This will provide the parents with the chance and the ability to provide the required educational services to the students.

Future Prospects: Suggested Strategies to Alleviate the Problem

Eliminate racial discrimination entirely and enhance equal treatment of students.

Financial support should be directed to all the students regardless of the race, and the schools should also be sponsored equally.

References

Ainscow, M. (2015). Struggles for Equity in Education: The selected works of Mel Ainscow. New York: Routledge.

Biamonte, Ethan(2013). The SAT and Admission: Racial Bias and Inequality. American Journal: 1-56.

Castelli, L. (2012). Equity in Education: A General Overview. Social and Behavioral Sciences, 194-203.

Card, D. (2007). Racial Segregation and the Black-White Test Score Gap. Department of Economics: 1-56.

Dixon-Roman, Ezekiel J. "Race, Poverty