This presidential election year, the U.S. education sector lacks the attention it needs as presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton chose not to give emphasis on education platforms. In fact, they haven't provided any concrete education proposals.
As this year's presidential election campaigns failed to highlight the importance of education, an open letter to the next president of the United States outlined why education is vital in pursuing the greatest "American Dream." According to The Gates Foundation U.S. Program president and open letter author Allan Golston, education is the "great equalizer" of the American nation.
Why Education Is The Key To Live The "American Dream'
Some people have faced countless of challenges, hurdles and even heartaches as they try to pursue their ultimate "American Dream" of going from survival to success in the United States. That's why, Golston underscored the need to provide better education programs, noting the fact that education offers a guaranteed way to "opportunity and social mobility."
"America's unique strength lies in our diversity, because the right to equal opportunity and prosperity for all is woven into our nation's fabric," Golston wrote, as per Black Enterprise. "We know that the great equalizer in America is education, because it provides the surest path to opportunity and social mobility."
The Challenges Of Getting Quality Education
Golston's open letter also highlighted the factors why some students were not given a chance to receive quality education, pointing out the income of the parents or a student's race as the reasons. In spite of the fact that students of color and from low-income families have currently dominated the K-12 classrooms in the U.S., it wasn't the "American Dream" the Founding Fathers of the nation they perceived to be.
"These young people already have a steep hill to climb to overcome poverty and inequity," Golston said in his open letter to the 45th U.S. president that was published in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website. "That's not the American Dream our Founding Fathers had in mind. These students deserve an education that will propel them to high school graduation-and success beyond."
How To Meet The Students' Need In Education
With that said, Golston said the government, nonprofits and the private sector should make an effort to make higher education more affordable, flexible and personalized. Students should also have access to "great teachers, challenging coursework and high expectations," as well as to various personalized learning methods that provide a more tailored approach to meet the individual learning needs of students.
"Education would be a critical bridge to opportunity for my brothers and I," Golston concluded. "The challenge facing our country today is the same: to give children-no matter the circumstances they were born into-a great education."
Today, education has become one of the major issues in the U.S. that needs to be promptly addressed. Unfortunately, some of the 2016 Presidential candidates lack concrete K-12 or general education proposals, as previously reported.
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