Most children start out with preschool education on almost equal footing. But as these young students move up and eventually go to other schools to further their studies, there seems to exist a huge gap that highlights how education can divide rather than unite a society.
The division and difference is most evident between students who attend public school and private school. Families from low or middle income earners usually have no other option but to send their kids to the more affordable school, where the standard of education already lags behind private schools.
The American public school system is rife with different problems that haven't been properly addressed for years, such as limited funding, budget cuts, program cuts and the shortage of teachers. It goes without saying that it is the students who are shortchanged by this system while those in private schools continue to enjoy their privilege. Thus, the division further widens.
Race and social class also contribute to the division in education in schools servicing Hispanics or African-American families. The perception is that not only are these students academically-challenged, there are discipline and behavioral issues that the school have to address as well.
The problem of race and social class gets even worse in higher education, where acceptance to diversity is supposedly more open. The education divide exists even among faculty members, according to The Atlantic. African-American teachers are apparently treated differently than their other counterparts.
The Hechinger Report, however, points out that all is not lost and there are solutions to making education an equalizer rather than a divider. There are high-performing quality public schools with good reputation and some states have already initiated programs that provide equal privileges regardless of status.
Even though these solutions might be an exception rather than a norm in the American public school system, it is giving educators a glimmer of hope. If some schools or states are finding the solutions, what's stopping the rest of America?
