The United States of America is no longer as united as it appears to be, with great divides observed not only in socio-political ideologies but also in education. Never has this divisiveness been more felt than in education.
Experts claim the existing academic segregation early in life has resulted in the social mobility challenges being experienced by its citizens today. Congressman Robert Scott of Virginia said race and class are used to segregate schools under the U.S. education system, but this has to end.
The Supreme Court ruled as unequal the separate facilities for educations, according to Education Dive. The Government Accountability Office said there are 20 million students who are forced to go to public schools that are not only isolated socio-economically, these are also over-disciplined and under-resourced.
The various American universities have been advocating for diversity but they have not been aggressively pushing against inequality in the educational system, as per Inside Higher ED. Some universities have established programs aimed at achieving diversity but the movement was not at all motivated by a desire to fight for social justice. Today, higher educational institutions are a showcase for the class divide.
An examination of freshmen students in the146 most selective US colleges and universities showed that over 90 percent of them came from the top 50 percent of the socio-economic ladder, according to the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The remaining 10 percent came from the socio-economic distribution's lower half.
Most Americans have learned to live with the education gap based on economic status and race. This is considered tragic, however, and should be immediately addressed by sincere educational reforms.
There are those who still view education as an enabler that can help improve society. But those who have become disenchanted with the universities because of the limited opportunities they offer can explore career opportunities offered outside the academe.
