The Need for Equitable Education by Angela

The Need for Equitable Education by Angela - July 2022 Scholarship Essay

It is widely known that education is not equitable for all. Factors such as family income, racial background, and mental health issues create unfair disadvantages for certain students, hindering their possibility of success in life. As such, changes I hope to see over the next ten years are that educators and the education system offer any necessary help and accommodations to ensure no student is left behind or treated unjustly. This includes providing uncostly resources students can use outside of school to enhance their understanding of topics and incorporating anti-prejudice teachings early on.

The truth is that in-school learning lacks the length and support many students need to be successful. Students who cannot fully and effectively comprehend all topics taught during a given period are consequentially prone to struggling more and more as the school year goes by. Classes, generally lasting an hour or so daily, may not be enough to communicate subjects to students, especially in situations where a majority of the time is spent on the lesson, leaving little to no opportunity for the student to acquire help before rushing to their next class, where the cycle repeats. This being so, a beneficial solution would be to present resources the student can review on their own time. Examples include videos created by credible educators, relevant worksheets for additional practice, or interactive components that allow students to ask questions and receive answers in real-time as they are working through an assignment. Limiting learning to that mere 60-minute period a day can greatly restrict a student’s potential; utilizing additional aid can not only prevent one’s grades from slipping, but also enable them to retain information past that one exam, uphold positive mental health, and more.

Focusing more on what can be improved in the school setting, explicitly enforcing unbiased mindsets is a major necessity. Often, adults, the media, or other external sources the student engages in are what molds their viewpoints, including the negative ones. These viewpoints are then projected onto other students and peers, resulting in a harmful and hateful environment, which distracts students from their studies/activities or could even deter them from wanting to go to school. It would be beneficial to openly teach students that this kind of behavior is unacceptable early in elementary or even preschool—the younger a person is, the easier it is to adjust their beliefs. It would also be valuable to include brief rundowns of major historical moments that better explain the massive effects hate can have. If a student is being bullied for a factor they cannot control, such as race, gender, or sexuality, their academic career could be jeopardized. Further, do we want future professionals to be those who think and act on discriminatory attitudes? In the past years, it has been all too often that the news displays an individual unfairly treated due to someone’s warped view on an aspect they hold. To lessen the damage, it is crucial to act early; establishing morally correct teachings when a child is still developing their image of the world is the first step.

To conclude, education serves students and prepares them for the “outside world.” Thus, it is only logical to focus on adapting the system to fit student needs. With changes regarding access to resources and preventing discriminatory attitudes, education would be greatly improved. As these current students will be the ones serving us in the future, we hold the responsibility of serving them in their academic careers. Additionally, there is one other component to consider: teachers. Teachers are the source of these vital teachings that shape the generations to come, so wouldn’t it be imperative that they enjoy their jobs and are motivated to deliver excellence to their students? From the long hours they work to the daily interpersonal complications they need to resolve, teachers deserve a higher wage. Once again, these individuals are the ones introducing future doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. into our lives; a student’s good vs. bad experience with a teacher could easily deter them from a field they would’ve otherwise thrived in. With education changed in ways that better treat not only students but also teachers, both the academic experience and future outcomes are bound to experience an enhancement.