Education is a Privilege by Emily
Emily's entry into Varsity Tutor's January 2021 scholarship contest
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Education is a Privilege by Emily - January 2021 Scholarship Essay
Receiving an education that sets one up for a successful, full future is a privilege. This privilege is given to students that are a majority while minorities and classified low-income students in the education system are treated unfairly.
These disadvantaged students are targeted on campus and do not receive the assistance they need physically and emotionally. These barriers make it more difficult for pupils to succeed in their academics and get a higher education. Students that come from low-income families are not given the care and assistance they need to fully succeed in school. Childfund.org says that children from “lower-income families are more likely” to have lowkey test scores than “students from wealthier backgrounds.” ”Black students in the United States are subject to disciplinary action at rates much higher than their white counterparts,” writes Travis Riddle and Stacey Sinclair from pnas.org, using federal data and research to pinpoint the disciplinary gap. Additionally, unnecessary disciplinary authority can deprive students of being in an emotional state where they are capable of learning and getting the most out of their academics.
The unfair treatment also leads these students to believe that they are not capable of pursuing higher education. The effect of this is heavy, and in a study from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, “Bachelor’s degree holders earn about $32,000 more than those whose highest degree is a high school diploma.” These students are potentially not earning as much money as others, just because they were targeted in primary and secondary school.
On the other hand, education is mostly viewed as a right in the U.S because all children are given access to free K-12 education. From the website, democracyeducationjournal.org author Sharon E. Lee states, “The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to education… education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity, and shall strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.” Furthermore, the issue with this statement is that the issues that happen inside the classroom are not being acknowledged.
In closing, public education puts an unnecessary burden on low-income students and students of color. There are flaws in the education system that hinder each and every student to be presented with equal treatment, opportunities, and success. These factors make it true that education is a privilege.