A Diverse Nation Not Apparent In Education. by Minaleah

A Diverse Nation Not Apparent In Education. by Minaleah - July 2022 Scholarship Essay

Question: What changes do you hope to see in education over the next 10 years?

"30 years ago, America was the leader in quantity and quality of high school diplomas. Today, our nation is ranked 36th in the world" ("New survey ranks U.S. students 36th in the world - How do we improve?"). How did such a change occur? What can be improved? As someone who has gone through and still is in the American education system, there are a couple of main changes, specifically in diversity, that I would hope to see over the next 10 years.
The first of those wanted changes would be a better representation of different genders, cultures, and races in studied literary works. I live in a decently progressive school district, and yet many of our studied pieces of literature are written by old white men and have nuances of racism and misogyny throughout. Out of the six authors' works studied in my IB English class, there was only one female author. There are plenty of amazing authors with great literary impact who are women, and there are many amazing authors with great literary impact who are people of color. It is my hope that over the next 10 years students get to have greater exposure to diverse authors rather than the typical white male.
On a similar note, I hope that diversity is better represented in history classes. Living in America I have learned much about history, but what I've noticed is that when people of color are brought into focus in class, it is to discuss the hardships and oppression that they face. Similarly, the only representation of the Jewish population within the American history curriculum is when speaking of the Holocaust. Not to be misunderstood, the education of oppression and understanding the wrongs of the past as well as how those wrongs remain today is a fundamental part of education. However, solely understanding certain races and peoples in light of struggle means that the appreciation of the astounding contributions they have made to the world, and this country dissipates. When I learn about black history, I want to learn about struggles because being informed is important, but I'd also like to be inspired by what black men and women have accomplished. America is a 'melting pot' of various races, cultures, and religions. To better reflect the nation we live in, students should learn more about the contributions from the melting pot of peoples which make America the nation it is.
It is the inclusion of women authors that will empower female students and promote the idea that men and women are of equal significance. It is the teaching of more diverse historical figures that will show how this country is diverse and how people from different backgrounds play a significant role in history. Overall, over the next 10 years, I hope that education grows to be more diverse and inclusive.