The Prevalence of Politics by Myra

The Prevalence of Politics by Myra - December 2023 Scholarship Essay

When I was in fifth grade I wanted to be president of the United states of america. Not because I had any particular passion for leadership, or politics, or any of the other responsibilities that went along with running a country, but because I didn’t trust anyone else to do the job. I had learned the ice caps are melting, polar bears are dying, and I was furious. I had a very clear 5 step plan set out for myself.

Step 1: Finish the 5th grade
Step 2: Become a lawyer/doctor/movie star
Step 3: Run for president at age 35
Step 4: Win with 100 percent of the popular vote
Step 5: Completely end climate change, racism, sexism, animal cruelty and homework

Don’t get me wrong, 5th grade me would likely have become the world's youngest dictator if given the opportunity, but she had clear values, opinions, and dreams. Maybe my approach was a little aggressive, but I think the decision makers of the world today could take a lesson from my 10 year old self. Sure, it might have been a bit naive of me to assume that everyone would agree with me if I just had the platform to talk to the whole country, but I had passion, and I wanted to make change. It is also for this reason, that I am so passionate about pursuing a major in political science. I've pursued knowledge about politics all my life, and this is thanks to the education I have received. I believe there is a strong connection to be made between politics and education, and I hope to continue to explore that tie.

In recent years, there has been a push to keep politics out of education, but I’m gonna tell you a secret. Your education is political. The government is responsible for providing free, accessible education to every child in the US. Therefore…. Your education is a result of political policies and lobbying. There are entire factions of the government dedicated to meticulously planning every detail of your education. But, this becomes an issue when the government uses education as a platform for censorship. Bills such as Florida’s HB 1557, commonly known as the “Don’t say gay bill”, barred teachers from making any mention of LGBTQ+ issues without facing potential repercussions from parents, putting the job of teachers at risk, and harming queer youth in the state. Laws censoring discussions in academia defeat the whole appeal of public education. The goal should be to allow students to hear diverse opinions, and voices. Censoring classrooms gets in the way of learning.

Alyssa Hadley Dunn, an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at Michigan State University, contends that strictly adhering to the concept of "neutrality," which involves refraining from expressing personal views to students and avoiding discussions of political topics, can inadvertently marginalize students. She states “Everything in education—from the textbooks to the curriculum to the policies that govern teachers’ work and students’ learning—is political and ideologically-informed,” she explains. “Both what is taught and how it is taught is shaped by the cultural, social, political, and historical contexts in which a school is situated. We can’t pretend that teachers can leave these contexts at the door.”

The end goal of education should be to equip students with the tools they need to navigate the world and build their own lives. This can't happen without providing students with a holistic education.

Students need to learn not only about math, science, history, and language arts, but also about the world around them. They need to develop the critical thinking skills that come from open classroom discussions. We must acknowledge that while we expect our judges to leave their biases at the door, it's a different scenario in a classroom. A truly well-rounded education includes discussions about real-world issues.

Kids are impacted by the world around them, and we shouldn’t try to shield them from what’s happening, but instead, we need to make it approachable and digestible for children to understand. According to studies by the Pew Research Center, since 1994, the average partisan gap has increased from 15 percentage points to 39 percentage points across a range of issues. The increasingly divisive political climate of America continues to impact kids just as much as adults.

Our lives are inextricably intertwined with the very politics that adults consistently consider too 'complex' for us to comprehend. But, Kids from lower-income families keenly understand the disparities and challenges their families confront. Students attending underfunded schools recognize that they're not receiving an equitable education. Children can't defer confronting racism until adulthood. We bear witness to alarming new levels of homophobia and transphobia, endangering the well-being of queer youth. And, the leading cause of death among U.S. children is gun violence. All of these realities persist, yet we are told time and time again that we are too young to grasp the intricacies of politics.

I no longer want to be president. I now have a much less lofty goal. I want to make a difference, and enact positive change. I hope that through obtaining an education in political science, I can share these concepts with the youth of America, and help create a more knowledgable society. Because, I believe it is only through knowledge that we can make lasting change.