Scholarship Prompt #1 by Tempe Baune by Tempe

Scholarship Prompt #1 by Tempe Baune by Tempe - September 2025 Scholarship Essay

The education system has undergone many changes throughout the years. I currently find the system lacking in several key areas, including class size, resource management, and technology management. If these three problems, only three out of many, were addressed, the education system would be significantly improved for everybody. Let us look at fundamental changes at every level.
First, let’s do some soul-searching about class sizes, but not in a regular classroom, since you won’t be able to hear yourself think in there! From my perspective, classes are far too large, and I’ve listened to teachers who agree. The current class sizes are much too large. At my school, a class can have up to thirty-nine students. How can students learn effectively if they don’t feel comfortable asking questions or can’t hear the teacher? How can a single teacher or a new teacher manage a class of thirty-nine students? When you add in the number of students with accommodations due to their IEPs, 504s, and Modified Diplomas, how are teachers supposed to manage large classes and students requiring special accommodations? Plus, students are not spread around classes equally, so some classes have too many students, while others have barely any.
Next, let's discuss resource management and explore potential changes. The way that schools manage resources could use a lot of change. Let’s first look at the amount of paper that schools use. Currently, even with Chromebooks, schools use a lot of paper. So, even if schools can’t go entirely paperless, let’s look at ways the schools can be more eco-friendly. I believe that if schools had a memorable yearly field trip, where students and teachers could plant trees in areas affected by forest fires, we could become more environmentally friendly. The schools would be giving back to the environment, which could inspire students to take further action. A way to make this event fun for students is to turn it into a friendly competition with prizes, encouraging them to participate. Another way to reduce the amount of paper schools use is to switch to an entirely paperless system. Now, I’ve done a bit of research and I think that writing tablets would be an excellent idea; however, as of right now, they’re expensive. Currently, writing tablets are less accessible than Chromebooks, primarily because the technology is relatively new. So, I know that in a couple of years, the technology of writing tablets will take off, and writing tablets will become more accessible.
The final topic is technology management, which is a significant issue, especially when it comes to younger students. Children are being introduced to technology and the internet way too early, which is particularly concerning given that their brains are still developing. When children are introduced to technology too soon, it impacts their brain development, causing their attention span to shorten considerably. One of my teachers told me that they’ve heard cases of children having access to technology when they can’t even spell their own name yet. How can a child who can’t spell their own name yet be expected to use technology responsibly? I get that technology is a fact of life and even a requirement, but unrestricted access shouldn’t be allowed. I believe children shouldn’t have access to technology until third grade, allowing them to develop their reading and writing skills. In my vision of the future of the educational system, children would be introduced to a restricted form of technology so they can learn how to use it responsibly and safely.
Over the years, the educational system has experienced many changes, both good and bad. I believe that if the system’s policies on class size, resource management, and technology management were to change, the schools would be better off. Don’t get me wrong, the educational system is far from perfect, but these are issues that I’m passionate about, which is why I chose to talk about them.