Social Justice In Education: Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

The social justice in education module made a significant impact on my attitudes and behavior towards children with disabilities and special educational needs. This is one of the concept that I have not come across in my teaching career in the past seven years.

The Special educational needs and disability can be defined as, “A child or a young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him/her. Children have a learning difficulty if they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age or have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in mainstream schools. (Special Educational Needs & Disability Code of Practice, 2014, 0 – 25).

A disabled person is someone who has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial & long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. (Equity Act, 2010).

During my past teaching career I understood special educational needs as the educational requirements of disabled children. I believed the learning difficulties arise only due to the lack of interest on studies if they do not have a visible difficulty. My personal opinion on disabled children was to include them in a special schools and classrooms without intenerate to the mainstream schools as it can be distraction to the normal students. Therefore I believed they should not be included in the main stream of the education, hence include them in separate special schools to follow special curriculum (Palmer & Harley, 2012). The support needed by the disabled children and their parents were overlooked as they were segregated. I have advised parents of the children who had learning difficulties to provide additional tuition to improve subject knowledge. Now I feel really ashamed about my attitudes and thinking in the past towards SEND children. My ignorance and negative attitudes towards them had given bitter experience of learning. I confess that I never thought about the world of disabled person from their point of view. The segregation of disabled children from the society made greater impact on parents to encourage them keep away from the community who should receive equal opportunities. I can feel the pain of those parents where they have no support from any authority. In Sri Lanka, where I come from does not have any special acts and regulations relevant to special educational needs and disability.

However in UK, there are special laws and acts exist to create equal opportunities for SEND children such as 2015 SEND code of practice (0-25), Equality Act of 2010 and Children & Families Act of 2014. In addition to that in 2009, UK has signed the UNCRPD where the article 24 states all the disabled children have right to participate in all forms of main stream education. The “Inclusive Education” is one of the important concept in UK education system which I have not came across in the past. The inclusive education is the education system that includes everyone with non-disabled and disabled people (including those with special educational needs) learning together in mainstream schools, colleges and universities (ALLFIE Organization).

When considering the SEND children in Sri Lankan context, I can see now there are lack of knowledge and support about SEND children is one of the main issue. The disability people were completely isolated from the general education system and the community leaving them helpless. There are no laws and regulations exist in Sri Lanka to mandate SEND children to receive education (Muttiah et al., 2016). Despite the free education system, the disabled children face continuous challenges in accessing education due to insufficient facilities, special schools and lack of trained teachers (Furuta, 2006). Mostly the students with disabilities were isolated from other students and included in special schools or classrooms but with limited resources.

When considering the inclusion in education, Finland is one of the best country in the world with inclusive education system. The education system provides system for disabled students to study in the mainstream schools with additional support. The general and intensified support provided for children who need regular support in their education. The intensified support is available based on pedagogical/medical assessment for children when the general support is insufficient. This will enable them to accommodate SEND children in the mainstream effectively providing equal opportunities for all the children within the mainstream which is similar to embodiment model of disability discourse.

However even there are acts exists in UK to provide support for SEND children and families, the reality looks far from that. As an example the parents with disabled child in UK have right to make school preference for their child, the school or local authority can refuse mainstream placement using 1996 Education act. This grey area of the law put more pressure on parents to go for legal support for the justice. According to the survey conducted by the Alfie organization, during the pandemic 54% of parents with disabled child did not receive sufficient support from the local authority or from school to help home schooling leaving them limited access to the education.

From the Sri Lankan perspective, major restructure required in education system. The laws and regulations should be introduced to protect the rights of education for all the children regardless of their ability to perform. One of the main issue is the parents negative attitudes where they unwilling to provide access to the education for the disabled child (Kalyanpur, 2008). Therefore, the parents should be educated as well as creating positive impact among the communities towards SEND children. Providing more resources to facilitate the SEND children to have access to the mainstream education system is necessary as well as providing teacher education to teach SEND children.

Sometimes the concept of “Inclusive education” is misunderstood as it consider providing the extra support for SEND children to fit into the existing system (Diane Richler 2019). But the main strategy of the inclusive education system should be to change of existing system to provide equal opportunity for everyone regardless of their disabilities. Therefore I believe the education policies should be identified by looking at the world from disabled person’s point of view to understand their requirements to fit into the society where they can benefit from equal opportunities. It is necessary to understand every child’s self-expression and let him/her influence the other human being (Mayall, 2002). In this way can achieve the social justice on SEND children to some extent.

References

  1. Devlin, H. (2018), ‘The thousands of autistic girls and women going undiagnosed due to gender bias’ [online], Available at : https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/sep/14/thousands-of-autistic-girls-and-women-going-undiagnosed-due-to-gender-bias [Accessed on 19 Nov. 2020]

Importance Of Education: New Skills And Knowledge That Will Help Impact Your Future

When you walk into class on that first day of kindergarten, all you can feel is a little bit scared, nervous, or maybe even excited. You don’t realize that that scared or nervous feeling will stick with you all throughout your elementary/high school career. Every new grade you enter into will be different, maybe even more or less exciting than the last one. What you don’t realize is that every day you walk into that classroom, you are learning something new even if the teacher is not teaching, but by checking out your surroundings or listening to other students speak. Every day you are being taught something different than the day before, it may be on the same lesson or a whole new one.

As you grow up in school you begin to see the importance of education, and why it is important to show up. Education gives us the knowledge of the world around us and helps us get ideas to make it into a better place, it changes the world far more than we know. It helps us build up our opinions and teaches us to express them. Attending school helps us build up our character and shapes us into something great, it shows us who we are. When you think about it, nothing is more important than learning to cooperate and work well with others. Education helps us acquire new skills and knowledge that will help impact our future. As we talk about how we want our future to be or what we want our future to hold we keep one thing in mind, and that’s if we want to continue our education or not. Education is not just about being smart, but about fulfilling the duties that we will have as our future selves.

Being educated doesn’t just mean being smart, it also means that you are aware of the world and how things seem to work in it. It mentally and physically prepares you for what the future will hold for you. To lead a good life and to get spiritual and material happiness that lasts for a long time, it is absolutely essential to get educated. Education is the only element that is equally significant for all sects, ethnicity, and social groups because it has the power to uplift everyone. Education is the means of upgrading our skills and attaining more knowledge and it is one of the best means possible. Education starts at home so we should take steps to ensure that the environment in our homes is helpful for our children to learn as much as possible.

Philosophy Of Education: Insights From Key Educational Theorists

From my first twelve weeks of experience in the education module here at the University of Limerick, I have found myself asking numerous questions with regard to my emerging philosophy of education. Questions like what the role of a teacher is nowadays and what kind of teacher would I like to be once it is my time to re-enter the classroom. Also, I have come across interesting debates in my time like the theory-practice debate when educating teachers and the argument of traditional versus modern education in schools. In this essay, I hope to address these key questions and debates to eventually understand my emerging philosophy of education.

Firstly, when addressing my emerging philosophy of education, I have to tackle the important question, what kind of teacher would I personally like to become. From each of the guest speakers, we have had I have gained more insight into what makes a good educator and I have come to the conclusion that I would like to be a respected teacher who is fair and compassionate. My goal as an educator is to give my students quality education that benefits them inside and outside the classroom. In secondary school, my engineering teacher imposed a powerful philosophy of education on me similar to the philosophy I possess today, and this is why I chose to do engineering teaching here at UL. Simply put Education is not just about gaining knowledge of a chosen subject; it is gaining skills, morals, and values that can be applied anywhere. This profound statement is the basis for my teaching philosophy as I believe by educating my students; I can help shape individuals with strong positive characters and ethics and who are competent in whatever they choose to do. These young people who I shape will then continue in life to mold the future of the planet.

In the present, a teacher has a key role in the development of children all the way to early adulthood. They nurture the cognitive development of a child and are often role models of sorts for their students (O’Brien 2019 LL6,3). Throughout the school week, pupils often see their teachers far more than they see their parents or guardians and as a result, much of the upbringing of the child is left off to the teachers in the school. This can be a difficult aspect of the profession however seeing the student blossom and grow into a functioning capable adult can make it all worthwhile. I hope to look after all of my students and make the classroom an environment where they feel they can learn safely.

In the classroom, I have come to believe that students learn through doing, this philosophy I share with John Dewey. When teaching I will hope to create an exciting classroom environment where students are hands-on in their learning. The traditional education system in my opinion only caters to a certain kind of student (O’Brien 2019 LL8,2), a student that has the capability to sit down and book learn, if a particular pupil does not possess this learning trait they get left behind. That is why when it comes to my turn to teaching in schools, I hope to incorporate every student into the learning experience whenever possible. I especially agree with the quote by John Dewey ‘If we teach today’s students as we thought yesterday’s we rob them of tomorrow’ a certain amount of progressive new age teaching methods are needed in the classroom to allow each student to reach their maximum academic potential however I still believe there is some merit to using the past methods which have been proven constructive. From my recent study on Dewey, I have realized that passion for education should accompany a proper understanding of the assigned subjects. It is pointless to be brimming with passion to educate if you have no knowledge of what you’re required to teach. This refers back to the theory-practice debate again.

When discussing the traditional versus progressive education argument John Dewey is not black or white against ‘either-or thinking. He states that “There is always the danger in a new movement that in rejecting the aims and methods of that which it would supplant, it may develop its principles negatively rather than positively and constructively” (Dewey, 1938, 1963, p. 20). Here I believe Dewey is saying that coming with modernizing of teaching comes to a danger that if the modernizing of teaching is to forget about the methods and practices of teaching that came before then it may grow or develop negatively rather than constructively. I agree with this ideology that as the art of educating grows with time it must take into account what has come before and developed on it. I will incorporate this message into my philosophy of education as much as possible

The woman referred to as the spiritual successor to John Dewey, Maxine Greene, agrees with a number of statements made by John Dewey however she also makes some interesting points of her own. “It is when teachers are together as persons, according to norms and principles they have freely chosen, that interest becomes intensified and commitments are made” (Greene, 1978, Teaching the Question of Personal Reality, p. 34). Personally, I agree wholeheartedly with this statement by Maxine Greene. I think that a teacher must be able to empathize and make the teaching and learning experience more intimate so as to enhance the students’ interest in the classroom activity this is a key aspect of my philosophy of education. Another statement by Greene “It should not be impossible for individual teachers to reflect back upon the ways in which they have constituted what they take to be the realities of their lived worlds.” (Greene, M. 1978. Teaching the Question of Personal Reality. Teachers College Record 80, 1, p. 29), I agree with entirely. Essentially here she is saying that teachers should use their past experiences to add to their teaching. This is further emphasized by the statement to “look back, to remember is to bind the incidents of past experience, to create patterns in the stream of consciousness”

Paulo Freire was another of the educational philosophers we studied during our first semester. “Paulo Freire was one of the most important and influential writers on the theory and practice of critical education in the twentieth century and remains extremely influential today” (Apple et al., 2001, 128). Freire produced many publications during his time such as Daring to Dream, Pedagogy of Hope, and Teachers as Cultural Workers. In another of his books Pedagogy of the Oppressed he makes a number of interesting statements one of which is “Instead of communicating, the teacher issues communiques and makes deposits which the students patiently receive, memorize, and repeat”.

When referring to my emerging philosophy of education I must also take into account my personal teaching pedagogical wellbeing. A teacher’s pedagogical wellbeing is “in the core processes of teachers’ work that is, carrying out and developing teaching-learning process, including for example planning classroom activities, interacting with students, making evaluations, and choosing and developing instructional tools” (Soini et al., 2010, p. 737). Being well prepared and educated in the topic you are teaching will ensure an overall positive pedagogical wellbeing which is key to a healthy classroom environment.

The theory-practice debate is an interesting topic that we have covered over the last twelve weeks and I feel as though it is a key part of my emerging philosophy of education and my development as a teacher as a whole. It has been stated that ‘to practice without theory is to sail an uncharted sea; theory without practice is to not set sail at all’ (Susser 1968). I firmly agree with this statement as I think that a healthy balance is needed between theory and practice to create a whole capable teacher. So during the next four years, I plan on completely focusing on the theory aspect when in lectures and tutorials then once it comes to my turn to go on work experience I will make full use of my time and gain as much academic teaching experience as possible. If I follow through with this plan and complete my four years in university I feel as though I will enter the workplace as a more than competent teacher.

Over the coming years, my emerging philosophy of education will continue to change and develop, and I am looking forward eagerly to delving deep into the mindset of John Dewey, Maxine Greene, Paulo Freire, and other renowned educational philosophers. With each week passing and each guest speaker, I grow more certain of my outlook of teaching. In conclusion throughout this essay, I have highlighted what I believe to be the key points in my developing philosophy of education, and I have no doubt that with further reflection and study my philosophy will morph and change again.

Philosophy Of Education: Teacher Experience

I believe the purposes of education are to help kids grow in life and to teach kids what they need to know to become successful in life. Education should provide students with an understanding of Mathematics, English, Science, and Social Studies. An important function of education is training students to become more prepared in life

I believe students learn best when they are in a classroom that fits their needs and when the teacher actually helps them understand a topic better. An important part of learning is to take what you’ve learned and apply it Students should feel like they are safe, learning valuable information, and are becoming smarter, and understanding topics before moving on, in my classroom An environment that is calm and organized is vital to successful learning and effective teaching.

As a teacher, I will help students who are struggling, listen to my students, and I will meet the needs of students to better the learning experiences for all students. I believe an effective teacher exhibits many qualities. For example, if they are able to listen to their students, also if they can respect their students. When teachers listen and respect their students learning is more likely to happen. As a teacher, I will develop these qualities in myself by listening to my students, and not embarrassing my students in front of the class. The curriculum of any classroom should include some sort of math, English, science, social studies. Students must learn about the four core subjects.

As a teacher, I must not only teach the standards but also anything else they need to know about the subject. Teachers must develop students in a variety of ways because not every student is going to learn things the same way as another student. A teacher must work hand-in-hand with the community because it lets the parent and students know that you are not just doing it for the money. There are many things the community and school do together to benefit the community and school such as PTA, booster clubs, and fundraisers. AS a teacher, I will involve the community by hosting fundraisers, fairs, cookouts, book clubs, PTA meetings, and many more activities.

My goal as a teacher is to better kids’ lives so they don’t have to live on the streets, help my students grow as much as I can, give the students the feeling that school is their second home. I can help y students get the best education they can. Also, I will make sure that I won’t give up on my students. I will try my best not to embarrass any of my students because I feel like it was a stupid question. I will also strive to work one-on-one with my students to help each and every one of them grows as needed. I will try to give my students a better mindset about school. Let the kids feel like they can come to me before, during, or after school. I will be able to open my room up during lunch on some days so that students can study for big tests in a mine or any other class. They will also be able to hang out or catch up on any work that they missed.

I know the job of being a teacher is not easy and will be full of challenges. I will do my best to meet my students’ needs and teach them all they need to be prepared for the next grade.

Peculiarities Of Special Education: Teachers And Pupils

Special education give learners with identified disabilities specific instruction intended to meet their one of a kind learning needs, giving them the chance to create to their fullest potential (IDEA).

Special education may be best depicted as an intentional mediation planned to overcome or dispose of the impediments that keep children with inabilities from learning. In other words, it is almost giving children with incapacities with individualized plans of instruction to assist them succeed. (Program Guide 2018)

There’s no “one estimate fits all” approach to special education. It’s custom-made is to meet each learner’s needs. Special education states to a series of services that can be given in different methods and in several settings (The Understood Team 2018).

SPED Teachers

(Sokanu Journal) a special education teacher is somebody who works with children and adolescents who have an assortment of incapacities. Children with uncommon needs require interesting instruction by extraordinarily prepared experts to assist them accomplish their most elevated potential and endeavor to develop afar of their limits. Their work is basically educating them life abilities and fundamental proficiency. They alter lessons to fit the wants of each learner as portion of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Since they will be mindful for teaching learners with a wide variety of incapacities, creating IEPs is significant for these educators (US Handbook).

SPED educators work with learners who have a wide sort of extra ordinary needs and incapacities. These specially-trained educators make and apply suitable educational module and relegate exercises that are particular to each learner’s capacities and needs. SPED educators also include themselves in each learner’s scholastic, social and developmental advancement (Sokanu Journal).

Special education teachers can support the learning of students with intellectual disabilities through the application of differentiated instructions (Kluth, 2013). During this

process, special education teachers implement an altered approach for teaching the curriculum (Brownell et al., 2012).When teachers can customize the curriculum to students’ needs, interests, and strengths, they can provide a flexible approach to good teaching (Dixon et al., 2013).

Learners with Difficulty in Remembering and Concentrating (DIFREM)

Historically, learners with difficulty in remembering and concentrating was once called as mental retardation, but this termed was not utilized as much any longer for it has negative implications, has gotten to be hostile to numerous individuals and frequently comes about in misconception to those who have it. From mental retardation down to mentally challenged as to intellectual disability which is the world-wide latest terminology. But, as for the Philippine system Difficulty in Remembering and Concentrating (DIFREM) is the latest term used as stated in DepEd memo No. 29 series of 2018.

The finding of learners with DIFREM is categorized by a person, who has a blend of deficits in both intellectual task and in adaptive conduct (Parmenter, 2011). Parmenter renowned that learners with difficulty in remembering and concentrating happens when there are limits to a person’s capacity to pick up information at an anticipated level as well as trouble in the routine of useful everyday tasks. Learners with DIFREM discover it more demanding to absorb and process fresh data and accomplish the difficult tasks mandatory for daily living (Ellis, 2013). It is troublesome for these learners to operate in two or more ranges of versatile aptitudes, such as: (a) communication, (b) socialization, (c) day by day living, or (d) conduct (Luckasson & Schalock, 2013). As stated by Luckasson and Schalock, learners with DIFREM, have cognitive working restrictions that sincerely impact their: (a) attention, (b) memory, and (c) their capacity to think dynamically and make simplifications from one setting to another. Learners with these impediments obtain information more gradually than others, and it is trouble for them to perform tasks, which may involve the application of instructional tools to encourage learning (Luckasson & Schalock,). Learners with DIFREM present a distinct scholastic challenge and need for help to attain their educational needs (Luckasson & Schalock, 2013).

Allor, Mathes, Jones, Champlin, and Cheatham (2010) informed that learners with DIFREM discover it hard to: (a) listen, (b) reason, (c) memorize, (d) go to errands, (e) focus on important stimuli, and (f) prepare visual and/or sound-related data.

Based on the assessment of related literature, it has been discovered that there is a lot of resources linked to the two concepts. Hence, this study is intended to focus on the lived experiences whether it’s positive or negative experiences of SPED teachers teaching learners with difficulty in remembering and concentrating.

An Exploratory Study On Importance Of Digital Education: Its Opportunity & Challenges

Abstract

Modern society is moving from an information society to a knowledge society. This research has shown the students opinion regarding the outer world and their creativity depending upon the factors of digital education. The aim of this study is to find out the importance of digital studies in education systems which aid to have the creativity among the students. We all are living in the world of globalization were the use of digital education has become the witnessing for the field of teaching and learning. When we talk about the importance of digital studies in education, it is easier and meaningful to look through the benefits we get through the same. This paper describes the process of creation and knowledge through technology. The use of digital education makes the learner to remember the perception or theory for longer period of time. They convey the significant as words but it gives clear theory which helps to bring productiveness in learning. This paper shows that how much these digital technologies are importance in education and its impact in general. This also shows the evidence, however, that modern devices and means of information transfer are necessary for its development.

Keywords: Digital education, Opportunities, Knowledge & skills, learning

Introduction

Education is very important to every human being as education gives the knowledge and skill to the students. Students need education in order to improve their quality of studies. It’s a human perceive what they see what they react which is based on their perception. Teaching and learning plays a major role in the education system. From the past few years it has been seen that day by day the education has increased in great demand with more modern techniques in the education system. With the standard of education getting higher, learning tools and technology has been developed to make the students learning skills in more effective manner. Increased in demand of digital education leads the students to up to date and maintain the student’s level, which help them to compete with others easily. Students with digital education are become more popular and more interesting in order to growing their knowledge. According to this paper it shows that students learn through engaging methods.

As digital learning is more interactive and memorable as compared to the one-sided lecture. It has been seen that one sided lectures make students duller and less competitive, it shows the less interest for the student’s point of view. As we move from Pedagogy (Child Education) to Andragogy (Adult Education), the essence of providing ideas take more importance to the classical note-making as in Child education. It transforms education from learning to the generation of ideas, various aids like powerpoint presentations, flipcharts, smart boards etc. are introduced for ease of understanding of the learner. In digital education methods, it allows the students to better connect with the learning material and they often offer a more interesting involvement. It automatically reflects in their retention rate and test score, whereas it is very easy from students side to track their own progress and it can improve motivation and accountability. Due to the technology keeps on advancing and it is becoming very essential to our lives. Digital education is making its way into the education system of India. It is helpful to all as it aims to break the numerous barriers that prevent people from receiving quality education. Online education in India is growing at a CAGR (Compound annual growth rate) of approximately 19% by 2020. Where as in India of 70 percent over the past 12 months. As per the survey India is the third largest country for online learning after US and China.

According to this paper we can see that how the digital education makes its ways to reach heights and growth in the field of the education system and how it has been increasing its demand in the young generation who highly depends on the digital education.

The objective of the study

  • To find out the acceptance of digital education as a part off training among teachers and academicians
  • To understand, if Smart/Digital classroom is the need of the hour
  • To analyze the students view on the use of the digital education system of learning

Methodology

This paper is based on the primary and secondary sources analysis concepts on demand and opportunity of Digital education. Basically, this research had tried to show the student’s opinion and their needs towards the education systems by analyzing in terms of questionnaires and interviews conducted in the two colleges of West Bengals and different research papers, books and websites.

Literature Review

Saima Rasul (2011) in a research paper entitled “A study to analyze the effectiveness of audiovisual aids in teaching’’ has tried to show the importance of education in each one of life. How the education rules in the teaching and learning of the student’s development in an effective manner. Due to the change in time and technique the teaching concept has been changed a lot and for the development of the students and its required it is necessary to follow the path of effective teaching. To meet the requirement of digital education in an effective manner, it is necessary to meet or arise the student’s interest of learning and helps the teacher to explain the concept in an easier manner.

Gideon Boadu(2014) in a research paper entitled “An examination of the use of technology in the teaching’’ has change the trend in education system as now the it’s an increase in the demand of technology to meet the requirement of each and every one. According to Amezdo (2007), the world has reached the stage where the role of technology has taken a major role in the education system. Digitalization advancement over the year has led to significant and different changes in human behavior.

Doosuur Ashaver and Sandra MwueseIg yuve (2013) in a paper entitled “The use of audiovisual material in the teaching and learning process in Education”, point out that it helps the students and faculties to overcome physical difficulties of presenting the subject topic. Basically, it breaks the distance of improve the difference between communication. The study shows that students donot retain for long and easily understand the concept whatever they are taught. Such learning does not encourage the lack of interest or stimulation. It evaluates the needs of students and teacher’s.It identifies that audio-visual studies material in education can existence for long term. This may tend to expose the learner more to thinking. There are numerous benefits that a student can utilize from the use of audiovisual studies aids and quick understanding weight more.

Jerome Bruner (1974) the American learning psychologist, he differentiates between the methods of confronting reality and acquiring in the learning process.

  • En active: Active dealing
  • Iconic: Dealing according to the media
  • Symbolic: Dealing through media of thought

Aims of Digital Education:

Question and answer and taking feedback in a programmed teaching

Selection and work through the prescribed link

Participating in the tutorial dialogues for a training exercise

Opening a comments windows

Drill and practice programmed

Conducting original experiments

The above mentioned are some of the possibilities that we can work on it for increasing the activity and interactivity.It puts the students in a situation from were they can gain information, to take a look at the learning programme.

Government efforts towards Digital Education

The government of India ministry of Human Resources Development has introduce the National Mission on Education through information and communication technology. Its main objective is to increase the quality of education system by introducing the digital education with quality content accessible to all learners. Some of the initiative under this program is:

  1. SWAYAM
  2. SWAYAM PRABHA
  3. National Digital Library
  4. Spoken Tutorial
  5. Free and Open Source Software for Education (FOSSEE)
  6. Virtual lab
  7. E –Yantra

These are the following scheme through which the students can learn more and connect towards the digital education, a scheme Operation Digital Board for establishing Smart class room.

Opportunities of Digital Education

India is one of the world fastest growing countries. One of the largest vertical markets in audiovisual is higher education. Audiovisual studies are the important in teaching and learning. According to education in India, published by Grant Thornton, the primary and secondary education, or K-12 sector is expected to reach $ 50 billion in 2015 growing at an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 percent. Over the past 8-9 years, Indian education centre has demonstrated that their ability to adopt digital education is no lesser than anybody else in the world. Due to this many education centre has adopted audio-visual technologies It has a great advantage as it makes the education contextualized. Using the high quality of digital education material will make every learner will find a joy and increase interest towards education. In the past many proposal has been made by the government of India regarding e-education and this could be a very great opportunity to take up the digital education across the country.

The benefit of digital learning in the education is extremely large. The ability of digitalization in learning is personalized. The digital tools make it possible for everyone to target instructional material to each student. Time has change completely were the students, as well as teachers, have understood the importance of digitalization that collaborative learning increases the student’s engagement as well as it improve the learning outcome, which helps the students to create a image of more interactive as well as interesting session. It is an easy to help the students to identify the use and importance of each and every topic related to their basic daily development and growth. But according to the research, it shows that it is somehow related to the money problem in education tech. As apart from this the digital learning creates a good impact on students as they have also agree on this.

Findings

The aim of this research is to find out the student’s perception towards digital education and its opportunity and demand in the education systems through questionnaires.

Questionnaire

Responses

A total number of 100 respondents expressed their response on the said research.

Your views on A/V Classroom as a future of Training methodology in India?

A total 65 number of respondents answered to this question and it was summarized that 60 out of 65 respondents felt that this is the future of education, and rest 5 discussed about the need of basic education and developing the presently available resources and how to best utilize them. The points derived from these questions included,

  1. Interest in learning process
  2. Enhanced Learning
  3. Digitization of education
  4. Costly
  5. Problem of availability

Conclusion

Digital education opens new opportunities for every segment of learner, from basic education to the highest education, all segment of learner appreciate the ease of understanding any cintent when visually displayed, it is the greatest concern for everyone to connect between education and technology. As this is the age of technology, and the entire system has been transformed to digitization. In the same time we see that many researcher and educators and working throughout the country that depends on digital learning and how it can be used to deliver quality education to the students. Even though the government has taken some steps to make the education system more convenient and easier, the availability of vast amount of information on the internet has all types of learning material with ease of accessibility, which needs to be adopted and start entirely and completely throughout the country.

References

  1. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/00346543026002125
  2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/109019816700102507
  3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257714690_A_study_to_analyze_the_effectiveness_of_audio_visual_aids_in_teaching_learning_process
  4. https://www.worldwidejournals.com/international-journal-of-scientific-research-(IJSR)/article/the-role-of-audio-visual-aids-in-teaching-and-learning
  5. https://www.worldwidejournals.com/international-journal-of-scientific-research-(IJSR)/article/the-role-of-audio-visual-aids-in-teaching-and-learning
  6. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265084886_Students’_attitudes_towards_the_use_of_audio_visual_aids_during_didactic_lectures_in_pharmacology
  7. http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/3/336
  8. https://www.quora.com/What-is-digital-learning-and-its-importance
  9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/216361364_Impact_of_Digital_Technology_on_Education

The Importance Of Education Program For Nurses And Healthcare Assistants In The UK

A non-equivalent control group study was conducted by Chan, et al (2012) exploring the effects of a foot and toenail care protocol for older adult in the context of hospitals. A non-equivalent control group is a type of quasi-experimental studies in which a minimum of two groups with similar characteristics are non-randomly allocated and it has a 2.d evidence level as per Joanna Briggs Institute levels of evidence-effectiveness (Briggs, 2014). In this study, a total of 160 participants were recruited from a geriatric ward in a general hospital in Hong Kong of which 150 completed the study. Because of the extended period of time in which Hong Kong was a British colony (156 years), the health care system has similar features to the public health system in UK (Kong et al, 2015). Therefore, we can asseverate that this research study is relevant to the purpose of this essay. Moreover, foot problems are common in elderly population in all races, as the feet get wider and flatter and create deformities as we age (Muchna et al, 2018).

In this particular study, the participants were men and women over 65 with a mean age of 78.9 who were allocated into two groups. All participant in both groups had an initial assessment for which nurses and HCA’s were trained in a 2-hour workshop. However, only the intervention group received foot and toenail care as per the care protocol developed. The protocol was developed using literature review and with the expertise of a panel of a multidisciplinary team specialised in geriatric care which included podiatrists, nurses, geriatricians and academics. The result of this study concluded that after the training, the nurses were able to identify that 89.3% of the participants had foot problem, that the 52% had nail problems and that 10% of the patients that wear shoes did not meet the criteria for shoe fit selection that were not identified before. In addition, after day 6 the intervention group agreed that there was a significant increase of foot health (Chan, et al 2012). The research study proves that education programs for nurses increases the knowledge on foot care and toenail care that would benefit especially the quality of life of the elderly and it supported by Fijii, et al (2020), Pataky, et al (2017), Christesen, et al (1990) and Mikkola, et al (2019) among others.

Similarly, Fijii, et al (2020) conducted a study in a non-randomised control trial of 87 participants in Japan. In this case, the study is focus in nurses and care workers in the context of community nursing. A control trial is a quantitative study that seek to compare and measure outcomes and assess the effectiveness of an intervention (Kendall, 2003). Participant were non randomly selected because that was what the providers wanted due to short of staffing or personal circumstances; however, the bias was partly avoided because nurses did not know each other, they did not know the type of intervention they would receive, and because one of the inclusion criteria was that they had never received intervention program before (Kumar and Yale, 2016). The aim of the study was to assess first the level of knowledge of both group (control and intervention group) and, second, the difference before and after the education program in the intervention group. The education program consisted on PowerPoint presentation, 10 minutes motion picture material, foot-care booklet, foot care assessment sheet and nail fail and foot file. The intervention lasted 2 months and concluded that educational program resulted in an improvement in foot care knowledge and practices, especially in early detection in a 79% and an 88.4% increased their knowledge in nail care.

Another quantitative interventional research was conducted in Switzerland to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program to prevent foot complications (Pataky et al, 2007). 128 nurses and 67 HCAs took part in the study. The educational program consisted in a combination of theory -leaflets and posters- and practice -in which the nurses and HCAs would attend the specialist consultation with the patient during a twelve-month period-. The study shows that the initial baseline in foot care knowledge of nurses was 47% and of HCAs was 29%. After the twelve-month intervention, the knowledge improved to an 85.7% and 72.2% respectively. However, transfer bias has been detected in this research that could have affected the result of the research. In this case, the number of participants that responded to the questionnaire after the intervention period decreased from 128 to 84 in nurses and from 67 to 54 for HCAs. Transfer bias occur when participants are lost during the follow-up, it can be avoided by having different way of contacting the participant to facilitate the response of the questionnaire (Pannuci and Wilkins, 2010).

The effectiveness of foot programs was the focus of another interventional paper research (Christensen et al, 1990) in USA. In this case, the intervention consisted in assessment tool workshops and guidelines for treatment of different conditions. 23 nurses attended a foot an education program. The baseline knowledge were assessed before and it showed a 65% of correct answers. Two months after the intervention program, the knowledge in foot care increased a 10%. 91% of nurses reported that they had improved their knowledge and that they feel more confident in foot related problems and especially in the care of the toenail.

One common outcome of two of the research papers is that nurses would like to have more training in the future (Fijii, et al, 2020a; ). Continuing education is essential in nursing to give a safe and effective care to our patients and its part of our professional responsibility (NMC, 2014) but protocol and guidelines on foot care and nailcare for our elderly has to be offered in our workplace and this is not happening. Several studies has assessed the knowledge of nurses and HCAs in foot care and the conclusion is that nurses have a poor understanding on foot care and they recognise the need of having a training program and well design protocol in this matter.

Fujii, et al (2020b) conducted a cross-sectional study using a random cluster sample aiming to explore the foot care knowledge of nurses and care workers in the context of community in Japan. Cross-sectional study is a type of observational study that assess the prevalence of an outcome in a specific time (Setia, 2016). As it is randomised, the level of evidence is 4.b as per Joanna Briggs Institute levels of evidence-effectiveness (Briggs, 2014). 232 nurses and care workers participated in the survey which included questions about foot care knowledge, foot care practice and perception about foot care. The nurses and care workers were divided into two groups. The study concluded that 53.2% of nurses and 78.2% of care workers considered that the foot education they receive is insufficient, only 4.8% and 0.6% of the participants had confidence in foot care practices which included nailcare proving that nailcare is challenging for both groups. In addition, 78.7% of nurses and 75.7% of care workers agree that a foot care protocol were necessary.

Similarly, nurses’ knowledge in toenail care was also assessed by Tuner and Quine (1996). 100 people participated in this cross-sectional study in Australia of which 49 were nurses and 51 HCAs. Of those, an 87% of the participants didn’t have any previous training in foot care or toenail care. They were showed photographs of nails and asked to assess the nail, whether they will cut the nails and the actions they will take. The result showed that 25% of the nurses and HCAs told they were not confident of cutting the nails because of lack of knowledge or experience. This study also shows lack of assessment skills in 18% of nurses sending patients with no conditions to podiatrist and only 9% were able to recognise fungal infections. Conclude also that nurses need to be taught basic nail care including toe cutting.

In contrast, in Finland the knowledge of foot care of community nurses show a slightly different result. This cross-sectional survey was conducted by Stolt, et al (2015) in Finland. In this case 651 community nurses participated in a study aimed to assess the knowledge of foot care of nurses. The results showed a higher number of correct answers, a 68.5%. Probably due to the fact that only nurses participated in the research and, of those, a 71% occasionally received some kind of foot training. Nevertheless, 39% considered that the foot care education they receive is insufficient in the workplace.

Another interesting outcome of the research paper is that nurses realises that with educational foot programs they can focus in prevention not just in treating a problem (Christensesn, et al, 2007). Pataky, et al (2007) also mentioned that prevention reduces complications and, therefore, is cost benefit for the healthcare system and Fijii, et al (2020) highlighted that due to the increase of the aging population, foot care prevention would help to alleviate the elevated cost of medical care.

Overidentification In Special Education

Introduction

Special Education has been a shifting department for the past decade. There have been new laws in place, a changing DSM5, and new findings regarding disabilities. With many different changes that are constantly happening, there is an uncertain amount of identifications within special education. In this paper we are going to discuss the issue of overidentification in special education. Overidentification in special education is when there are a surplus of students being given IEPs, or too many students are being identified to receive outside services. Overidentification happens throughout many school districts, and throughout many psych units or hospitals. This is an issue currently because there are too many students with IEP services that are not being met due to a large amount of IEP’s and services. There has been an increase of students qualifying for special education, and there has been an increase in disabilities over the past decade (cite). That being said, there has been more of a demand given on special education teachers and related service teachers to provide for all of these students. The question that comes to the surface is, are we identifying the students with the appropriate diagnosis, or should they have a diagnosis?

Identification Process

A student may be referred for an initial evaluation to determine eligibility by a parent, teacher, or state educational agency. The school’s multidisciplinary team will review screenings, responses to interventions, and student’s performance to review progress and recommend an evaluation. A multidisciplinary team comprising of a special education teacher, general education teacher, school psychologist, and a school administrator are responsible for deciding which evaluation to use and administer to determine eligibility. A written consent from the parents is required before a district may begin testing. If and when the evaluation results show that a student has a disability under IDEA and requires special education services, individual academic and functional needs will be addressed in an Individual Education Plan. Child find is another process by which a school districts are responsible to screen, identify and evaluate, if necessary, students with potential disabilities to determine their need for special education (Yell, 2019).

Categories of Disabilities

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, there are thirteen categories by which a student may be found eligible to receive special education or related services. The categories include Autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairments, other health impairment, emotional disturbance, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairments (Yell, 2019). In the state of Connecticut, student’s aged 3-6 may be found eligible under developmental delay if a student show delays in one or more of the following areas including social/emotional, cognitive, communication, adaptive, or physical development. Only students with disabilities included under IDEA and which have a significant impact on their education, can receive special education and related services. In 2017-2018, about 34% of students receiving special education services were identified as having specific learning disabilities, 19% speech or language impairments, 14% other health impairments, and 5-10% were identified with autism, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbances (The Condition of Special Education, 2018).

Variables of Over-Identification

The variables for overidentification change across school districts. The variables that have come up in research and discussion is gender, race, and socioeconomic status.

Gender

Sullivan and Bal (2013) used a sample of 1800 students across thirty nine districts and assessed students’ risk of being identified. They found that males were more likely to be identified than females. Anderson (1997) researched gender bias and special education referrals. “The US Department of Education reported 72% of learning disabled population as male, 28% female” (Anderson, 1997, p. 151-152).

Socioeconomic Status

When studying poverty level, Sullivan and Bal also found that students who received free and reduced lunch were more likely to be identified than peers who did not receive free and reduced lunch (Sullivan & Bal, 2013).

Race

Through their descriptive analysis, the study showed that African American students were more likely to be identified for special education. Language barriers is a contribution to over-identification when focusing on students of various races and cultures. Some students are identified for a disability when Early Language Learner is still an option for the students, which would not classify as an eligibility for special education.

Minorities in Special Education

As mentioned in the variables category, minorities are a concerning variable when looking at overidentification. Races impacted by the services of special education range from African American, Latino American, Native American, and more. Students of different races are identified in special education, but there is a connection to language barriers (Chinn & Hughes, 1987). Some students are being identified for special education, but ELL support is sometimes the appropriate track for these students before being eligible for special education services. Researchers have studied socio-economic status along with race, but there has been more tangible proof that it is the reason for identification in special education.

Potential Reasons for Misidentification

There are many factors which contribute to the misidentification of students who receive special education. Either in isolation or combined, potential factors which may contribute are poverty levels and student demographics, quality of schools and educators, and the ability to implement interventions with fidelity prior to a students referral to special education.

Poverty and Student Demographics

A child’s access to education at an early age provides fundamental skills needed for success later in their educational career. Early childhood educational programs including Head Start are federally funded to support children from families with incomes below the poverty rate access quality education. If a young child misses or does not reach early developmental milestones, he or she might be misidentified due to a lack of exposure. In the state of Connecticut, a child is legally required to attend school by age 5.

Quality of Schools and Educators

Schools are the principal institution responsible for educating all students and ensuring their success. Funding plays a major role in the amount of qualified staffing and supports and the conditions in which educators must navigate to provide equal educational opportunities for all children. Larger districts with a wide range of general education and special education supports face larger student to teacher ratios and political demands. Title I assessment reports show high poverty schools also have a high rate of inexperienced and uncertified teachers (Artiles, 2002). Overburdened teachers may have the misleading belief that a student will make more progress if identified under special education.

Response to Intervention

Prior to a student’s referral to special education, interventions in general education are used to provide support to a student in areas of learning where he or she is not making grade level progress. Interventions are research based and used to interpret data relative to a student’s progress, and requires trained and qualified staff to deliver such instruction. When interventions are not completed with fidelity or interpreted correctly, students are referred to special education. In 2004, Congress noted concerns regarding the increasing number of students who receive special education and how it may be avoided if instructional support and interventions had been provided sooner. Since the push for stronger evidence-based practices, the number of students identified as having a specific learning disability, the largest population served by special education, has declined by 12.4% since 2001 (Brue, 2011).

Parent Input

As a part of the Planning and Placement Team, parental input is a deciding factor on a student’s eligibility in special education. Some parents refuse special education services, and some parents fight for the services. There is a questioning factor if the special education services are needed, or of the best interest of the student. Special education includes one to one support, small groups, and accommodations that some parents see fit for their child, so the pressure from parents to identify a child in an educational setting is a factor in overidentification.

Conclusion

The evolution of rights for people with disabilities continues to grow since the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. According to the State Department of Education, in Connecticut, students with IEP’s account for 15% of the student population (Werth, 2019). With diverse school districts across the country, practices in education vary even within states, making identification of students who require special education unique and isolated based on gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Diagnosing a student is not an exact science, there are guidelines and evaluation results, with a wide range of expertise among personnel to determine eligibility. It is impossible to eliminate human error and create an unbiased educational system. It is important to keep in mind as educators,

References

  1. Anderson, K.G. Ann. of Dyslexia (1997) 47: 151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-997-0024-8
  2. Artiles, A. J., Harry, B., Reschly, D. J., & Chinn, P. C. (2002). Over-Identification of Students of Color in Special Education: A Critical Overview. Multicultural Perspectives, 4(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327892mcp0401_2
  3. Brue, A. (2011). Legal Implications of RTI and Special Education Identification | RTI Action Network. Retrieved October 14, 2019, from Rtinetwork.org website: http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn/ld/legal-implications-of-response-to-intervention-and-special-education-identification
  4. Chinn, P. C., & Hughes, S. (1987). Representation of Minority Students in Special Education Classes. Remedial and Special Education, 8(4), 41–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/074193258700800406
  5. Sullivan, Aanda L., and Aydin Bal. “Disproportionately in Special Education: Effects of Individual and School Variables on Disability Risk.” Exceptional Children vol. 79, no. 4, 2013, pp. 475–494., doi:10.1177/001440291307900406.
  6. The Condition of Education – Primary, Elementary, and Secondary Education – Elementary and Secondary Enrollment – Children and Youth With Disabilities – Indicator April (2018). (2018). Retrieved from Ed.gov website: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cgg.asp
  7. Werth, J. (2019, October 11). Navigating Local Education for Students with Special Needs in Connecticut. Retrieved December 5, 2019, from The Connecticut Examiner website: https://ctexaminer.com/2019/10/10/navigating-local-education-for-students-with-special-needs-in-connecticut/
  8. Yell, M. L. (2019). The Law and Special Education (Fifth Edition, p. 57; ). New York, Ny: Pearson.

Value of Education: Opinion Essay

The time that I found the schooling system to be a “place of sanctuary” in my life would have to be NEVER… The day that I realized that the school system was designed to inculcate the minds of the youth and that the school system’s main intention was designed to promote propaganda (a message designed to persuade an audience to think or behave in a certain manner) amongst the minds of the youth at a young age. Which in effect, laid down a lifestyle of principles that was heavily influenced by the school system. This was in fact the day that I realized school necessarily was instead a place of ritualistic initiation imposed upon the youth by the government, rather than the school system is looked upon as a place of sanctuary.

I maintain that the civil authorities are under obligation to compel the people to send their children to school. For example, in factory schools, transition teaching dominates where the teacher is standing at the front of the classroom, and the teacher transmits information to the students within the class. Standardization of teaching, testing, and learning rates, paired with respect for authority rather than the exploration of truth and not to mention the promotion of uniformity and orthodoxy behavior rather than innovation. The progress from an individual standpoint is to name but only a few reasons for my interpretation of what the school system is true. How could one look at the school system with such a keen eye on a positive note when taking into consideration the fact that the school system has in actuality done more harm than good?

When taking into consideration the fact that even the basis and foundation of the roots and beginnings of the educational system were predicated upon stripping away the individuality of the individual. Also to provide a situation that promotes more of an equality of outcome scenario than equality of opportunity. The different types of events were instead the passing down of traditional morals and specific philosophies on life.

The educational system you could say even plays more of a role in determining the success of a child’s future than the parents. Schools are, in a sense, like factories. Their product is the minds of the youth, ready to be shaped and fashioned to meet the various demands of life. From my own perspective, the purpose of receiving an education is to make a unique individual out of a conformist. It should furnish and enlighten an individual as a whole.

Education should allow one to find values and morals, which would act more like a roadmap to help traverse through this experience we call life. The purpose of education is to provide us as individuals with the tools that help establish the awareness to help determine what is truly important in this life. Anything else that leads an individual to conformity rather than to discover the power and potential stored within each individual could be looked upon as propaganda and or indoctrination. This, I stand against wholeheartedly.

The United States is considered the most powerful country in the world. But when the educational system is compared to other countries, the United States is at the bottom of the totem pole. Over the years the value of education has drastically decreased mainly by the huge uproar of the advance of technology. The advance in technology seems to be crippling the youth of today, all generations actually are being brainwashed and distracted by technology. During my high school years, students pass the class by doing the bare minimum. But it is our psychological imprisonment placed upon ourselves from technology that seems to be the very thing that often gives off the illusion of imprisonment. But again the key to unlocking the shackles which keep one bound to psychological slavery is knowledge. Knowledge, dedication, and discipline over a prolonged period of time are often essential to obtaining the keys to freedom. But few are willing to put in the work that goes into acquiring such knowledge. But to the individual in pursuit of this knowledge, this turns the game in your favor and in the favor of the greater good of all.

Because so many people waste their limited time on this planet so willingly and ignorantly, the path to the top is actually easier to obtain and keep control of. That is because once you understand that indeed it is lonely at the top, you then awaken to the realization that, the rulebook by which you utilize and abide as your guide through life is in fact a rulebook only very few possess.

Now I can admit that one thing the educational system does provide an individual with is perhaps the ticket to true freedom. The end goal of school should be to help equip our youth with the knowledge and ability to move towards a specific life path. Towards a career. But as we can see, if we look at the history of what the school system has managed to do thus far when looking at the layout objectively, it wouldn’t be hard to discover that actually, the opposite is in

Essay on Value of Education

The United State of America does not have free education for students, at least at the higher levels. Due to increasing levels of student debt, people are now suggesting that college education should be free. Free education would mean that the government would provide the funds for any student to attend college without concern of debt. This also means more taxes as well as shifting their funds. Although some people think college should be free, it is clear that it would be a mistake because it would decrease personal freedoms for much of the general population and it would reduce quality.

To begin with, free education would decrease the personal freedoms of too much of the population. According to Vince Norton, “Taxes will go up and… whether they have college-age children or not – will pay for the free college.” This explains that people would no longer be able to spend their money as much as they would if taxpayers did not have to pay for the education of others, which declines the personal freedom of the population. The author also states, some students might be nonconformists, and college dropouts, which means taxpayers will have to pay for them additionally. Therefore, the overall population would have to pay more taxes for others despite some of them will not take college seriously, taking away personal freedoms of individualities might have more of a substantial impact than making free colleges, which means that the personal freedom of individuals would out benefit free tuition of others.

Additionally, a free college tuition program is a bad idea for the US when you consider how it decreases the quality and value of higher education. Free college sounds like it can only bring good things to students, but when looking at the facts, it is clear that it hurts the quality of the student’s educational experience. Hillary Clinton was once asked what she thought free higher education would do for our country and she explained that “it demands a willful postponement of disbelief to conclude that “free” education will increase higher education. Maybe it is beneficial for politics, but making college free will only make it critical.” She is not the only person who has come to realize the ugly truth that free does not mean better quality. David Brooks states that when students have nothing to lose financially, they tend to have less motivation to do well. According to research, many students are required to work due to they are obligated to pay for their college tuition expenses, and students are even more motivated due to their current salaries which cover a small portion of their tuition expenses, and they work more diligently in order to graduate. If students do not have the motivation to do well, then their attitudes will reflect and change the atmosphere of their classes. When considering the public education system k-12 in America, it is clear that student apathy on a large scale affects the learning of the students around them as well as demoralizes the teachers. If this were to happen at a college level, it would have a devastating impact on such a crucial point in building their future careers.

This free tuition program will only be available to public colleges, which leaves out many top colleges such as Harvard. Students are now able to receive financial aid from the government to both public and private colleges, but once the public becomes free, it will significantly affect private colleges. Kevin James explains this issue by showing that making only public free, will limits students’ choices because “many private institutions, now trying to compete with a highly-subsidized, free public option, would likely struggle to survive” and by reducing students’ options, the public colleges would feel significantly less pressure to effectively serve students. Both reducing students’ options for quality education and creating a system that cripples the level of excellence expected from higher education shows how harmful free education will be for future college students.

It is not only harmful to the quality of education; it also will affect the value of education as well. If college tuition is available at no cost to students, a larger number of people will surge the already bursting colleges. College is used to further people’s opportunities in life and make them more marketable for their desired careers and set them apart from their competition. With the job market already flooded with graduates, it makes for a very competitive starting point. Martin Bozeman talks about this current problem and then goes on to say that if college was now free and thousands of more people entered the same job market with the same degree, how are you going to make yourself more employable than the countless others wanting the same job? He goes on to say that, “your education can only go so high, also including so many people occupying the same one, there will not be enough opportunity to find employment.” If there are more people all holding the same free degree, the degree loses its value, and you will have to do more and more to make yourself stand out against the others. If everyone owned a Tesla, it would no longer hold the value that it does now. A high school diploma is the very basic education required for a minimum-wage job because nearly all Americans have one. If the college degree becomes the new status quo, employers will start to require even more. To summarize, having some financial equity in your college degree not only motivates you to work harder, but also ensures that your higher education maintains high standards in quality and that your degree will continue to hold value in the job market.

However, some people assume that colleges should provide free tuition. According to Hunter Thordsen, if students did not have to worry about paying for their college each semester, then they would be able to give all of their attention to their studies. It is understandable why they think free higher education would improve students’ motivation and focus, yet the reality would look very different. If tuition was free, and students had nothing to lose, they may not be as driven to succeed. When students invest in their education, they know that if they do not do well, then not only will they have to retake their class, but they also lose their investment. For example, Redbox has a policy where if you fail to return the item on time, they will charge you daily until it is returned. When people have the incentive of saving their money, they are more likely to return the item on time. If students paid for their classes, they would want to get their money’s worth and would focus more on passing. In sum, when students pay for their tuition, they will be more determined to complete their classes than they would be if they had no money to lose.

To conclude, government-funded college would be a mistake because it would diminish personal freedoms and cause the quality and value of college degrees to decline. Evidence has shown that the increased taxes to fund this program will move the financial burden from some to all. The taxes will decrease necessary disposable income and in turn, limit personal freedoms. The quality and value of education are also negatively impacted. Free tuition will lower student motivation, eventually decrease the standards of public education in higher education, and will reduce the value of the degree due to an influx of graduates.