Category: Inequality in Education

Jobs today in the economy are still facing polarization and being precarious like it was around the mid-1900s. There are still many low-paying jobs that don’t require as much skill and knowledge which are mostly occupied by marginalized groups, and many people feel insecure about their jobs for a big reason. Technology advancement has greatly increased and it affects job markets by making technology-related majors more in demand as well as making it more competitive so not as many job occupations are being taken over by artificial intelligence and machines. Most people in the United States have had some sort of education and even now in the 21st century, education is the most common way for many students and adults to learn the material that they need or want and apply it in the labor market to find a job with the career they want. Marginalized groups of students are faced with obstacles such as racism and sexism from their teachers and unequal opportunities that try to deter them from completing their education, which can lead to them not getting enough education for high-paying jobs and cause more lower-paying jobs to be made for marginalized groups to fill the gap. Proposing and applying equal education and opportunity would make schools a better environment because there would be no segregation and all students could interact with each other and form friendships and connections. It could also be a possible solution to make jobs better for the future job markets by increasing rates of successful students completing their higher education and graduating from universities. The increase in college graduates will promote higher-paying jobs to be made while getting rid of lower-paying jobs to reduce polarization. Equal education can especially give marginalized students the opportunity to prove the skills that they learned in higher education and apply them in the job market to make jobs less precarious by being prepared with the skills they need for the job they want. All schools implementing equal education would solve the problem of inequality and discrimination in schools by giving all students equal opportunities in their education to help them fit in our economy and possibly make it boom once again.

Equal education will make all schools correspond to each other by making all classes available for all students of color to take without them being denied from taking the classes they want due to racism. According to Professor Dick Startz Brown Center Chalkboard from Brookings Institution, “Only 36 percent of high schools where the majority of students are black offer a calculus course. In contrast, 60 percent of majority-white schools offer calculus. It’s hard to see how this makes for equal opportunity.” This greatly hinders black students’ chances of applying for STEM majors because most of them didn’t have an opportunity to learn the required math class so they are behind white students in progress during college. Technology-related jobs are in high demand and really competitive because of technological advances. Students of color who are behind in their education due to inaccessible courses could lose their chance to apply for tech companies or have it delayed while students are very likely to land a job which can cause the gap to be larger. The United States has been fighting for educational equality for a very long time and it is a solution to many economic problems if it is ever truly implemented. Andreas Schleicher and Pablo Zoido from the Journal of Social Issues state that “Providing equal opportunities for all, giving every student the same chances to succeed, creating the right conditions for all students regardless of socioeconomic background, gender, or origin, all of these are goals most governments aspire to.” and “Providing every student with basic skills and then exploring ways to go beyond the basics are critical goals for countries that want to participate in an increasingly globalized and interconnected world” ( Schleicher and Zoido 697). According to ProPublica’s database which is based on civil rights data from the U.S. Department of Education, the average of the nation’s white students are 80% more likely to be in an AP class compared to black students and it mostly involves the Southern States. Implementing equal opportunities would reduce the gaps between students of different skin colors and give them equal chance to learn and show others how intelligent they really are as well as debunk bad stereotypes about them. If the goal of equal education that most government wants is ever truly reached, the effect of equal education and opportunity is creating more highly educated students for the job markets to reduce polarized jobs by getting rid of low-class jobs and increasing middle and high-class jobs. The boost in the economy can benefit countries by greatly increasing the development of the country and technology, and this gives the government more reason to keep on pushing policies and laws to fight for equal education and a better future.

Although students of color suffer most from education inequality, there is a certain group that faces education inequality as well but not due to racial discrimination. The group that also faces education inequality is females due to sexism. According to Batuhan Aydagül from the Istanbul-based quarterly magazine, Turkish Policy Quarterly, “Turkey’s progress towards gender equality in education has been limited, hindered by the overall gender gap in national politics and economics” (Aydagül 46-47). Also, Eva Iversen and Else Oestergaard from Forced Migration Review state that “Men are traditionally supposed to be breadwinners, while women are expected to become mothers and wives, and their education is therefore considered less important” (Iversen and Oestergaard 1). These two quotes from different sources show us the connection as to why females are facing sexism. Sexist views from society see men as the ones that are capable of doing everything while women are only seen as being able to do housework and take care of the family. This stereotype also connects to Kalleberg’s book, Good Jobs, Bad Jobs, by relating to his statement about how men are the only ones in their families going out to work to earn money to support their families while the wife is doing chores at home and taking care of the kids. This negative stereotype is spread worldwide so it gives the world a one-sided view about women not really needing education since they believe that they won’t even use the knowledge they acquired for society at all and stick with the housewife role. Equal education would give females the confidence and chance to attend school with equal opportunities and give them the education they need to prove to society that the negative stereotypes of females are totally wrong. It states in Turkish Policy Quarterly that the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) has “remarkable success in increasing gender parity in education was led by the girls’ education campaign launched in 2003. The campaign, which was developed in cooperation with and supported by UNICEF,7 was called Haydi Kızlar Okula (Hey Girls, Let’s Go to School) and claimed both national and international success in its design, implementation, and the national mobilization it sparked” (Aydagül 48). A campaign about female education is a good step to empower women for education because they know they are being backed up by other organizations while being funded as well as equalizing the gender parity ratio. Although the campaign probably won’t solve all problems related to gender inequality in education, it is still a solid effort to let people know that people care. The campaign started in the 10 provinces with the highest gender gap and it slowly spread until it took effect in all 81 provinces. It also states in Turkish Policy Quarterly that “As a result, the gender parity ratio for basic education increased from 0.9302 in 2003-04 to 0.9895 in 2008-09 and to 1 in 2012-13.” and “ In two projects launched in 2011 and 2015, both of which was funded by the European Commission, MoNE specifically focused on increasing girls’ access to school in the South and South East Anatolia provinces. The gender parity ratio at secondary education, which was as low as 0.8361 in 2003-04, jumped from 0.9651 in 2011-12 to 0.9955 in 2017-18”( Aydagül 48-49). Not only are the campaign and projects giving girls more chances to attend school for a better future, but it is also actually doing really well since it is getting more funding and support as well as showing positive results. Since good results are consistent, governments of poor and not as-developed countries as well as ones facing gender equality should try creating campaigns and projects. Not only will it encourage women to strive for higher education and give them a chance to contribute to the economy, but it will also help debunk bad stereotypes that affect their chances of being accepted for jobs and makes job less insecure for women. There is also a chance for it to change the vast majority of male politicians’ views of female education and get them to join the cause by establishing policies to help end gender inequality.

Teachers are the people who are supposed to teach and guide students because it is their job to share their knowledge but not all teachers are equal in how they do things in their classrooms. Teachers are the biggest issue because they are involved with the students the most in education, so if a teacher were to treat them poorly and discriminate in any kind of way then they are affecting the students negatively. Wrentham Julian wrote in The US Education System Fails Black Boys, “Data on disparities in discipline, access to high-level math and science courses, and availability of experienced teachers in the classroom has remained intractable. For example, Black students are twice as likely to be expelled without educational services than white children. Moreover, Black children are also twice as likely as white students to be disciplined by law enforcement.” Black students are more likely to stop pursuing education once they are expelled because they feel like it is the end and it will increase the amount of low-paying bad jobs for dropout students. The higher chances of them getting criminal track records from law enforcement could cause a lot of problems with future employers during an interview by giving them a bad image, and it increases the chances of them not being accepted for jobs due to their “bad reputation.” Black students are facing discrimination and are not given a chance to prove that they can succeed in higher education like STEM courses for example, which makes them less prepared for the job market today which requires knowledge of technology and science to find a good-paying job. Teachers are also more biased towards boys than girls which widens the gender gap even more. Joseph Cimpian from Brown Center Chalkboard stated from his studies with his colleague Sarah Lubienski, a professor of math education at Indian University-Bloomington, “Exploring deeper, we found that the beliefs that teachers have about student ability might contribute significantly to the gap. When faced with a boy and a girl of the same race and socio-economic status who performed equally well on math tests and whom the teacher rated equally well in behaving and engaging with school, the teacher rated the boy as more mathematically able—an alarming pattern that replicated in a separate data set collected over a decade later.” and “ teachers’ underrating of girls from kindergarten through third grade accounts for about half of the gender achievement gap growth in math.” The sexist views from teachers not only drop female students’ confidence in their own abilities, but it could possibly lead to teachers neglecting their female students and hindering their learning by not helping them when they need it. The constant negligence could slow or completely halt their learning to the point where it becomes an obstacle to them in higher education because they are lacking the knowledge they need to help them with other classes. According to Julian, “The US teacher workforce is 80 percent white.” The solution to equal education would require schools to hire more teachers of color as well as train all teachers to not discriminate and be biased toward students. Julian states that teachers should immerse themselves in the community and foster learning environments to understand what burdens students can have to try to help them as well try to change school perspective to help students be themselves and let them recognize unconscious bias to connect with other students. The discrimination from their teachers can put an end to students of color’s chances ever finding a good-paying career in the future. We can fix the problem of discrimination by hiring more teachers of color who are less likely to show racial discrimination and more likely to motivate all students to push themselves to complete their education. The other solution to solve the issue with teachers are to train them better and let them interact more with the community, so they can properly help students whenever they need help without neglecting them and creating a gap between the teacher and student relationship. Experienced and good teachers help students push themselves to achieve greater things in the future.

Although equal education is a good solution to many problems, there is still a problem with money. According to The Atlantic, “Today, the U.S. spends more on college than almost any other country, according to the 2018 Education at a Glance report, released this week by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).” This means that education today alone costs so much for students in the U.S. that implementing equal education would require even more money to hire teachers of color as well as train all teachers. The cost of college is already so expensive and not all financial aid would pay off all the tuition, which causes many families to try to pay off the tuition for their children and possibly lead to financial burdens. According to Forbes, “Price Of College Increasing Almost 8 Times Faster Than Wages.” And according to The New York Times,” Growing inequality of income could become the last nail in public education’s coffin. It contributes to the residential segregation that cordons off rich school districts from the poor and reduces support for public education among the wealthy Americans who can opt-out. Not only is income barely increasing compared to college tuition, but there is also a gender and racial wage gap, which makes it even harder for marginalized groups to pay off their tuition and lead to more students being in higher amounts of debt. This could lead to students not wanting to go into higher education to obtain a degree and make jobs more polarized once again and hurt the economy. Although this is really risky, we have to take the risk to give more marginalized students a chance to go into higher education and earn a degree for the job market. If there are more educated people, it will help the economy greatly by reducing low-paying jobs and help the economy greatly.

Dependent variable (that I would like to explain) A great number of theoretical concepts and empirical studies in sociology point out that reaching of high educational achievement is predetermined by social origin (Boudon 1974; Bourdieu and Passeron 1971; Ditton 1992). Interesting is here the finding, that educational reproduction is influenced by school achievements only to a limited extent. In other words, the high achiever in educational attainment are not necessarily the high achiever in school grades (Jackson 2013). These findings contradict the meritocratic and performance oriented perception of educational system and occupational assignment. Furthermore it was identified that, the unequal positioning take place in successive steps, which are solidified through the school transitions, and the achieved social positions are legitimized (Ribolits 2006). Therefore, I would like to measure who is privileged to attain the highest existing educational pathway and how. Educational attainment is therefore the central dependent variable in my research. (It will be measured in one concrete case, thus in one specific school transition).

Independent variables and relevant aspects As the decision about the educational transition cannot be simply understood in the sense of one rational-choice, it is not only taken as a certain choice at one concrete time point , but rather as a longterm process. Therefore the processhas to be reflected in the measurement as well as the effect of the long therm influence of social environment. In the childhood shape the child mostly its family and its impact is carried out through three central independent variables: economic, cultural and social capital. The school grades is the next used independent variable, as the measuring of the relation between the school grades and educational attainment allows us to estimate the divergence from the merit principle. Here is expected only a moderate effect (Boudon 1974; Jackson 2013). The final important independent variable is the educational aspiration as the recent research shows that there are huge differences in attribution of meaning to the education under different social groups. It is particularly interesting is to measure the relation between the school grades and educational aspirations in context of country of origin, as this relation is the least explained.

In order to understand the decision-making processes in their complexity, it has to be profoundly analyzed not only the direct impact of each independent variable on dependent variable but also the interrelations between the independent variables. Most challenging is to identify particularly the indirect ways of influencing of social environment on education. Peer group, teachers or health could be also considered as a independent variables influencing the transition processes. However, in order to eliminate the complexity of the model with focus on effects of origin, these variables will be not integrated into the model.

Concepts Bourdieu (1983) distinguishes between three basic types of capital: economic, cultural and social, which are partly convertible. However, this exchange is not a simple transaction, there is involved much more effort behind the exchange work. As the results of Bourdieu’s analyses show that economic capital, respectively the parents’ income has no autonomous effect on school performance and educational transitions, he pays particular attention to effect of ‘cultural art’ (Bourdieu 2001, pp. 26-27). He divides cultural capital into three forms: in an incorporated, objectified and institutionalized. Achieved educational qualifications and titles of the parents are not the most important factors in reproduction of social status, the important role is ascribed to the incorporated cultural capital in the form of permanent dispositions, which are shaped in early childhood in a family in from of cultural competencies which evocate a positive attitude towards learning even before the begin of the school attendance (Bourdieu 1983, pp. 185-187). Social capital is defined by Bourdieu as the aggregate of existing and potential resources associated with the existence of a permanent network of more or less institutionalized relations of mutual respect or recognition (Bourdieu 1983, p. 190).

Model The model consists of six variables. Socioeconomic status of the family, which is understood as a trigger of the social inequality in education is divided in three central independent variables, economic (EC), cultural (CC) and social (SC) capital. Despite their interrelation each of them effect educational attainment (E.att) differently. Their indirect effect on educational attainment is achieved through their prior impact on the school grades (Grades), as well as through the influence of the educational aspirations (Aspir). The understanding of the intermediary position and interrelation between the grades and aspirations may contribute to the profound explanation of patterns of reproduction of social inequality in education.

Pakistan. A country divided by its political views, and dominated by countless military coups and Taliban regimes. Terror has filled the country, stripping the people who live there of their basic educational rights, deny women of their natural human rights, and even persecute those who do not believe in the same religion. However, the specific topic that I chose to delve deeper into is the education in Pakistan. There is startling news that comes from Pakistan and its surrounding countries rather often, and there are shocking differences between our country and culture versus theirs in Pakistan.

“I am Malala,” by Malala Yousafzai is a book that took the world by storm. In this book, Malala describes her life, what she stands for, all that she has endured through pushing for an education, and her journey as she continues to speak out against the current oppressive regime. Yousafzai puts up a remarkable fight for girl’s education, even with the knowledge of the repercussions. At the age of 15, Malala was shot in the head on her school bus by the Taliban to get revenge for her campaigning for the education for girls in Pakistan. She took so many risks just to better the lives of other girls who were being deprived of these rights that girls in the United States might take for granted. It was when I read this book that I initially became interested in the types of conflicts happening in Pakistan related to their educational system. I am an education major and feel that educating myself about school systems in other nations will benefit me in the long run as I work to become a teacher.

In Pakistan, the education system adopted from colonial authorities had been described as one of the most underdeveloped in the world. The rate of youth literacy within Pakistan is a little over 60% and over half of the adolescents who are not enrolled in school are female. Barely 60% of the students enrolled in primary school complete grades one through five, even though there are programs such as play groups, nursery, kindergarten, etc., that attempt to effectively prepare those students moving onto the next grade. Once you get into middle school or middle education, single-sex education is preferred; meaning they would prefer to teach boys only rather than girls. The education system in Pakistan is separated into three main groups: Public, private, and Madrasah system. The Madrasah system, “cater to the poorest segment of the society and have the greatest divergence with contemporary economies. The syllabus taught in these seminaries is grounded in religious biases and portrays a narrow-minded worldview” (Pakistan Today, 2018), while the public and private schools, “cater to children representing the middle class, and therefore, the majority. These schools follow a syllabus which is strictly regulated by the government and has a particular emphasis on rote learning” (Pakistan Today, 2018). The few students that then reach the university level are left with a lack of knowledge of research-oriented education and even creativity, as creativity is discouraged, especially among young children in school. A typical university graduate in Pakistan emerses unprepared for the real world and lacks the essential qualities of a marketable and hireable person.

These unfair and unsafe living conditions have lead people to step out of the shadows and protest against the regime that has killed many of their loved ones, and made their lives impossible to truly live. Among Malala Yousafzai, there were many other famous people that have taken it upon themselves to work to better the lives of their fellow Pakistanis. However, not only are more well-known individuals up for the task, but more recently, regular civilians have decided to stand up and rise against the Taliban and their wrongful actions that have put Pakistan into the current state it is today. “Taliban militants often target public gatherings and military ceremonies and installations. Until recently (2015), most Pakistanis avoided speaking against the Taliban in public. But after the attack at the flag ceremony and the recent massacre of school children in Peshawar, everyday Pakistanis are much more likely to speak openly against the militants in public places” (As attacks continue, people in Pakistan increasingly speak out against the Taliban, 2015).

Boys and girls are treated very differently in Pakistan, as “gender equality remains one of the biggest challenges in Pakistan in the 21st century. The majority of girls and women in this country remain one of the most uneducated people of the world.” (Gender Inequality in Education, 2013). The Pakistani society, even today, is not particularly welcoming to girls who wish to receive an education. More than 40,000 girls in Swat Valley, Pakistan, did not attend school due to extremist threats in 2008 and 2009. Gender inequality in Pakistan particularly is very problematic. “The Global Campaign for Education reports that more than 5.1 million primary school-aged children in Pakistan do not attend school. Sixty-three percent of them are girls. This is the third highest number of out-of-school children in the world” (Gender Inequality in Education, 2013).

The Taliban has, “blasted more than 4,000 schools in Swat (Valley), they have slaughtered people, and in the month of January, 2009, they used to slaughter even two to three people every night… we have seen the barbaric situation of the 21st century, and we have seen the cruelty, and we have seen harsh days in our life and those were the darkest days of our life…” (Malala Yousafzai, The Daily Show, 2013). Here, Malala is describing her life in 2007 on in her hometown of Swat Valley in Pakistan. Terrorist attacks on educational institutions have increased within recent years as these types of measures are made to try to deter others from wanting to continue to receive an education. She used to describe this place as a “paradise” before the Taliban arrived, which is hard to believe, considering the current state.

Many believe that the heart of all of Pakistan’s big issues is education and the quality of it. Today, “It is estimated that presently more than 55 million age 10 Pakistanis are unable to read and write and there are 7 million children of age 5 to 9 years are out of schools. The more worst part is that in rural areas, more than 52% of girls are not enrolled in school. This is not enough, you know 67% of women as well are illiterate” (Education System in Pakistan (2020 Research, 2019). There are many children out of school as well, as many families do not enroll their children into schools. Instead, they make them work for them, starting at a young age. Child labor is among many of the disadvantages of the education system in Pakistan. From a young age, children are taught to work for their families, as many may not have an option to receive an education. This should go to show everyone that the things that we may take for granted, like having the opportunity to go to school and receive a proper education, are largely taken away from those who want it most in different parts of the world.

The South African education system has experience many changes after the 1994 democratic elections in efforts to undo and redress past imbalances that dominated the schooling system during the reign of the apartheid government. These changes had a significant impact on learners and teachers as the main goal of the new government was transformation and ensuring equal access into a system that excluded the majority of the population based on race. This essay will attempt to provide a brief definition of what the term curriculum means based on research. In addition to this, the cycles of curricular reform and change will also be discussed with a focus on how historic, global as well as national factors prompted these changes. Furthermore, some of the key contextual, school and pedagogical influences will also be described while identifying key intended and unintended consequences on the major stakeholders. Lastly, the author’s own opinion will be highlighted as to provide insight as to how the author would engage with the current curriculum against the background of the circumstances faced in South African schools.

Curriculum refers to the policy framework that includes the knowledge and information that is required for learners to learn during their years of schooling. It serves as a guideline for educators to specifically teach selected content as outlined in the policy. Moreover, a curriculum outlines the specific time-frames that learners are expected to learn this content and also what resources and support is necessary for teachers and learners to effectively engage in the teaching and learning process. According to Adu and Ngibe (2014, p, 983), “a curriculum is the offering of socially valued knowledge, skills and attitudes made available to students through a variety of arrangements during the time they are at school. This means that a curriculum requires learners to be able to acquire a certain level of intellectual capabilities, physical proficiencies and morals during their schooling years.

Moreover, curriculum relates to the strategies and techniques that teachers utilize to determine the competence of learners based on the assessment activities that learners complete as outlined in the curriculum policy guidelines. This means that teachers and learners are provided with an outline “which includes the learning standards or learning objectives they are expected to meet, the units and lessons that teachers teach, the assignments and projects given to students; the books; materials, videos, presentations and readings used in the course, and the tests, assessments, and other methods used to evaluate student learning” (Adu and Ngibe, 2014, p, 985). These, in my view, are the core elements that give a definition of what the term curriculum is.

It is no secret that the South African education system has undergone many changes after the dawn of democracy in 1994, particularly relating to curriculum reform and review. These changes in the education system were specifically aimed at redressing past imbalances and ensuring equal access to all South Africans that is in need of education. Before the official change took place, the South African education system was still seeing traces of Christian National Education and Bantu Education until the new policy changes took effect in 1997 with the introduction of Curriculum 2005 (C2005). Following this, the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) was introduced in 2002, the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) in 2007 and the current educational policy guidelines dubbed the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) which was introduced in 2012 (Adu and Ngibe, 2014).

According to Naidoo & Muthukrishna (2014, p, 272) “the RNCS retained learner-centeredness and curriculum integration as methodologies of practice; as is the case with the new Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement”. This means that the shift from a teacher-centered approach, as was the case under the apartheid government education system, was at the heart of each policy review and reform whilst at the same time ensuring effective implementation of the policy that speaks to the needs of the individual learner. All these changes and reforms that South African teachers and learners experienced, were all part of the new government’s plans in ensuring that curriculum development and change is based on the fundamental values as contained in the Constitution of South Africa.

The curriculum changes that occurred in the South African education system between 1994 and 2019, was heavily dominated by factors aimed at social transformation, redress, inclusion, consolidation and national reconciliation. One of the key historical factors that prompted curricular change and reform was the need to break away from a system that excluded the majority of learners based on race. This stance is shared in a plethora of research that unequivocally states that “post-1994 education is predicated on the principle of equality of opportunity in relation to provision, access and outcomes” (Badat & Sayed, 2014, p, 128). In this regard, changes in the South African education system after 1994, sought to remedy discrimination based on race, dismantle inequality in education that stemmed from apartheid, include cultural roots that were disregarded, demolish a curricula that promoted the ideals and values of one culture, do away with the language policy that was irrelevant, ravage the medium of instruction that was foreign and the general deterioration in the culture of teaching and learning (Legodi, 2001). This was particularly emphasized with the implementation of Curriculum 2005 in 1997.

Curriculum reform policies in South Africa have also seen many remnants of global influence. One key notable aspect of curriculum reform policies is how it can directly be traced to policies in developed countries in the North (Naidoo & Muthukrishna, 2014). Jansen (1998) notes how the outcomes-based education approach that underpins curriculum implementation in South Africa, originates from the practices followed in Australia and New Zealand. This global factor speaks directly to the notion of South Africa’s curriculum reform policies that are imported as oppose to home-grown. In addition to this, the post-1994 curriculum changes and reform was aimed at uniting and reconciling a nation that was hideously divided under apartheid and promoting the values of dignity, respect, inclusion, access as proclaimed in the Constitution. The implementation of C2005 was intended to “improve the quality of learning utilizing a learner-centered approach with the principle of curriculum integration” (Naidoo & Muthukrishna, 2014, p, 272). All the changes to the curriculum that followed were based on these fundamental principles.

Furthermore, the particular circumstances during which these curricular changes occurred cannot be ignored. After the 1994 election, the education system was immediately transformed to adopt an outcomes-based approach that focused on learner-centeredness as opposed to the apartheid system that was content-based and teacher-centered (Department of Education, 2001). The policy changes that followed relating to the Revised National Curriculum Statement, the National Curriculum Statement and the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement, were all directed at strengthening this approach. Transformation in schools was also part of the change process as access, opportunity, redress, equity and democratic governance was emphasized under the new government. This opened the doors for community involvement and public participation in the education system. With regard to pedagogical factors, curriculum change had significant benefits for teachers as they could take on the role of facilitator giving them more autonomy to adapt and adopt teaching strategies that cater and suit the needs of the learners. Learners were also afforded to take charge of their own learning with guidance from the teacher.

The role of teachers in ensuring that the current curriculum is effectively and successfully implemented is crucial to the quality of learning and teaching in the South African schooling system. As a result of this, teachers always need to be reminded that they are the driving force behind the future prospects of learners in the schooling system. The National Curriculum Statement compels teachers to be flexible in their teaching and therefore the emphasis of the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement demands a learner-centered approach to enable learners to be in charge of their own learning. It is against this background that I would always allow the underlying principles of the NCS to guide and inform my teaching as I would always tap into the knowledge that learners bring into the classroom as teachers need to “guide learners to generate their own individual understandings of different forms of knowledge” (Naidoo & Muthukrishna, 2014, p, 276). In this regard, I would not tell learners what they can do with the newly acquired knowledge, but how they can apply it in their daily lives.

It is evident that South African classrooms are diversified and this means that teachers should always strive to cater for the overall needs of all their learners “irrespective of their socio-economic background, race, gender, physical ability or intellectual ability” (Department of Education, 2011, p, 4). As a novice teacher I would always strive to be constantly aware of this in my teaching and at the same time inculcating values of respect and tolerance in my learners. This approach, I believe, will help foster ideals that will assist in creating a learning environment in which learners and teacher work together in harmony to meet prescribed educational objectives. It is therefore imperative to be conscious of your own cultural and beliefs systems while understanding that each individual learner is different due to their social, economic and political background (Weinstein, Curran, & Tomlinson-Clarke, 2014).

The issue of learner and teacher discipline cannot be divorced from the discussion on implementing the curriculum successfully, especially in the South African context where violence and intolerance plague our communities. With the banning of corporal punishment, teachers are generally inclined to believe that the only way to maintain authority is by punishing inappropriate behaviour. This approach is particularly applied by old hand experienced teachers that “are well-acquainted with the authoritarian, teacher-centred model of classroom management” (Hansen, 1979, p, 42). In my opinion, the best line of attack to avert disruptive behaviour in the classroom would be to identify, with the help of the learners, what they regard as deplorable behaviour and how to deal with it. This will allow learners to feel that they are part of the order and structure of their classroom and at the same time establish a good and healthy relationship between teacher and learner. Moreover, by implementing a system of following a prescribed set of rules might also help in fostering ideals of morally acceptable behaviour within the learners which they will carry throughout their academic and social lives.

Furthermore, it is astute to be aware of the role of technology in the learning and teaching process, particularly in the wake of the technological revolution that has inundated education globally. As a novice teacher I would always try to incorporate technology in my lessons, provided that the school has the technological resources to do so. For example, playing a short video clip that relates to the topic to be covered can stimulate learner’s thought processes. Learners can also be taught basic computer skills if there is a computer laboratory at the school. This training, in my view, will assist them in acquiring the necessary skills required by the labour market upon completion of their schooling careers as this is an industry requirement, irrespective of which career path learners choose.

The current curriculum that is enacted in South Africa has done more harm than good as found in the literature on curriculum and education after the advent of democracy in 1994. This means that unless drastic measures are implemented to curb further deterioration of the education system, low levels of literacy and numeracy will continue to persist.

Introduction to Poverty’s Impact on Education

Poverty seems to be one of the issues that hinders learners to complete or further their studies. On the other hand, some are motivated by it to work hard and better their lives. Poverty has more negative effects on the education of learners apart from. It is one of the issues that the government still fails to tackle fairly. By fairly I mean without excluding those who are in rural areas. Even though the department of education claim to be finding strategies in helping learners in rural areas, it is never enough because of their living circumstances.

This important in such a way that it will show us how much of a work we still have to do in our country. It also motivates me as a teacher to be a caring person who would understand and be able to work with people from different backgrounds. It also includes reasons why people are no longer able to live together (what replaced humanity). This topic does not only affect education’s side only it covers issues that influences crime, with poverty being one of them. The truth is getting educated is very difficult when you come from a disadvantaged background.

The Vicious Cycle: Poverty Affecting Learners and Their Families

Poverty affects education in different ways. It affects learners and their parents, the department of education, the society and the world as a whole. “Poverty is clearly a risk factor for children’s poor development and limited educational outcomes, and it may be that risk in the early years will continue to have an effect even if the family moves out of poverty later in the child’s life. Finding ways of reducing poverty is essential for children’s healthy development” (Engle & Black, 2008). Children who are from poor families find it hard to develop and try new things even when they are granted an opportunity to do because they usually lack self- esteem. This is because in most cases, they are usually mocked by other learners. Sometimes you would even find out that the society is also making fun of poor families. This is heart breaking because children do not choose where they want to be born.

Global Perspectives: Poverty in Developing vs. Developed Countries

Developing countries are the ones that are usually affected by poverty in education system as many people are unemployed due to being unqualified for specific jobs. “Both absolute and relative poverty are relevant for education. Lack of financial resources may limit school attendance among the absolutely poor in developing countries. The relatively poor in developed countries, however, often feel excluded from the school community, or the whole school community itself may feel excluded from the wider society. Such exclusion affects their ability to gain the full benefits from education or to translate the benefits of education into remunerative employment. This also has a potential impact on motivation to participate or to do well in education. Thus both absolute and relative poverty impact on education, as will be discussed in following sections of this booklet. Where absolute poverty is considered, the focus will be on developing (poor) countries. In contrast, where relative poverty is considered, the focus will usually be on developed (rich) countries (even though relative poverty is also widely present in poor countries)” (Van der Berg, 2008: 2). Lack of financial resources in the poor schools disable learners to get enough education and be exposed to technology. This is because schools cannot afford some materials and therefore learners lack study material, and at some point have to ask their parents to buy them (of which some cannot).“Minority students are disproportionately poor and hence are more likely to be exposed to a variety of socio-demographic stressors associated with poverty” (Skiba,Poloni-Staudinger, Simmons, Renae Feggins-Azziz & Chung, 2005:131).

Gender Inequality: A Closer Look at Rural Areas

“Gender Inequality in education has significant impact on rural poverty. Female-male enrolment ratio, female male literacy ratio, female-male ratio of total years of schooling of population, education of household head, female-male ratio of earners, age of household head, asset holding and land holding are significant variable having negative impact on the probability of being rural poor”(Chaudhry & Rahman,2009:186). Most females in rural areas are expected to take care of children or get married at a very young age and therefore end up uneducated. This leads to having many children without any income which can later on affect their education. It can affect their education in a way that they might not be able to study further due to financial problems, which will make it difficult for their parents to lend a hand because they are uneducated and unemployed or earn less salary. On the other hand, males also find it difficult to further their studies as some quit school and go job hunting due to their family issues. In most cases you will find out that the male child has to play a father figure at a very young age and go job hunting. The issue of young males and females who have to take care of their families in other for them to survive affects their education negatively and leads to more struggle in families as well as to an increase in the number of uneducated youth in the country, which might later on affect the economy.

“One of the main issues in rural development debates is how to tackle rural poverty. More than 70 percent of the world’s poor are to be found in rural areas where hunger, literacy and low school achievement are common” (Aref, 2011:498). The cause of poor literacy is derived from parents. You would find out that most parents in rural areas are not educated and therefore cannot help their children with studies. This somehow affects children because nobody can help them at home, they only study at school, unlike in urban areas where parents help their children with their schoolwork. At times you will find out that the school government fails to provide enough food for learners at school and this is likely to cause problems because some do not have food at home. This state affects learners’ education.

Psychological Factors and Socioeconomic Challenges

“Research on psychological factors can help illuminate one set of processes through which economic disadvantage leads to academic underachievement and reveal ways to more effectively support students who face additional challenges because of their socioeconomic circumstances”( Claro, Paunesku & Dweck,2016:8667). Failure to help student further their studies leads to more poverty and affects the economy of the country. You will find out that most dropouts end up having many kids and being dependant on grant. This means that the government has to provide more.

Orphaned girls find it difficult to continue with their studies. “As Bronfenbrenner observed, the processes by which poverty affects the girl child’s psychosocial development are multiple and complex. Given the complexities and multiple paths by which poverty can affect the academic performance of the child, an ecological systems model provides an appropriate framework to guide research and the selection of appropriate interventions for poor families and for children experiencing psychosocial problems. Understanding the interactions of these systems is the key to understanding how a child develops and what factors lead to his or her failure. The ecological model incorporates all areas of influence on the development of the child to assess the causes and also the solutions to some of the increasing behavioural, academic and emotional problems seen today”(Chinyoka, 2013:32).

The Role of Community and Society in Educational Attainment

“Some families and communities, particularly in poverty stricken areas, do not value or understand formal education. This leads to students who are unprepared for the school environment” (Lacour & Tissington, 2011:526). Parents who grew up without seeing any importance of their education hardly pays attention to their children’s education. You’d find out that these kinds of parents give their children work to do at home instead of their schoolwork. This generally takes place in society as well. In communities that are ruled by kings, children starts labour work at an early age and lose interest in education hence it is said that “poverty is something that is inherent in society as long as money is involved, but the people living in poverty should have better opportunities to exit. The way people living in poverty are viewed affects how they are able to live. Due to the increasing wealth gap, more students are born into poverty than ever before. Without the proper structures in place and the proper mentality of the general public and elected officials, inequality will persist. This can be avoided if the proper measures are taken now and we start investing in our future with our time, resources, and understanding” (Buck & Deutsch, 2014:1147). Also, the effects of poverty on education “bear upon the effects of family breakup, a correlate of poverty, on deviant activities during adolescence. (Pagani, Boulerice, Vitaro & Tremblay,1999:1217).

Observation methodology is a qualitative study method where investigator detect contributors’ continuous action in a natural situation. The importance of this type of investigation is to gather more dependable vision. In other words, researchers can record data on what members do as opposed to what they say they do. With this investigation, you can comprehend how people naturally associate with products and people and the problems they face. It can provide inspiration and ideas for opportunities for development and revolution. Observation as a data collection method can be organised or unorganised. In planned or systematic observation, data collection is managed using exact variables and according to a pre-defined agenda. Unorganised observation, on the other hand, is conducted in an open and free routine in a sense that there would be no pre-determined variables or aims.

Advantages of observation data collection method include straightforward entrance to investigation phenomena, high levels of flexibility in terms of usage and generating a permanent record of phenomena to be referred to later. At the same time, observation method is disadvantaged with longer time requirements, high levels of observer bias, and impact of observer on primary data, in a way that presence of observer may influence the behaviour of sample group elements. It is important to note that observation data collection method may be associated with certain ethical issues. Fully informed consent of research participant(s) is one of the basic ethical considerations to be adhered to by researchers. At the same time, the behaviour of sample group members may change with negative implications on the level of research validity if they are notified about the presence of the observer.

Research is also one of the methodologies that I used. It helped me in analysing what other countries are going through about the issue of how poverty affects education. In my research, I included factors that leads to poverty and how they affect education. Those factors are unemployment, being orphan, female dropouts, drug users and male dropouts.

Poverty has negative effects which eventually force children to go and work for their families to have something to eat. Others end up failing at school, because they cannot cope with the pressure and responsibility they have. Most homes are child headed at home; the more children drop out off school the poverty increases which is a cycle that never ends. As seen in the graph above, primary phase children are the ones affected more, hence they are too young for the pressure they in.

Children who are from poor families find it hard to develop and try new things even when they are granted an opportunity to do because they usually lack self- esteem. This is because in most cases, they are usually mocked by other learners. Sometimes you would even find out that the society is also making fun of poor families. This is heart breaking because children do not choose where they want to be born. You would find out that most parents in rural areas are not educated and therefore cannot help their children with studies. This somehow affects children because nobody can help them at home, they only study at school, unlike in urban areas where parents help their children with their schoolwork.

Conclusion: Overcoming Poverty’s Obstacles in Education

This important in such a way that it will show us how much of a work we still have to do in our country. It also motivates me as a teacher to be a caring person who would understand and be able to work with people from different backgrounds. It also includes reasons why people are no longer able to live together (what replaced humanity). This topic does not only affect education’s side only it covers issues that influences crime, with poverty being one of them. The truth is getting educated is very difficult when you come from a disadvantaged background.

Projecting this issue was not easy especially having to move from one area to another and doing interviews. Some people got offended that I am asking them about their living circumstances. I have realised that many people who are struggling are afraid to raise their voices because they are somehow judged and mistreated by those who are around them. Some are not confident enough because they don’t look like others. I think it’s about time those who are poor are taken care. I mean children cannot suffer because of the decisions that were taken by their parents or because of the situation that their parents found themselves in. The government must be able to find strategies that can help poor learners survive and better their lives since the ones that they’re currently using don’t seem to be making much of a difference. As much as one cannot choose how to be born they can choose how to develop their lives. Poverty shouldn’t hinder anyone from achieving their dreams and reaching their goals.

Inequality is the distinction in economic wellbeing, riches, or opportunity between individuals or gatherings. High and rising disparity is one of Jamaica’s most squeezing monetary and cultural issues. Rising imbalance probably won’t be such a significant concern if our training, financial, and social assurance frameworks went about as compensatory instruments, helping people, and particularly young people, ascend over their introduction to the world conditions and improve their portability.

The historical backdrop of training in Jamaica is maybe best clarified and comprehended with regards to the island’s pioneer history. The training framework and its organization were designed according to the British framework; and a considerable lot of the advancements throughout the entire existence of Jamaican instruction can be viewed as reactions to occasions, A great part of the ongoing history of instruction in Jamaica has been driven by the apparent need to create domestic reactions to financial, social, and political weights on the island and in the Caribbean location.

Before authorizing the act of Emancipation in 1834, the historical backdrop of Jamaica shows almost no in the method for a formal and firm training framework for whites and no framework at all for teaching the indigenous individuals and African slaves. While few of the wealthy English homesteaders could stand to send their children back to their birthplace for tutoring, others enlisted private guides. The individuals who were less princely sent their children to the handful of free schools that were built up through inheritances from rich grower and traders. The educational plan in the free schools depended on that offered by comparable schools in Great Britain and was planned to offer traditional training to youthful honorable men so they would be appropriately fitted to have their spot in the public eye. A couple of slave kids got some tutoring at manor schools set up by remote teachers, yet their instruction managed religion and the ethics of accommodation. Probably a portion of these ranch schools gave instruction to young ladies just as young men. A wide gap exists between the rich and poor, and this is additionally observed between individuals from a similar society. This wide gap is a conspicuous reason for instructive disparities. The purpose behind this is rouse of a nation’s craving to give every one of its native’s equivalent open door in training, not all social orders do demand a comparable social and financial fairness. Well off individuals from the general public can purchase, so to state, costly and better education for their kids. Such focal points of instructive open door are not identified with singular riches as it were. A territory with more assets will in general have increasingly social conveniences.

In today’s education system, it is almost the same as it was back in the days. As it relates to inequality in schools. A wide hole exists between the rich and poor, and this is additionally observed between individuals from a similar society. This wide hole is a conspicuous reason for instructive disparities. The purpose behind this is rouse of a nation’s craving to give every one of its native’s equivalent open door in training, not all social orders do demand a comparable social and financial fairness. Well off individuals from the general public can purchase, so to state, costly and better training for their kids. Such focal points of instructive open door are not identified with singular riches as it were.

Inequality in education is something which has been witnessed not only in this country but elsewhere. In real sense, this brings very many failed statuses in the society and the reason there should be the derivation of procedures which addresses such forms of inequality. Education is one of the major foundations of the society which promotes realization of economic goals and at the same time making sure that different individuals end up living better lives. This should be the dream of every nation towards the development of the economy.

Social classes assume a crucial job in unique of families. The meaning of social class is questionable and has no plainly plot definition. Anyway it is accepted to be a mix of various angles, for example, one’s life possibilities or assets, one’s status gathering, or the individuals who offer comparative ways of life and one’s training level make up a people social class. Subsequently, in a perfect set up there would be four social cases the upper, center, working, and poor classes and these are the four that I will use to recognize the distinction in how guardians bring up their youngsters crosswise over social classes. One fundamental impact that causes a polarization of social classes are guardians financial assets and training level, in this way affecting the employments guardians have and the accessibility they may need to put resources into their youngster’s life. Anyway the key attributes that impact the manners in which parent bring up their kids are the way they sort out their kid’s day by day life, the utilization of language around their kids, and through social cooperation’s. Anyway the two principle approaches crosswise over social class guardians take in bringing up their kid are normal development and purposeful development. Deliberate development way to deal with child rearing is when guardians look to effectively improve their kids’ gifts, and assessments Guardians are for the most part school taught and have occupations that take into consideration money related dependability inside the family. In Jamaica, It is no doubt that children from higher class family tend to get a better education than those from the lower class families due to financial stabability. Students from higher class family are better equipped with the tools for school, they are also able to attended school regular. In addition, the schools that are considered “traditional” have received tablets while the others do not even have textbooks. Inclusivity must be something as country we try and establish. Getting rid of classism and understanding that Jamaica will ultimately become a better place for all if we all had similar opportunities to excel.

Another issue that must be examined is the fact that there are several disabled students that are kept at home because they are unable to attend school. Parents that doesn’t have the financial backing may no longer be able to give their child a good education because of the expense associated with either getting a prosthesis for an amputated leg or arm. We don’t even have to look that far, let us examine the number of students who are now crippled and are without the common comfort of a wheel chair to take them comfortable from one point to the other. Many families would go through all their life savings in an attempt to give that physically challenge child a fighting chance. Inspire Jamaica a Programmed of CVM Television has featured several of those cases where these life altering equipment’s are donated to children in an attempt to get them a chance at a better life. An article Jovia Lee Stephens was one of the child whose story was shared on inspire Jamaica. (Brown, 2019) Stated that “thousands of children across the island are excited as they prepare for September morning”. Unfortunately for young Jovia Lee Stephens it was a challenge for her due to the fact that she has rickets and her family is not fortunate enough to provide the necessary things for her to go out to school, hence she had to turn to inspire Jamaica for help.

There is an old Jamaican saying “to be poor is a crime” and that has proven to be just more than a saying. If we look on the demographics of the youth in Jamaica that are involved in crime we will realize that these youths are mostly from the inner cities of Jamaica. Their parents are referred to as “hustlers. These children had no choice but to also earn their keep by becoming hustlers themselves, most of whom have never been to school on a Friday because they had to be in the market selling with their parents or on the streets begging. These are conditions being faced by many children in our society today and is directly related to the inequalities in our education system.

It has been said many time that education is the key to success, however it seem as if only a fraction of society has access to this key that can open so many doors for our youths. A line of a song by a popular Jamaican artiste Ritchie Spice rightfully ask “if education is the key, then why them make it so expensive fi we”? The line of this song shows the inequality in our education system and the fact that education is not easily access by all.

The inequality in our education system goes beyond the mere affordability of one student to attend a particular school over the other. It also has to do with the way in what the quote and quote poor child is also looked at. When a child parent has what it takes to flash their riches around their children gets better treatment at school. These well to do parent are the “big spenders”, they are the ones being called in to make donations at different school functions. When the children of these rich parents gets in trouble at school there are not scolded as much as the poor child whose parents are not able to make the type of contribution as the other, why,? Because administrators are afraid of losing the contribution they get from these parents to run the different programs they have in their school. These poorer class students are sometimes treated unfairly not because they would have done something wrong, but simple because they are from a poor background and are not able to “grease the palm” of the school administrators. Teachers sometimes shows favoritism towards students who are of a higher class because they know they will get a myriad of gifts come Teachers Day and on other special occasions.

Inequalities comes in different forms in our society and will continue to be a issue if we do not see each person contribution to society as valuable. Each individual whether rich or poor, disabled or abled body, whether they are a part of a traditional or nontraditional learning institution all have a role to play in the development and growth of our society. They must all get the right tool needed to become self-sufficient and empowered to become whatever it is they want to be. They altitude should not be determined by the disability or economic status, but be propelled by their abilities and drive to do what is it they want to become. These dreams must be facilitated and nurtured by systems of inclusivity put in place by the government. These individuals whether poor or disabled are a part of our society and will become a burden on society if the government doesn’t get rid of the inequalities that now exists in the current system.

This paper will discusses inequality in the distribution of educational resource with the reference to realisation of the common good in both local and global context. The challenges in this tropic is important because education distribution has not only been a local issue but has impacted globally in various ways. This paper will further discuss the understanding of common good and its relationships to other Catholic social thoughts principles. Hence, this article will focus on how nurses can contribute to various challenges related to inequality in distribution of educational resources.

Around the globe, in each nation inequality in educational resource is a huge issue which is related to the major challenges in every society. Thus, it still appears that the civilisation is less attentive to this situation even after knowing the fact that the equality in education improvise the guarantee to be in a better position in a society fro every human being (Pardeck, 2008). The poor government police and ignorance of the society towards the management of education system is the main cause of this situation. It is a matter of concern because the principle of Common Good is not recognised locally and globally beacuse it represents a nation that works together to build a nation with equal distribution of resources to each and every individual (CCEW,2010).Despite historical, socio-economical and geographical variation the common good and catholic thoughts teaches how every individual should be treated equally and at the same level. According to CCEW, 2010 the Common good represents a nation that includes partnership, fulfilment, solidarity and flourishing the need of the people of different level.

Unequal distribution of educational resources in Australia is extensive and it also manifest a variety of ways such as funding and teachers coverage to access to learning and educational resources (Admanson, 2015). According to the research inequality in distribution of education resource is everywhere around the world. This is the result of very less development in the society. Social problems are faced in almost every part of the world also demonstrates inequality in distribution of educational resources (Sullivan, 2011). Although, the government and the nation have tried to solve this but it has not given a satisfactory solution yet (Ginsburg,2018). As estimated 617 million children and adolescents around the world are not able to meet the minimum proficiency level in reading and learning , although two third of them are going to school (UNICEF,2018). This is the consequence of lack of inadequate learning materials, trained and qualified teachers, make shift classes and also poor sanitation makes learning difficult to the children. Similarly, the report also says that there are more non- learners in the schools than out of the school.

As nursing is my profession, despite of these factors the role of the nurses in this challenge at the global level is to practice the nursing code of conduct as it sets out all the legal requirements, professional behaviour and conduct that is expected from all the nurses. This plays an important role because generally, an individual nurse have their own personal value but the code of conduct ties every nurses in one row so that the nursing facility is equal and even to every individual receiving care (NMBA,2018). Nurses including other health care professional can contribute by addressing the obstacles and finding the solutions in order to diminish the inequality in distribution of educational resources in both locall and global context. Health professionals have greater understanding and knowledge to critically think how educational resource crisis can impact the children, adolescents, and their entire future (Clendon,2018).

In the context of developing and developed countries alike illiteracy resulted from unequal distribution of educational resources is very common. Depending upon factors originated from sex, socioeconomic factor, cultural diversity are the key to the better education to a child. To resolve this issue health professional can travel the world especially, the developing countries and conduct conduct awareness programs on managing the lifestyle and importance of the proper education to the community people. Being a nurse, I can contribute by analysing the issues that the community is facing and the reasons that are causing inequality in education and resources.

One of the major factor increasing educational resource crisis in developing country is poor sanitation supply to the children in school. Many children are facing this challenge because they come to school hungry, tired and exhausted from household activities (UNICEF,2018).Hence, supporting these children will help them in better learning. I can also provide health education on proper sanitation because a good health is very important in any aspect of life. Similarly, I can help children in advance learning because it is very important that a child receives better education along with access to all the educational resources which helps them to achieve a secure and bright future including factors such as intellectual and social development ( Schweiger and Graft, 2015).

Another step to minimise inequality in distribution of educational resource is to manage the governmental conflicts and focus on development of educational system world wide to resolve the ongoing issue. Advocacy is an important strategy that allows individual to act smoothly and professionally for the welfare of the community, nation and the word so as a nurse my first priority is to become an advocate to those children’s who are facing inequality. In order to extend, children in countries from Middle East and South Africa (for instance Syria) are always bereft of education facilities for lifetime, unless the governmental conflict is ongoing. As stated by UNICEF,2018 over 2 million of the children remain out of the school and 1.3 million are at the risk of dropping out from school in Syria, only because of the attack in educational facilities. Being a nurse I can contribute by joining the non- profit organisations such as UNICEF, UNESCO, WHO who facilitates the children by providing care and services that they are in need of because schooling does not ends to learning always.This is vital to protect principle of common good.

Article twenty-eight of convection on the right of the child not only states that all the children have right to education but also specifies that the students should be motivated to go to the school by offering them with all the facilities and resources including technology as per required (UNHR, 1990).

To conclude, inequality in distribution of educational resource exist in almost every part of the world but to make sure that the contribution to educational resource management to protect the principle of common good is vital. The principle of common good is the right to every individual despite of any discrimination because it belongs to everyone. A nurse can play an important role to meet this principle and should be implicated by any person in similar way because it can be only fulfilled if we all work together. It is our responsibility to participate and promote peace in society, locally and globally.

Jobs today in the economy are still facing polarization and being precarious like it was around the mid-1900s. There are still many low-paying jobs that don’t require as much skill and knowledge which are mostly occupied by marginalized groups, and many people feel insecure about their jobs for a big reason. Technology advancement has greatly increased and it affects job markets by making technology-related majors more in demand as well as making it more competitive so not as many job occupations are being taken over by artificial intelligence and machines. Most people in the United States have had some sort of education and even now in the 21st century, education is the most common way for many students and adults to learn the material that they need or want and apply it in the labor market to find a job with the career they want. Marginalized groups of students are faced with obstacles such as racism and sexism from their teachers and unequal opportunities that try to deter them from completing their education, which can lead to them not getting enough education for high-paying jobs and cause more lower-paying jobs to be made for marginalized groups to fill the gap. Proposing and applying equal education and opportunity would make schools a better environment because there would be no segregation and all students could interact with each other and form friendships and connections. It could also be a possible solution to make jobs better for the future job markets by increasing rates of successful students completing their higher education and graduating from universities. The increase in college graduates will promote higher-paying jobs to be made while getting rid of lower-paying jobs to reduce polarization. Equal education can especially give marginalized students the opportunity to prove the skills that they learned in higher education and apply them in the job market to make jobs less precarious by being prepared with the skills they need for the job they want. All schools implementing equal education would solve the problem of inequality and discrimination in schools by giving all students equal opportunities in their education to help them fit in our economy and possibly make it boom once again.

Equal education will make all schools correspond to each other by making all classes available for all students of color to take without them being denied from taking the classes they want due to racism. According to Professor Dick Startz Brown Center Chalkboard from Brookings Institution, “Only 36 percent of high schools where the majority of students are black offer a calculus course. In contrast, 60 percent of majority-white schools offer calculus. It’s hard to see how this makes for equal opportunity.” This greatly hinders black students’ chances of applying for STEM majors because most of them didn’t have an opportunity to learn the required math class so they are behind white students in progress during college. Technology-related jobs are in high demand and really competitive because of technological advances. Students of color who are behind in their education due to inaccessible courses could lose their chance to apply for tech companies or have it delayed while students are very likely to land a job which can cause the gap to be larger. The United States has been fighting for educational equality for a very long time and it is a solution to many economic problems if it is ever truly implemented. Andreas Schleicher and Pablo Zoido from the Journal of Social Issues state that “Providing equal opportunities for all, giving every student the same chances to succeed, creating the right conditions for all students regardless of socioeconomic background, gender, or origin, all of these are goals most governments aspire to.” and “Providing every student with basic skills and then exploring ways to go beyond the basics are critical goals for countries that want to participate in an increasingly globalized and interconnected world” ( Schleicher and Zoido 697). According to ProPublica’s database which is based on civil rights data from the U.S. Department of Education, the average of the nation’s white students are 80% more likely to be in an AP class compared to black students and it mostly involves the Southern States. Implementing equal opportunities would reduce the gaps between students of different skin colors and give them equal chance to learn and show others how intelligent they really are as well as debunk bad stereotypes about them. If the goal of equal education that most government wants is ever truly reached, the effect of equal education and opportunity is creating more highly educated students for the job markets to reduce polarized jobs by getting rid of low-class jobs and increasing middle and high-class jobs. The boost in the economy can benefit countries by greatly increasing the development of the country and technology, and this gives the government more reason to keep on pushing policies and laws to fight for equal education and a better future.

Although students of color suffer most from education inequality, there is a certain group that faces education inequality as well but not due to racial discrimination. The group that also faces education inequality is females due to sexism. According to Batuhan Aydagül from the Istanbul-based quarterly magazine, Turkish Policy Quarterly, “Turkey’s progress towards gender equality in education has been limited, hindered by the overall gender gap in national politics and economics” (Aydagül 46-47). Also, Eva Iversen and Else Oestergaard from Forced Migration Review state that “Men are traditionally supposed to be breadwinners, while women are expected to become mothers and wives, and their education is therefore considered less important” (Iversen and Oestergaard 1). These two quotes from different sources show us the connection as to why females are facing sexism. Sexist views from society see men as the ones that are capable of doing everything while women are only seen as being able to do housework and take care of the family. This stereotype also connects to Kalleberg’s book, Good Jobs, Bad Jobs, by relating to his statement about how men are the only ones in their families going out to work to earn money to support their families while the wife is doing chores at home and taking care of the kids. This negative stereotype is spread worldwide so it gives the world a one-sided view about women not really needing education since they believe that they won’t even use the knowledge they acquired for society at all and stick with the housewife role. Equal education would give females the confidence and chance to attend school with equal opportunities and give them the education they need to prove to society that the negative stereotypes of females are totally wrong. It states in Turkish Policy Quarterly that the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) has “remarkable success in increasing gender parity in education was led by the girls’ education campaign launched in 2003. The campaign, which was developed in cooperation with and supported by UNICEF,7 was called Haydi Kızlar Okula (Hey Girls, Let’s Go to School) and claimed both national and international success in its design, implementation, and the national mobilization it sparked” (Aydagül 48). A campaign about female education is a good step to empower women for education because they know they are being backed up by other organizations while being funded as well as equalizing the gender parity ratio. Although the campaign probably won’t solve all problems related to gender inequality in education, it is still a solid effort to let people know that people care. The campaign started in the 10 provinces with the highest gender gap and it slowly spread until it took effect in all 81 provinces. It also states in Turkish Policy Quarterly that “As a result, the gender parity ratio for basic education increased from 0.9302 in 2003-04 to 0.9895 in 2008-09 and to 1 in 2012-13.” and “ In two projects launched in 2011 and 2015, both of which was funded by the European Commission, MoNE specifically focused on increasing girls’ access to school in the South and South East Anatolia provinces. The gender parity ratio at secondary education, which was as low as 0.8361 in 2003-04, jumped from 0.9651 in 2011-12 to 0.9955 in 2017-18”( Aydagül 48-49). Not only are the campaign and projects giving girls more chances to attend school for a better future, but it is also actually doing really well since it is getting more funding and support as well as showing positive results. Since good results are consistent, governments of poor and not as-developed countries as well as ones facing gender equality should try creating campaigns and projects. Not only will it encourage women to strive for higher education and give them a chance to contribute to the economy, but it will also help debunk bad stereotypes that affect their chances of being accepted for jobs and makes job less insecure for women. There is also a chance for it to change the vast majority of male politicians’ views of female education and get them to join the cause by establishing policies to help end gender inequality.

Teachers are the people who are supposed to teach and guide students because it is their job to share their knowledge but not all teachers are equal in how they do things in their classrooms. Teachers are the biggest issue because they are involved with the students the most in education, so if a teacher were to treat them poorly and discriminate in any kind of way then they are affecting the students negatively. Wrentham Julian wrote in The US Education System Fails Black Boys, “Data on disparities in discipline, access to high-level math and science courses, and availability of experienced teachers in the classroom has remained intractable. For example, Black students are twice as likely to be expelled without educational services than white children. Moreover, Black children are also twice as likely as white students to be disciplined by law enforcement.” Black students are more likely to stop pursuing education once they are expelled because they feel like it is the end and it will increase the amount of low-paying bad jobs for dropout students. The higher chances of them getting criminal track records from law enforcement could cause a lot of problems with future employers during an interview by giving them a bad image, and it increases the chances of them not being accepted for jobs due to their “bad reputation.” Black students are facing discrimination and are not given a chance to prove that they can succeed in higher education like STEM courses for example, which makes them less prepared for the job market today which requires knowledge of technology and science to find a good-paying job. Teachers are also more biased towards boys than girls which widens the gender gap even more. Joseph Cimpian from Brown Center Chalkboard stated from his studies with his colleague Sarah Lubienski, a professor of math education at Indian University-Bloomington, “Exploring deeper, we found that the beliefs that teachers have about student ability might contribute significantly to the gap. When faced with a boy and a girl of the same race and socio-economic status who performed equally well on math tests and whom the teacher rated equally well in behaving and engaging with school, the teacher rated the boy as more mathematically able—an alarming pattern that replicated in a separate data set collected over a decade later.” and “ teachers’ underrating of girls from kindergarten through third grade accounts for about half of the gender achievement gap growth in math.” The sexist views from teachers not only drop female students’ confidence in their own abilities, but it could possibly lead to teachers neglecting their female students and hindering their learning by not helping them when they need it. The constant negligence could slow or completely halt their learning to the point where it becomes an obstacle to them in higher education because they are lacking the knowledge they need to help them with other classes. According to Julian, “The US teacher workforce is 80 percent white.” The solution to equal education would require schools to hire more teachers of color as well as train all teachers to not discriminate and be biased toward students. Julian states that teachers should immerse themselves in the community and foster learning environments to understand what burdens students can have to try to help them as well try to change school perspective to help students be themselves and let them recognize unconscious bias to connect with other students. The discrimination from their teachers can put an end to students of color’s chances ever finding a good-paying career in the future. We can fix the problem of discrimination by hiring more teachers of color who are less likely to show racial discrimination and more likely to motivate all students to push themselves to complete their education. The other solution to solve the issue with teachers are to train them better and let them interact more with the community, so they can properly help students whenever they need help without neglecting them and creating a gap between the teacher and student relationship. Experienced and good teachers help students push themselves to achieve greater things in the future.

Although equal education is a good solution to many problems, there is still a problem with money. According to The Atlantic, “Today, the U.S. spends more on college than almost any other country, according to the 2018 Education at a Glance report, released this week by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).” This means that education today alone costs so much for students in the U.S. that implementing equal education would require even more money to hire teachers of color as well as train all teachers. The cost of college is already so expensive and not all financial aid would pay off all the tuition, which causes many families to try to pay off the tuition for their children and possibly lead to financial burdens. According to Forbes, “Price Of College Increasing Almost 8 Times Faster Than Wages.” And according to The New York Times,” Growing inequality of income could become the last nail in public education’s coffin. It contributes to the residential segregation that cordons off rich school districts from the poor and reduces support for public education among the wealthy Americans who can opt-out. Not only is income barely increasing compared to college tuition, but there is also a gender and racial wage gap, which makes it even harder for marginalized groups to pay off their tuition and lead to more students being in higher amounts of debt. This could lead to students not wanting to go into higher education to obtain a degree and make jobs more polarized once again and hurt the economy. Although this is really risky, we have to take the risk to give more marginalized students a chance to go into higher education and earn a degree for the job market. If there are more educated people, it will help the economy greatly by reducing low-paying jobs and help the economy greatly.

Dependent variable (that I would like to explain) A great number of theoretical concepts and empirical studies in sociology point out that reaching of high educational achievement is predetermined by social origin (Boudon 1974; Bourdieu and Passeron 1971; Ditton 1992). Interesting is here the finding, that educational reproduction is influenced by school achievements only to a limited extent. In other words, the high achiever in educational attainment are not necessarily the high achiever in school grades (Jackson 2013). These findings contradict the meritocratic and performance oriented perception of educational system and occupational assignment. Furthermore it was identified that, the unequal positioning take place in successive steps, which are solidified through the school transitions, and the achieved social positions are legitimized (Ribolits 2006). Therefore, I would like to measure who is privileged to attain the highest existing educational pathway and how. Educational attainment is therefore the central dependent variable in my research. (It will be measured in one concrete case, thus in one specific school transition).

Independent variables and relevant aspects As the decision about the educational transition cannot be simply understood in the sense of one rational-choice, it is not only taken as a certain choice at one concrete time point , but rather as a longterm process. Therefore the processhas to be reflected in the measurement as well as the effect of the long therm influence of social environment. In the childhood shape the child mostly its family and its impact is carried out through three central independent variables: economic, cultural and social capital. The school grades is the next used independent variable, as the measuring of the relation between the school grades and educational attainment allows us to estimate the divergence from the merit principle. Here is expected only a moderate effect (Boudon 1974; Jackson 2013). The final important independent variable is the educational aspiration as the recent research shows that there are huge differences in attribution of meaning to the education under different social groups. It is particularly interesting is to measure the relation between the school grades and educational aspirations in context of country of origin, as this relation is the least explained.

In order to understand the decision-making processes in their complexity, it has to be profoundly analyzed not only the direct impact of each independent variable on dependent variable but also the interrelations between the independent variables. Most challenging is to identify particularly the indirect ways of influencing of social environment on education. Peer group, teachers or health could be also considered as a independent variables influencing the transition processes. However, in order to eliminate the complexity of the model with focus on effects of origin, these variables will be not integrated into the model.

Concepts Bourdieu (1983) distinguishes between three basic types of capital: economic, cultural and social, which are partly convertible. However, this exchange is not a simple transaction, there is involved much more effort behind the exchange work. As the results of Bourdieu’s analyses show that economic capital, respectively the parents’ income has no autonomous effect on school performance and educational transitions, he pays particular attention to effect of ‘cultural art’ (Bourdieu 2001, pp. 26-27). He divides cultural capital into three forms: in an incorporated, objectified and institutionalized. Achieved educational qualifications and titles of the parents are not the most important factors in reproduction of social status, the important role is ascribed to the incorporated cultural capital in the form of permanent dispositions, which are shaped in early childhood in a family in from of cultural competencies which evocate a positive attitude towards learning even before the begin of the school attendance (Bourdieu 1983, pp. 185-187). Social capital is defined by Bourdieu as the aggregate of existing and potential resources associated with the existence of a permanent network of more or less institutionalized relations of mutual respect or recognition (Bourdieu 1983, p. 190).

Model The model consists of six variables. Socioeconomic status of the family, which is understood as a trigger of the social inequality in education is divided in three central independent variables, economic (EC), cultural (CC) and social (SC) capital. Despite their interrelation each of them effect educational attainment (E.att) differently. Their indirect effect on educational attainment is achieved through their prior impact on the school grades (Grades), as well as through the influence of the educational aspirations (Aspir). The understanding of the intermediary position and interrelation between the grades and aspirations may contribute to the profound explanation of patterns of reproduction of social inequality in education.

Pakistan. A country divided by its political views, and dominated by countless military coups and Taliban regimes. Terror has filled the country, stripping the people who live there of their basic educational rights, deny women of their natural human rights, and even persecute those who do not believe in the same religion. However, the specific topic that I chose to delve deeper into is the education in Pakistan. There is startling news that comes from Pakistan and its surrounding countries rather often, and there are shocking differences between our country and culture versus theirs in Pakistan.

“I am Malala,” by Malala Yousafzai is a book that took the world by storm. In this book, Malala describes her life, what she stands for, all that she has endured through pushing for an education, and her journey as she continues to speak out against the current oppressive regime. Yousafzai puts up a remarkable fight for girl’s education, even with the knowledge of the repercussions. At the age of 15, Malala was shot in the head on her school bus by the Taliban to get revenge for her campaigning for the education for girls in Pakistan. She took so many risks just to better the lives of other girls who were being deprived of these rights that girls in the United States might take for granted. It was when I read this book that I initially became interested in the types of conflicts happening in Pakistan related to their educational system. I am an education major and feel that educating myself about school systems in other nations will benefit me in the long run as I work to become a teacher.

In Pakistan, the education system adopted from colonial authorities had been described as one of the most underdeveloped in the world. The rate of youth literacy within Pakistan is a little over 60% and over half of the adolescents who are not enrolled in school are female. Barely 60% of the students enrolled in primary school complete grades one through five, even though there are programs such as play groups, nursery, kindergarten, etc., that attempt to effectively prepare those students moving onto the next grade. Once you get into middle school or middle education, single-sex education is preferred; meaning they would prefer to teach boys only rather than girls. The education system in Pakistan is separated into three main groups: Public, private, and Madrasah system. The Madrasah system, “cater to the poorest segment of the society and have the greatest divergence with contemporary economies. The syllabus taught in these seminaries is grounded in religious biases and portrays a narrow-minded worldview” (Pakistan Today, 2018), while the public and private schools, “cater to children representing the middle class, and therefore, the majority. These schools follow a syllabus which is strictly regulated by the government and has a particular emphasis on rote learning” (Pakistan Today, 2018). The few students that then reach the university level are left with a lack of knowledge of research-oriented education and even creativity, as creativity is discouraged, especially among young children in school. A typical university graduate in Pakistan emerses unprepared for the real world and lacks the essential qualities of a marketable and hireable person.

These unfair and unsafe living conditions have lead people to step out of the shadows and protest against the regime that has killed many of their loved ones, and made their lives impossible to truly live. Among Malala Yousafzai, there were many other famous people that have taken it upon themselves to work to better the lives of their fellow Pakistanis. However, not only are more well-known individuals up for the task, but more recently, regular civilians have decided to stand up and rise against the Taliban and their wrongful actions that have put Pakistan into the current state it is today. “Taliban militants often target public gatherings and military ceremonies and installations. Until recently (2015), most Pakistanis avoided speaking against the Taliban in public. But after the attack at the flag ceremony and the recent massacre of school children in Peshawar, everyday Pakistanis are much more likely to speak openly against the militants in public places” (As attacks continue, people in Pakistan increasingly speak out against the Taliban, 2015).

Boys and girls are treated very differently in Pakistan, as “gender equality remains one of the biggest challenges in Pakistan in the 21st century. The majority of girls and women in this country remain one of the most uneducated people of the world.” (Gender Inequality in Education, 2013). The Pakistani society, even today, is not particularly welcoming to girls who wish to receive an education. More than 40,000 girls in Swat Valley, Pakistan, did not attend school due to extremist threats in 2008 and 2009. Gender inequality in Pakistan particularly is very problematic. “The Global Campaign for Education reports that more than 5.1 million primary school-aged children in Pakistan do not attend school. Sixty-three percent of them are girls. This is the third highest number of out-of-school children in the world” (Gender Inequality in Education, 2013).

The Taliban has, “blasted more than 4,000 schools in Swat (Valley), they have slaughtered people, and in the month of January, 2009, they used to slaughter even two to three people every night… we have seen the barbaric situation of the 21st century, and we have seen the cruelty, and we have seen harsh days in our life and those were the darkest days of our life…” (Malala Yousafzai, The Daily Show, 2013). Here, Malala is describing her life in 2007 on in her hometown of Swat Valley in Pakistan. Terrorist attacks on educational institutions have increased within recent years as these types of measures are made to try to deter others from wanting to continue to receive an education. She used to describe this place as a “paradise” before the Taliban arrived, which is hard to believe, considering the current state.

Many believe that the heart of all of Pakistan’s big issues is education and the quality of it. Today, “It is estimated that presently more than 55 million age 10 Pakistanis are unable to read and write and there are 7 million children of age 5 to 9 years are out of schools. The more worst part is that in rural areas, more than 52% of girls are not enrolled in school. This is not enough, you know 67% of women as well are illiterate” (Education System in Pakistan (2020 Research, 2019). There are many children out of school as well, as many families do not enroll their children into schools. Instead, they make them work for them, starting at a young age. Child labor is among many of the disadvantages of the education system in Pakistan. From a young age, children are taught to work for their families, as many may not have an option to receive an education. This should go to show everyone that the things that we may take for granted, like having the opportunity to go to school and receive a proper education, are largely taken away from those who want it most in different parts of the world.