Inequality in U.S Higher education System

Inequality in U.S Higher education System

Introduction

Inequality in education comes when there are differences in the experience of some students in their educational endeavors when compared to others. There are several parameters used in measuring achievements in education. Such parameters include grades, scores, drop out levels, and the rates of college completion among others. Most studies conducted so far links the disparities in higher education in the US to racial, social, and economic factors. Moreover, the racial lines play a greater role in worsening the inequality, since skin color determines socioeconomic status, and residential location (Yossi & Richard, 2010). Admittedly, educational disparities exist between the white and the minority students. This paper focuses on the causes of inequality in higher education in US.

Causes of Educational Inequality

Several factors contribute to the increasing inequality in the manner in which white and minority students’ access higher education. Issues such as history, family background, and resources broadly represent the major categories that are relevant.

The history of US paints a negative picture about the relationship between the white and ethnic minorities. Firstly, some elements of stigma remain long after the abolishment of slavery. The freedmen schools did not receive proper recognition that could guarantee access to better colleges. Schools do not receive similar funds for their daily operations (Yossi & Richard, 2010). Secondly, the Latinos and American Indians also experience educational inequality. These minority groups do not access better educational opportunities. The American institutions of higher education fall into various classes. Most exclusive institutions have as low as 3% of their student population coming from low income and minority ethnic groups. According to Ann (2011), most students from Connecticut go Southern Connecticut State University since it is inexpensive, and offers a variety of programs. These students majorly come from poor families where parents work in factories. However, this scenario is quite different from the state of Yale University, which is a short distance from the Southern Connecticut.

According to Annette (2011), family background plays a vital role in determining the access to higher education opportunities. There is a correlation between the success of parents and that of their children. Recognizing the value of resources, white students have better educated parents than the minority students. Parents who are more educated tend to offer more support to the education of their children than the less educated ones. Educated parents offer varieties of books, take children to libraries, and offer a generally academic friendly environment. Such students aim for higher education. On the other hand, poor students from the minority groups have poor memory, vocabulary, and arithmetical skills. These characteristics lead to the classification of such students as low achievers with different classes. This separation further worsens the inequality gap as most of them drop out of school. The existence of language barrier also creates a gap between the white Native American students and the Latino immigrants. The immigrant students take long struggling with Basic English as a language as opposed to major subject areas (Annette, 2011). More research also reveals that 27% of Latinos, 54% of African American students come from single parent families when compared to 15% of White, and 10% of Asian students. Single parenthood, poverty, and less attention from the parents contribute greatly to the performance of these students and thus less access to the prestigious institutions of higher learning.

Lastly, resources also play an important role in the access to higher educational facilities in US. Most children from affluent families have access to better nutrition and health care services. A combination of these factors enhances cognitive development (Annette, 2011). Apart from the resources from the families, most schools discriminate minority students in resource allocation. The low-income students receive fewer funds compared to students from more affluent and white families. Moreover, teachers in low income schools are less qualified, which further reduces the performance of the students, and consequently, limiting their access to institutions of higher learning.

References

Ann, L. (2011). Degrees of Inequality: Culture, Class, and Gender in American Higher Education. Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Annette, L. (2011).Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life. London: University of California Press.

Yossi, S. & Richard, A. (2010).Stratification in Higher Education: A Comparative Study (Studies in Social Inequality). California: Stanford University Press.

 

 

 

 

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