A comprehension of the education sector is important for aspiring educators. It enables instructors to interpret the various issues that affect the industry. Additionally, it allows teachers to appreciate their role in the mental, physical, and social development of children and young adults. This essay covers the school-to-prison pipeline, public and nonpublic education, government involvement in education, and discrimination in education. Systemic and social discrimination is rife in the American education system and public school regulations differ from those for nonpublic institutions. On the other hand, government involvement in education comes both from the executive and the judiciary.
The School-to-Prison Pipeline
The school-to-prison pipeline refers to the practice where school-going children are forced into the criminal justice system through the enforcement of disciplinary procedures found within learning institutions. These students are criminalized due to lapses in their discipline. Once they come into contact with law enforcement, the children subsequently depart learning environments and enter the criminal and juvenile justice systems.
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In his book, Mallett (2015) expounds more on the concept. The author suggests that the phenomenon has been fueled over the years by zero tolerance for criminal behavior within learning institutions. These zero tolerance policies, although initially meant to deter adolescents from engaging in crime, have morphed and today are applied inappropriately. For instance, these policies majorly focus on criminal traits as opposed to the deep-rooted causes of such behavior. Mallett (2015) suggests that stakeholders should strive to tackle criminal behavior from a mental perspective rather than pushing young adults into the juvenile and criminal justice systems.
Fernandez (2016) adds to the literature on the school-to-prison pipeline by covering how it affects children with learning disabilities. Ideally, learning disabilities can inhibit adequate comprehension of abstract reasoning, attention, or memory in children and young adults. They are processing difficulties found within the neurons.
Although the United States Senate decided to eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline in 2016, there are concerns because the piece of legislation fails to address the needs of students with learning disabilities. The Senate Bill 100 banned Zero Tolerance policies and prescribes that cases should be addressed on individual bases. As can be seen, the main focus was on the “zero tolerance” concept. The bill failed to comprehensively cover secondary concerns. In reality, the school-to-prison pipeline continues to disadvantage children with learning disabilities who make up 36% of students within the American juvenile system (Fernandez, 2016).
Public and Nonpublic School Education in the United States
The American education industry is highly diversified. In addition to public schools, there are nonpublic institutions that are run differently. Bankston and Caldas (2000) note that some of the best performing nonpublic schools are Catholic sponsored. However, the authors note that nonpublic institutions pose a threat to the survival of public schools. For instance, they note that improved performances at nonpublic institutions can lead to shunning of public schools by white students or those from the middle-class. This can lead to the segregation of minority students which in turn means that the public school system becomes racially imbalanced.
There is also a difference in the way nonpublic and public institutions are treated by the American judicial system. For instance, the courts protect students studying in religious institutions to make decisions based on their individual beliefs (Mawdsley & Cumming, 2012). However, such institutions cannot dictate careers that students take up based on race. Such provisions ensure that student in nonpublic institutions are well protected under the law. In addition, most of these provisions are based on case law. Although the public school system protects all students from discrimination based on demographics, nonpublic institutions have been forced seek clarification from the courts regarding important issues owing to the diversification that exists within their system.
Government Involvement in Education
As stated in the previous section, Mawdsley and Cumming (2012) show how the American government has over the years become majorly involved in the education sector. The levels of involvement are different both for public and nonpublic learning institutions. However government involvement also applies to other countries. For instance, in Australia, federal statutes are used to regulate private schools. Amendments such as the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and the Privacy Act protect children from discrimination based on age and confidentiality of learner records, respectively (Mawdsley & Cumming, 2012). Like the case in the United States, the Australian government acknowledges the need for a level playing field for children in public and nonpublic institutions.
On the other hand, actions by the executive arm of government can directly affect the mentality and treatment of school-going children. For instance, Todres (2018) gives an example of how derogatory terms spoken by US president Donald Trump have caused social unrest among students in the country. Although research on the effects of Trump’s actions on the lives of children is currently limited, it has still been found that the president’s bullish behavior towards minority groups has caused widespread bullying and discrimination in learning institutions. In addition, policies that are discriminative based on gender and race have had negative effects on the number of school enrollments. Most minority parents and guardians are today reluctant to school their children in certain institutions out of the fear of targeted bullying and retaliatory attacks.
Discrimination Based On Gender, Religion, and Race within Learning Institutions
Discrimination in education is a key area of interest for stakeholders. Policymakers are interested in passing legislation that eases the management of the vice while researchers attempt to find ways that can remedy the effects of bullying in schools. According to (Todres, 2018), discrimination in education is categorized as a form of human rights violation. The author recommends that the vice can be stopped by engaging children through human rights education in school curricular. The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) already has framework that serves as a guide regarding how human rights education can be adopted, and schools should aim to incorporate the same.
Discrimination in education within the United States is on children from racial and religious minorities, as well as those from the LGBTQ community. Systemic discrimination also targets students with learning disabilities. Todres (2018, p. 333) notes that “Muslims, Jews, African Americans, and Hispanics” are racially discriminated against at school level. Based on religion, Muslims have been found to be bullied on a widespread basis. On the other hand, Fernandez (2016) finds that the Senate Bill 100 fails to protect children with learning disabilities who make a considerable portion of those within the juvenile system.
Although discrimination in education is present, efforts towards its management are not enough. Countless reports are made every day concerning targeted bullying in schools. Research also shows that discrimination may lead to segregation especially on racial grounds (Todres, 2018).
In conclusion, the school-to-prison pipeline is discriminatory of children with learning difficulties. Despite the fact that these students may struggle with comprehension, the Senate is yet to institute legislations that will limit the incarceration of these students. On the other hand, it has been shown that the American education industry is expansive. It covers public and nonpublic institutions whose regulations differ but are meant to protect learners from discrimination, nevertheless, discrimination still exists based on religion, race, and gender. Although some government interventions are progressive in the fight against school-based discrimination, bullish behavior from those in positions of power enhances targeted bullying in schools.
References
Bankston III, C. L., & Caldas, S. J. (2000). White enrolment in non-public schools, public school racial composition, and student performance. Sociological quarterly , 41 (4), 539-550.
Fernandez, A. (2015). Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Whether Senate Bill 100 Will Address Problems Specific to Students with Learning Disabilities. Pub. Int. L. Rep. , 21 , 147.
Mallett, C. A. (2015). The school-to-prison pipeline: A comprehensive assessment . Springer Publishing Company.
Mawdsley, R., & Cumming, J. (2012). Government regulation of non-public schools in the United States (US). International Journal of Law & Education , 17 (1), 39.
Todres, J. (2018). The Trump effect, children, and the value of human rights education. Family Court Review , 56 (2), 331-343.
