Racial inequality in education can be defined as the differences in educational related outcomes of learners based on their race or nation of origin. The Unites States is one of the countries with the most diverse populations in the world. Many people also consider the nation as the most democratic, where the systems and persons respect human rights and give equal opportunities to all citizens despite their social, racial, political, religious and even economic backgrounds. However, it is becoming a norm and tradition to experience a significant gap in educational issues between the races, more so, between the white and the African - Americans. The educational outcomes for the people of African-American descent are not convincing given the systems and laws that have been passed set a common ground for all the people. From the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 to the No Child is Left Behind Act of 2002, the laws have been established to protect all children, but the gap keeps widening. This essay discusses the some of the ways in which racial inequalities are experienced and the causes of such a disparity amongst the people of different skin colors.
Background of Racial Inequality in Education
Racial inequality in Kindergarten to grade 12 in the United States has been in existence for a long time. The issue dates back to the era of slavery in the Unites States. Then, African Americans were not allowed to acquire any education. During that era, it was illegal, by law, to educate African slaves 1 . A white child, especially the boy child, had all the privileges to go to school and become independent because they were empowered. On the other hand, the African - Americans remained poor, uneducated and lived at the mercy of their master. The end of slavery brought freedom of the African - Americans, but that never came with education for their children. They had to live in the dark, kept out of awareness and knowledge so as to be exploited continually 2 . They were simply blocked from accessing the tool that would help them gain the ultimate independence from their masters. Many years later, abolitionists succeeded in putting an end to slavery. Many African - Americans, especially in the Southern States had become free men who lived under no control and heavy punishment from the bosses. They, however, had to depend on the whites because they did not have any education and thus could not work in well-paying capacities 3 . They were reduced to casual laborers who worked for the white man for a living.
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After years of struggle, Africans Americans were allowed to attend school and acquire education. They, however, had to attend different schools meant for them 4 . There was no chance of the student of the black race to mix with white students. Each had to go their way to schools and back. The African - Americans left poor settlements and slums to go to impoverished school whereas the whites left the best houses to attend the lavish schools in the country. The quality of education in the two different schools was not equal. The curriculums differed and the rate of exposure of the two sets of students was different. The African - Americans remained disadvantaged as the rest of the peers enjoyed the best at the time 5 . Today, the integration is almost met and students and their parents are allowed to choose schools of their preferences regardless of their skin color. Many people believed that the end to segregated schooling system would bring end educational disparities in schools, and K-12 in particular. The problems still persist and African - Americans remain the most disadvantaged of all the races in the United States.
Educational Inequalities
Dropout Rates
African Americans are likely to drop out of schools more than the whites in the country 6 . There is a significant difference between the number of African-American children who enroll at Kindergarten and that of those who graduate from elementary school. Several factors have been attributed to the reasons as to why many blacks drop out of school as compared to any other race. Most people cite social and economic backgrounds as the reasons as to why the there is a high rate of school dropouts between Kindergarten and grade 12. Blacks are ranked the lowest paid race in the country and most of them do not have stable jobs that can earn them a sustainable income. Without many, many of them cannot meet the financial obligations of the complementary needs that arise with the pursuit of education. Students need constantly need materials to adequately learn. Most of the parents who cannot afford such materials are African-Americans. Their children are always on the back foot and thus disadvantaged when it comes to educational progress in schools. Many of the children, without adequate materials, consistently perform poorly. Gradually, they become frustrated and quit school to find other ways of raising money to help their families. In the end, there is a significant number of blacks who drop out of schools to engage in livelihood activities.
Poor results and school dropouts have also been attributed to the loss of hope of graduation and progression to higher learning institutions 7 . Still, African-Americans do not see themselves beyond free education institutions and competing with the fairly rich whites. They know that their parents might not afford the educational costs in colleges and consequently work relatively less hard. To them, there is no need to struggle hard and earn a call up to the tertiary institution, only to be unable to join them because of lack of funds. They lack inspirations as the there is no history or culture of college education in their families 8 . Their socio-economic statuses have made them unmotivated, especially given the fact that they interact with the rich white kids who can afford everything at school. The blacks also feel intimidated by the whites because they own had and upper-hand in almost everything. They had traveled and were well versed with the country, owned laptops with which they can use to study and lived in affluent neighborhoods 9 . As a result, the blacks chose to venture into other areas of economic importance and leave schools for the whites who can afford all the expenses and requirements throughout.
Poor School vs. Rich Schools
There is a trend of schools where the blacks are the majority to consistently perform poorly 10 . The government and the Congress have been steadfast in advocating for the equal opportunities for all the children. Opportunities can only be equal however if all the children are exposed to the same type, quantity, and quality education. What happens in the US could be a contributing factor for the continued low-grade performance of the blacks. Each state has their curriculum and set the budget for schools within their jurisdiction. It is probable that districts in the southern States where blacks are many have a less comprehensive curriculum to areas where whites are dominant 11 . As a result, the blacks and the whites always have different abilities when it comes to sitting common exams at a later stage. The whites claim the top spots in almost everything; from mathematics to sciences and English literacy tests. There is unequal coverage of Math and Science subjects in the schools setting the stage for continued poor performances among the blacks 12 . It would be helpful if the national curriculum was established so that all the schools would be a level ground for all the learners. Students would be exposed to the same content and none of the kids would be disadvantaged when it comes to sitting common exams. Students in some states also face challenges because some states invest less amounts of money in k-12 education 13 . The resources remain significantly limited, denying them the chance to explore their potentials fully.
Facilities in lavish schools and impoverished schools vary a great deal due to the investments per student 14 . Lavish schools, where most whites attend school, have high quality and modern facilities as compared to the poor schools. Libraries are better equipped in affluent or lavish schools; there is a small teacher to student ratio, more extra-curricular activities, better guidance and counseling programs, up-to-date textbooks, computer and science equipment 15 . As a result, the children from rich families ( a majority of who are whites) have a better standing in the acquisition of knowledge and skills as compare to their counterparts in the poor schools around the country. All that translates into a disadvantaged black population who cannot perform as well as the whites. Many students in the rich schools also have the opportunities to learn more as the teachers pay more attention to their personal needs and abilities because they are fewer in class 16 . The end result is a class where all students are able to do well all round and move on to the next levels of academia. In poor schools, there are many learners per teacher make it difficult for the teachers to pay close attention the students. As a result, the needs and abilities of the students are overlooked and end up not matching the performances of other students. With modern extracurricular activities, the students in rich schools have all it takes to excel in sports and engage in talent developing activities. They can venture into the entrepreneurship world or go into sports from where they can earn a living in future. Most of the blacks in poorly furnished schools do not have such opportunities and have to work a little harder to get to the levels that match their counterparts.
Conclusion
Racial inequality in K-12 in the United States has been in existence from as early as the arrival of the first Africans in the country. Through history, African Americans have had to endure a harsh approach by the people and the systems of in the country. At first, it was a complete denial of education and nobody was allowed to have their slave educated. The condition changed over time, especially after the slaves became free men. They were allowed to get an education but under strict conditions. They were to learn from their own schools so that they do not affect the whites in any way. The standard of such an education was low and there is no way they could have attained equality with a group that had an intellectual advantage over them. As times went by, proponents of equality increased in number. They called on the respect for humanity and the need to have all citizens of the US given equal opportunities. Their campaigns culminated in the passage and signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which accorded all the citizens the rights and liberties. African-Americans could go to school with the whites, interact and share ideas. There was hope for the blacks when the Act was passed. However, much remains to be done if success has to be achieved with the Act. Although they are entitled to education like the rest, the blacks still face challenges. Their economic and social backgrounds have played a major role in jeopardizing any efforts channeled towards the balance. Many still drop out from school due to financial issues, some lack motivation and inspiration to work harder, the schools which they attend are poorly furnished, etc. There is much to be done to attain equality in the education sector.
Bibliography
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