Discussion on Education Inequality (Term Paper Sample)

Education Inequality
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Education Inequality
Various characteristics connect children to their educational achievement and educational attainment. Education achievement is a student’s performance in school evaluated using scores or grades on standardized examinations. Educational attainment is the highest education level a person obtains evaluated based on whether the individual progresses to post-secondary education. Multiple characteristics can influence the unequal educational outcome throughout the life course. These characteristics can be divided into two; ascribed and achieved characteristics. Ascribed characteristics are a person’s inborn features such as sex, race, and family social class. Achieved characteristics are features earned through a person’s effort such as occupational designation and personal skills. Both achieved and ascribed characteristics influences an individual education outcome. For instance, acquiring a doctorate needs a lot of individual effort; however, people from upper and middle-class families are more likely to strive for post-graduate degrees. The paper, however, concentrates on ascribed characteristics.
Gender
Gender is one of the main contributing determinants to socialization. The different socialization method between boys and girls can influence their educational outcomes regarding their performance, confidence, and interests. Research shows that girls are outperforming boys implying that gender is no longer a hindrance to educational achievement. Besides, a considerable percentage of all women between 25 to 44 years acquire post-secondary education than men. Nevertheless, women are underrepresented in high-paying professions such as applied sciences, mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering, and overrepresented in lower-paying professions such as health sciences, education, and social sciences (Gradín, 2019).
Socioeconomic Status
A family's socioeconomic status is among the strongest measure of a child’s educational outcomes. Socioeconomic status is a family income and other determinants that ascertain how much a family can earn, such as parents' occupations and their educational level. Low socioeconomic status is linked to poor grades, and school skipping and drop-out. Studies show that there exists an education achievement gap between children from high–income families and low-income families (Thompson, 2019). Besides, a family’s socioeconomic status affects an individual’s general educational attainment. Fewer youths from the lowest household income attend university compared to youths from families earning over an average household income.
Race
Ethnic groups have their norms, subcultures, and values. Language differences affect educational achievement and attainment. Some ethnic groups are less familiar with the English language than others, making students’ attainment levels low. Besides, the value parents from different ethnicity place on education can influence educational achievement. Parents who highly value education motivates students to be more dedicated to education.
The Power of Education
Education can be a powerful engine for addressing inequality. It can equip women and men, poor and rich with equal power and voice. It can establish more cohesive communities, drive social mobility and establish greater equality. Education closes the gap between men and women. Education addresses gender differences in poverty, political power, wages, and reproductive autonomy. Providing equal education opportunities to all girls positively impacts gender inequalities and women empowerment (Rhodes et al., 2017). The substantial progress in minimizing gender differences in school enrolment in previous years, particularly at the primary school level, has decreased gender inequalities. Educating girls brings significant benefits for themselves, their societies, and their families. Women educated to the primary level earn income closer to those of men, and as they expand their education their wages increases. As women constantly acquire education, they gain more power over their lives, especially on issues of marriage and how many children they should have. Besides, education improves women's and children's health outcomes. The more they receive education, they can make healthier decisions for themselves and their children. Research shows that educating women reduces maternal and child deaths. Good education quality also has the power to confront traditional social perspectives and teach boys and girls that they are all equal.
Education also reduces poverty. Research shows that extreme poverty could reduce to half by achieving universal secondary and primary education. Universal education eradicates poverty by improving an individual’s earning power. Low education levels hinder economic growth, declining poverty minimization. Studies demonstrate that annual schooling increases income by about 10 percent (Lawson & Martin, 2018). Besides, investing in education can result in enhancements in long-term health benefits, promote democratic peace and governance, address environmental degradation, ensure greater gender equality and nurture more sustainable livelihoods.
Moreover, education brings the community together. Providing every child with the opportunity to learn and fully utilize their talent is vital for creating fairer societies. Schools are places where both poor and rich children make friendship ties breaking the inequality barriers. They can confront the rules that prolong economic inequality in the larger community and provide young individuals with tools to create more equitable communities. Education can also boost social mobility allowing poor children to shift up the income ladder for themselves and their parents. Improving one’s social status is central to fighting poverty and reducing inequality. Studies show that equal education has been a major social mobility driver (Walker et al., 2019). The ability to write, read, evaluate and analyze various sources on a personal level encourages democratic societies. Education allows people to practice the right to an equal say over the policies and structures governing their lives, thus improving democracy. Studies show that education results in greater civic and political engagement.
Educational Strategies
Address Poverty and the Ecosystem
Leaders and policymakers must acknowledge and address the complex and different forces that influence how children learn, such as emotional and mental health, social skills, poverty, hunger and nutrition, and self-regulation. Research shows that countries that strive to address social inequalities achieve enhanced education results. High-level skills are needed, particularly in the current technology-driven global economy (OECD, 2021). The country’s capacity to keep up with the economy relies on an educated workforce. An educated workforce brings great success to both individuals and society. Therefore, the government should create an education system that supports students and provides underserved groups the lift they require to acquire an equitable and fair experience. Policies developed should be adaptable enough to manage difficult and varied environments that children come from such as dual language learners, underserved populations, poverty, and family contexts.
Remove Barriers and Increase Access
Increasing access and removing barriers to early childhood education resources are among the keys to equality. Removing problems of finding and accessing resources such as affordability can mitigate early