Problem of Education in the United States

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Introduction

Education has been termed in all societies and throughout the history of humans as a means of an individual’s and society growth. Education is hence a critical part of the society due to its great importance. There is need to examine the importance of education to everyone and if the education provided should be equal. It is also important to note whose responsibility it is to provide education. The education system needs to be effective hence the need for improvements. It is also important to come up with policies that will bring a positive change to provision of education.

Right to access education

Every individual has the human right to access education (Hodgson, 2008). This is because access to education is a fundamental human right to every individual. Education is critical for the development of the full potential of humans and hence their full participation in the democratic society hence its recognition as a human right. The recognition of education as a human right is got from its indispensability when it comes to the enhancement and preservation of the inherent dignity of human beings (Spring, 2000). Everyone has the right to access education because it forms the basis to enjoying other human rights such as right to work and health.

Right to same kind of education

Everyone has the right to the same kind of education. The universal declaration of human rights states that everyone has a right to education. It also says that education should be free at the elementary and fundamental stages. It is also a requirement that elementary education be made compulsory. Higher education needs to be made accessible to everyone on the basis of merit and professional and technical education should be made available. It means that everyone should be provided with the same kind of education in order to foster equality. It is important to follow the universal declaration of human rights so that everyone is on a level ground in terms of education. If people are provided with different kind of education then it means that some people are going to be at an advantage compared to others. Without same kind of education, there are going to be disparities in quality of education provided for every individual. Therefore, providing same kind of education is important for the overall development of individuals and the nation.

Responsibility of proving education

The responsibility of providing education in the United States has been left to the local government. Provision of public education is reserved for states in the United States. State leadership has the power to determine the educational course in each state. However, there is collaboration between the state and federal government when it comes to provision of education. This is because the local government is aware of the education requirements in the states and hence able to provide what is needed. The US federal government provides a lot of money for education through title programs. This is necessary because of the lack of equitable funding for schools due to the fact that most schools draw a lot of funding for the schools from the taxes of property in the states. Equitable education can only be possible if there is a relatively equitable formula of funding for the schools. This can be achieved through collaboration between federal and local government and also individual citizens.

Improvements in the education system

The education system in the United States is broad and diverse and hence needs some improvements. It can be improved through some form of standardization in terms of what is taught and assessment (Lindstrom, 2006). There is the need to come up with standards modes of testing that will make the education system level. The modes of assessment should also be made similar so that there can be fair assessment in the education system (Shen, 2009). Another improvement would be achieved through equitable funding of schools. A lot of disparity exists due to unequal funding where some schools are well funded while others are poorly funded. This can lead to unequitable resources in schools that lack adequate funding. Equitable funding brings about balance in the education system since schools will have similar resources at their disposal. There could also need for an improvement in the education curriculum that involves the incorporation of cross-curriculum connections as well as shared responsibility in the academic achievement of students among teachers, mentors, coaches and parents (Sexton, 2004).

Policy that brings positive change in provision of education

A policy instrumental in making positive changes in provision of education is federal funding policy. There are some schools at the local level with inadequate fund to provide quality education to students. The policy by the federal government for equal funding has provided an opportunity for disadvantaged schools to be able to provide quality education. Therefore, the policy has led to an improvement in the provision of education at both the local and international level.

Conclusion

Education is a human right that everyone is entitled to. People are not just entitled to education but, quality education. There is need to examine the education system in place and carry out necessary improvements on it.

References

Hodgson, D. (2008). The human right to education. Aldershot: Ashgate.

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Lindstrom, J. (2006). A System for Quality Improvement in Higher Education. European Journal of Engineering Education, 255-261.

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Sexton, R. (2004). Mobilizing citizens for better schools. New York: Teachers College Press.

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Shen, J. (2009). Quality rating and improvement system for early care and education: Development, implementation, evaluation and learning.

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Spring, J. (2000). The universal right to education justification, definition, and guidelines. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.