Educational Classism??
The last unit of Equality left off pretty hectic. We started talking about gender, race, and class relations specifically looking at class. After reviewing all of this, we played Monopoly. I know, I know, "why would these high schoolers play monopoly to learn about class?". Well, it was a lot more connected than both you and I thought in the beginning. We played a variant of Monopoly, that divided the players up by class and gave them certain rights according to the classes they were given. We were all skeptical at first but quickly understood once the game started rolling. We saw just how different the classes were and were outraged by the complete discrimination that is allowed in our society. Then, came action project time. For this project we were told to pick an issue relating to class, gender, or race, then travel 100 years into the future. In the future, we were supposed to analyze how that problem had changed and create a piece of legislation that addressed the issue. After writing our stories inspired by realism, we were to create an informative video, structured as a news segment explaining it all.
Since the beginning of human civilization, there have always been things that needed to be taught and learned. From there, Information has been passed down through the generations but eventually became something of a commodity rather than a necessity This is problematic of course because it divided civilization into three groups. Those who have the information, those who need the information, and those who exhibit the skills necessary to do interesting things with said information. After this division occurred, the flow of information and knowledge became not something that humans passed on in efforts to propel humanity forward, but it became a tool that was traded for money, labor, etc. This then further perpetuated the idea of the class system. Only the wealthy, or extraordinarily promising, had access to the knowledge that could propel humanity. But why exactly is this relevant for the 22nd century?
To get to that, let’s go back to exactly 100 years ago; to 2022. A genuine education was achieved through the accomplishment of a graduate or post-graduate degree. Colleges and Universities, were one of the world’s most expensive endeavors, with an average price tag of over $140,000. Even some celebrities bribed their kids into college. Seeing how expensive higher education is, often turns off the lower class population of the world. Seeming to have no hope of ever paying for or paying off the loans necessary to attend school, all for it to not be guaranteed that you will have a high-paying job coming out of college’s four-year commitment. It’s seen as a luxury that the lower middle and lower class, cannot afford to “risk”. In 2022, the world was in the midst, but slowly coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic which made the education system’s situation even worse. The college experience diminished significantly in quality as students were now losing deposits on their education, and the ones that didn’t were being subjected to their homes and dorm rooms for quite unhelpful, online learning.
Not only is it higher education, but high school as well. When my grandfather, JH, was in school, he was fortunate enough to have access to the type of education that binds no information from people. He went to a school that had the resources to provide a unique and transformative education. The prevalence of poor education is, as Kandice summer, a high school teacher from 104 years ago, described it, an educational dept.
So the question remained for lower families towards the bottom of the class pyramid, what exactly is the point of pursuing higher education if there’s a high chance of us not being able to make it? If a good education wasn’t presented to us from the youngest stages, middle and high school, how could we even make it into a school of higher learning that has a reputation for prestige?
Although at the time, this was a modern concern, there were similar versions of this idea ever since education was selective between the classes. This kept the lower class at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder, which is why there are significantly fewer employment opportunities for people of lower-middle to lower class. Fortunately for the citizens of today, the world has started to learn from its mistakes and a new era is upon us.
Just this morning, it seems that officials have finally responded to the severe educational issue of our education system being in flux with the class system. The Bright Star Act essentially requires that any student with a cumulative high school GPA of 2.50 or above is to be granted a college education with tuition no greater than $5,000 a year. Although the act provides this wondrous opportunity, it does require that the student applies their best. If they get a failing grade in any more than three classes they are fined $3,000. Overall, this act ensures that basically, every student will have access to the tools they need to pursue study in whatever field they find appealing, all while taking responsibility for the public system’s failure to educate and involvement within the further condemnation of lower-middle, and lower-class families.
Some have caught wind of this news already and are speculating that this will change the terrain for education, but employment as well. Because the majority of jobs, either require or look specifically for a bachelor’s degree, with this new act, College degrees become wildly more common and not as unique. This will require the employment field to change the way that it searches for new employees. Either that or pretty much anyone could have a higher paying job than working at Mcdonald's. We talked to Katie Wilson, a current high school junior, about what she thought of the new act and what it meant for her and her family.
“ Because I’m a junior in high school, it’s inevitable that I am starting to think about post-high school learning. Before, my mom and grandma would tell me stories about how I needed to perform above and beyond to even be considered for these colleges and universities. That without the footprint of my academic merit, I would need to pay, not full, but still an insanely high price to be able to pay for it. Either that or I would accumulate student loan debt that I would be paying for, essentially, the rest of my life. And then I heard about this act being passed. The fact that I could have my schooling severely discounted, and not have to worry about any debts, is a dream come true.”
When this Act was passed, so many people were excited about being able to send their future generations to college for little to no cost, and being able to see how the employment system will change their dynamics. All we can do is wait and see if this country will get better from here or will there be a new class system to push? It’s all down to father time.
Wicks, Ariane. “Demystifying Sections and Groups in Canvas – Teaching@Sydney.” Sydney.edu.au, 16 Apr. 2018, educational-innovation.sydney.edu.au/teaching@sydney/demystifying-sections-and-groups-in-canvas/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
123rf.com, 2015, previews.123rf.com/images/nexusplexus/nexusplexus1509/nexusplexus150900620/44572372-skizze-von-menschlichen-gehirn-und-gesch%C3%A4ftsideen-und-strategie-auf-wei%C3%9Fem-hintergrund.jpg?fj=1. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
WERMUND, BENJAMIN. “Celebrities, Wealthy Parents Charged by FBI in College Admissions Scheme.” POLITICO, 12 Mar. 2019, www.politico.com/story/2019/03/12/college-admissions-cheating-scandal-1217589#:~:text=The%20FBI%20on%20Tuesday%20charged,the%20nation%27s%20most%20elite%20colleges.. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
More by Mikhail Zinshteyn. “Schools Mobilize to Teach Teachers How to Educate Virtually.” CalMatters, CalMatters, 29 July 2020, calmatters.org/education/2020/07/schools-teachers-educate-virtually/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Insider. “15 College Students on How COVID-19 Derailed Their Lives.” YouTube, 27 Mar. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yGnEPGvwFU]. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
TED. “How America’s Public Schools Keep Kids in Poverty | Kandice Sumner.” YouTube, 28 Nov. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O7BMa9XGXE. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
Gamerboy. “Children Yay! Sound Effect.” YouTube, 4 Jan. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=attUrDwfdr8. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
airplane shark animations. “Poop Sound Effect.” YouTube, 26 Feb. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArulSKVKYYk. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
“Free Photo Hamburger Fast Food Logo Mcdonald’s Burger - Max Pixel.” Maxpixel.net, 2016, www.maxpixel.net/Hamburger-Fast-Food-Logo-Mcdonalds-Burger-4023905. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.
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