The Impact of Social Class on Education
Jimmy is a member of the working class society; he lives at the outer edge of his middle-class school district. The district that he attends is made up of predominantly middle class students, whom he has little in common with. On his bus ride to school every day he dreads what lies ahead of him for the day, not only because he dislikes school, but also because he feels alienated from the rest of the student body. Even his teachers have a hard time relating to him because they do not share his background or values. Jimmy's dad is a mechanic who never even finished high school, and his mom is a beautician. Neither had an education higher than the high-school level. Even though Jimmy's parents push him to finish high school and go on to college, he just can't see himself actually doing that. Jimmy is unsure of what he wants to do with his life, but he just can't conceive of going through another four to five years of school beyond high school with kids that he just can't !identify with. He sees college as a place for higher class kids whose families have the means for their children to attend college. Jimmy's parents barely scrape by, and they were hoping that their son would be able to obtain a scholarship to college. J
Van Galen, J. (2000, Spring). Education & class. Multicultural Education v. 7. pp. 2-11. Children that attend working class schools do not have the same opportunities as those that attend middle class or private schools. The working class schools do not have the same types of funding available to them; therefore, they are not able to offer the same types of programs as other schools. They may not have computer labs, art programs, or athletic programs because of tight budgets. They may also have older facilities that are dilapidated buildings, often without air conditioning. Another problem with working class schools is their inabilities to pay teachers a salary comparable to that of teachers in other districts; the result is often times lower quality teachers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ not have much in common with their peers. They discover that the majority of the other students have been accustomed to finer things, such as designer clothing, new cars, and large allowances. In many cases, the estranged working class student ends up leaving college before they earn a degree; they may never return to complete their education. Rose, M. (1989). The struggle and achievements of America's underprepared. Created Equal. New York: Harper Collins. Many working class children end up being unprepared for college b
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Approximate Word count = 931
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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