SHAME OF THE NATION - Essay Example

The Shame of the Nation Nowadays it is used to think that democratic views and principles of equality play an overwhelming role throughout the world. However, an outstanding author and public activist Jonathan Kozol makes the emphasis that even the most democratic country, the USA, still has numerous examples of racial inequality. Being approximately one of the sharpest problem of American society, racial inequality has its bright expression in examples of school segregation, which can be noticed as wide-spread aspects of social life in the USA. Despite of years of struggling for their rights and equal treatment, African Americans and Mexicans still have to study in separate schools apart from the white Americans. Making school segregation as an extremely significant problem in contemporary America, Jonathan Kozol and other numerous authors proclaim the necessity to solve it and develop democratic values as those, which lead to national prosperity and global piece. From the beginning of the 90s of the XXth century the process of school segregation has increased in a great extent. As a contemporary researcher mentions, "In 1992 nine schools in the Twin Cities area had a majority of students of color. By 2006, that number had increased to 248" (Magnusson 3). Another author also supports and proves the opinion of segregation turning back: "Resegregation, which took hold in the early 1990s after three Supreme Court decisions from 1991 to 1995 limiting desegregation orders, is continuing to grow in all parts of the country for both African Americans and Latinos.." (Orfield and Lee 5). Geographically, as the majority of researchers mention, the process of new segregation mostly occupies the territory of American South and West, since the structure of population introduces high concentration of immigrants there. Being closely connected to general economical aspects, school segregation contains the problems of poverty and discrimination, based on the social status. Undoubtedly, schools for White Americans introduce more conveniences and additional abilities for wealthier population, while schools for poor immigrants do not have the same level of treatment. According to contemporary online sources, "Schools in low-income communities remain highly unequal in terms of funding, qualified teachers, and curriculum..Schools with high levels of poverty have weaker staff, fewer high-achieving peers, health and nutrition problems, residential instability, single-parent households, high exposure to crime and gangs.." (Hawkins et al.). As Kozol mentions about suburban computer classes for the non-white, where "according to one student, "we sit there and talk about what we would be doing if we had computers" (Kozol 171). Therefore, racial segregation is closely connected with personal wealthy and social status, which people have today. Jonathan Kozol, being a true teacher and having the ability to investigate the problem of school segregation directly from his own experience, makes the emphasis on unequal status in urban public schools. Considering the differences between education in mega polices and suburbs, Kozol mentions: "in the fall of 2002 that only between a quarter and a third of children in the district had received even a single year of preschool and that less than five percent had been provided with the two years of pre-K instruction that are common in most affluent communities" (Kozol 51). Showing that only white suburban have the opportunity to get preschool education, Kozol demonstrates that racial minorities, in fact, have minimum chances to receive a successful formal education. Analyzing factual consequences of current segregation, Kozol and other authors mention considerably difficulties, which segregated students have with the precise process of their education. For instance, poor conditions and unattractive appearance of segregated schools usually cause stressful feeling and the lack of desire to study there. Efficiency-deprived schemes of studying, often overcrowding also lead to the lack of desire to study better and spreading of juvenile's crimes. Students, who have to study in segregated schools, have considerably lower chances to enter college and pass necessary tests successfully. Furthermore, the lack of formal education leads to the lack of skills and opportunities to get a profession. Professionalism-deprived young people have to work as unskilled workers and do not have the opportunity to achieve wealthy and social growth. Segregated schools cause the problems of unemployment, crime increasing, and economical instability in the whole country as a result. Fortunately, significant attempts to integrate school education, have already made in the USA. For instance, program "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) introduces the complex of reforms, which are aimed to make American schools integrated and stop the increasing of segregation among students. In fact, NCLB has a lot of disadvantages and unsolved problems, since there are some "disproportionate effects on minority and low income schools" (Orfield 16). However, this program is on the way of realizing the range of current problems around school segregation and strives to overcome the sharpest situations and unequal treatment for racial minorities. Analyzing contemporary achievements in the process of school integration, the group of researchers from Michigan University mention numerous improvements. For instance, in Louisville in Jefferson County "Almost 90% of Blacks and Latinos are comfortable talking about difficult issues across racial and ethnic lines" (Orfield 18). Integrated education at schools leads to increasing the desire to study in future: "many of minority students at these schools were encouraged to go to college" (Orfield 18). Therefore, the school integration brings significant advantages for the whole country, since it causes the lack of tension between races, piece, and economical growth in conditions of decreasing crimes. According to Jonathan Kozol, it is important to involve political attention and wide audience to the problems of school segregation in America. He proclaims radically: "Herewith...a radical proposal...Revive the civil rights movement, which went into limbo long before some of its most important goals were accomplished..." (Kozol 216). Evaluating such method of struggling for the civil rights, it is important to mention that the sharpest the problem is the more radical approach it should have as possible solution. Involving the attention of media, the widest layers of American society, organizing teacher's meeting or student's strikes may lead to achieving political involvement and possible help. From the side of legislative power, Kozol makes the emphasis on the lack of protection, which is given for education in the USA. The right to get an equal education should become a common right, which every American citizen can have, therefore, it is the main aim to struggle for. Law order is not the only possible solution for school segregation in the USA. Jonathan Kozol mentions more decisions in the sphere of executive branch of state power, focusing on the initiative of small public schools and standard-based reform. In addition, standard-based reform is another step, aimed to reduce the gap between schools with different social and economical status. The main approaches, which should help in this task, are strong position, sheer willpower, according to Kozol. However, this strategy can be mentioned as successful only in the short time terms, since it is powerful only for some particular school tasks and tests, but not for the whole students competency. Contemporary situation in American schools demonstrates wide-spread examples of racial and social segregation. Taking a significant and durable place in the system of school education, segregation occurs to increase considerably in last two decades. Numerous evidences and statistical proofs show plural cases of unequal attitude to racial minorities throughout the country, while officially the Government provides the policy of global desegregation. Unsuccessfulness of this policy and the lack of attention to racial problems cause numerous problems, covering economical and social life in the contemporary USA. The necessity to solve the problem with unequal status of non-white students occurs to be one of the most significant task for American policy and the whole society. Integrated schools and attempts to struggle for equal education as a natural right for every citizen are the most appropriate methods, which are able to stop segregation process. There are several practical methods, which can be involved in this process, including the program like "No Child Left Behind", general strikes and movements from both sides - student's and teacher's, and standard-based reform, aimed to make all schools equal. Achieving equal rights for formal education can make every person be able to embody the ideals of global piece, racial friendship, and national prosperity, which play a valuable role for American society. Works Cited Hawkins, Rena, et al. "US Schools are more Segregated Today than in the 1950s." Project Censored: Media Democracy in Action 2. (2008). Web. 8 May 2010. Kozol, Jonathan. The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America. New York: Crown, 2005. Print. Magnusson, Karen. Educating a new US: School Segregation, Awareness, and InteGreat. St. Paul: Macalester College, 2008. Print. Orfield, Gary, and Lee, Chungmei. Historic Reversals, Accelerating Resegregation, and the Need for New Integration Strategies. Los Angeles: UCLA, 2007. Print. Orfield, Gary. "School Desegregation 50 years after Brown: Misconceptions, Lessons Learned, and Hopes for the Future." The Center for the Study of Ethics in Society, XV. 3 (2004): 1-22. Print. Read More