Shame of a nation - Essay Example

Shame of a Nation “Shame of a Nation” is a book that discusses the problems and troubles schools in the inner city of America face. Jonathan Kozol a teacher does a research to see the physical and mental conditions of the education system of America. He argues that the American education system allows poor students to receive education in conditions that are not acceptable. This is evident in the kind of education offered in public schools.The education system is corrupt. Not all the children receive the same opportunity to have a good education.

The rich and able people in the society are not willing to support the poor, in addition; they do not see the need of supporting schools that are failing. There are massive inequalities of funding in the schools. In a poor child’s school career, the provision of amenities is limited. For example, the desks, books, or computers are not available and if they are most of them are in devastating conditions. Kozol maintains that things are worsening as even the brightest children who in good circumstances would be doing better courses are left to do courses like sewing and auto shop, whereas kids who go to rich schools take good courses like broadcast journalism and computer graphics.

Younger elementary students know that the rich kids have better opportunities than they do and this is the reason Kozol gives a voice to the children who attend public schools that people have forgotten about (Kozol, 25).This is America is one of Kozol’s video’s. The author and child activist discusses how many Americans are unaware that there is a lot of segregation in public schools. There are two worlds in the education system, the black and white education. Kozol has been in a school of 5,000 students with no white kid (“This is America”).

The most segregated state of the state is New York and the school by the name Martin Luther king is the most segregated and he wonders why give such a big name to the poor schools. The kids in those segregated schools feel they need to be in schools that are beautiful and better worldwide.Kozol tries to explain in his book death at an early age how as a teacher in the Boston public school, he saw the conditions in which poor children were living and learning in. He further argues such children have never been in a position to receive a decent education.

The book condemns the system that is bankrupt and has led to many reforms in the education system that we see today (Kozol, 34). The society and the government have neglected public schools for the poor nations. The schools have no resources to facilitate good education system. In addition, the teachers are unqualified and the learning conditions are hostile. To improve the system, both the government and the society should work hand in hand to support these public schools. The rich should be able to provide financially and help build better schools as well as provide the equipment that should help contribute to the provision of better education to these children.

The government should also provide qualified teachers who will provide the skills and knowledge that will help these children in the future. The children should also be given opportunities to do courses they prefer especially the bright children.Works CitedKozol, Jonathan. Death at an Early Age; the Destruction of the Hearts and Minds of Negro Children in the Boston Public Schools. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1967. Print.Kozol, Jonathan. The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America.

New York: Crown, 2005. Print.This Is America - Jonathan Kozol Part 1. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR6yFsGMrqc