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Social problems in education

Today some people do not even realize the fact that education was not allowed to all the people many years ago. Now the right for education is guaranteed by the Constitution and each person can gain and develop his/her knowledge. As education is a formal system, it helps a society to pass on information and is in a close relation with the changes in social values. Our task is to explain how these changes in the last 50 years revolutionized the face of education in the United States.

Firstly, we have to remember some important facts about history of public education in the USA that influenced on what it looks like today. One should note here that a specific new type of education was brought up by colonists many centuries ago. The next fact is that only the elite had a right to attend those schools. One of the striking features of this problem was that later classical education was provided only for religious purposes. In 1647, the first compulsory schooling was required by Massachusetts colony. This was the breaking period and everyone then had a chance to get education. In the rest colonies, the education was in hands of some private organizations or parents, so it is understandable that they needed the people to pay the tuition fees. For the great majority of people after Revolutionary War four key education beliefs were formed in the States. First, the education became free. It was run publicly and was nonreligious. Universal compulsory education was guaranteed (John D. Carl).

Secondly, the education today is directly connected with the change in social values in American society in the previous 50 years. Many people in general tend to believe that the greatest adjust in the last half century is the change in race policy. Today people of different races can attend the same school and be the members of one family. It means that people have equal rights and possibilities in all spheres of life. In addition to the above mentioned, another of the main changes is the rights women have achieved in their struggle for equality. The belief in our culture that the women's place was in the kitchen has prevailed for many centuries. Women tried to change this point of view and since the 1960s, they began to participate in the business and work equal with men. Therefore, as it is discussed here, women appeared in education and began to study and teach.

Further to discuss, we have to mention the immense progress in the green movement. Not many people thought about environment fifty years ago. Now in most educational establishments there are classes where this problem is widely discussed, and many students take part in this movement.

Doubtless, social changes have affected technology and the phenomenon of globalization. They have taken the place all over the world and have changed the face and shape of education.

Furthermore, one should not forget that schools today face many social issues. Macionis in his book Social problems explains that a society frames social problems and solutions must be done through politics. Students can help to solve social problems through activism and political participation (Macionis, 2005). The most urgent among those problems is the difference between public education, especially concerning educational outcomes, in wealthy neighborhoods and the poorer ones. Macionis spots the problems of inner cities and lack of funding to combat such ills. Another problem is that the hidden curriculum was designed in order to underpin the ideology of equality within the US, on the one hand, but its validity is undoubtedly debatable on the other. Today capitalism, patriotism and even democracy are added to the schools’ armory (John D. Carl).

To make a conclusion about our topic, it should be said that there still exists a strong link between social classes and their capacity to attend college. It is a well-known fact that people who are less educated but live in a wealthier homes dominate in society, while there are many talented students who cannot afford cheap education. The United States’ Government plays central role in education but it only pays for primary and secondary education. To get a higher education, people have to pay their own way. We also agree that social problems of low educational achievement can be the main reason of long-term problems for a nation and will limit its potential for financially viable growth. All in all, the face of today’s education in the United States, though not ideal, but is much more attractive than 50 years ago. Moreover, it really gives the chance for every person to acquire a profession.

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