10 Informative Essay Topics on the Politics of Educational Inequality

Inequalities abound in every aspect and sector of the human society and the educational sector are no different. And although the causes of these inequalities such as financial disparities, racism and divisive policies etc. are quite similar to the causes of inequalities in other spheres of life, the results of educational inequalities are more harmful to society.

So for anyone looking to do a case study, write an essay or give a rousing presentation on the politics behind educational inequality, some timely facts on this subject matter will be provided to help you deliver your thoughts in an accurate and well-structured manner. Therefore, here are 10 facts on the politics of educational inequalities and, in some cases, their effects on society.

Note that these facts cover all aspects of social life including gender, race and financial capabilities in relation to educational inequality.

1. In the US, wealth beats smarts. Statistics on participation in higher educational activities paint a picture of the wealthy seeking and gaining admission to the top higher institutions when compared to the success rate of their smarter but less wealthy colleagues.
   Data from The New York Times showed discrepancies between the graduation rate among wealthy and poorer college students.  The statistics state that 26% of students from lower income households eventually graduated and this is 4% point less than the number of graduates from wealthy families.
   Also, a thirty year old study presented statistics which showed that in the 80’s, a 31% point difference existed between affluent and poorer students graduating college while 30 years later, the percentage increased to 45%.
2. It is no longer news that without a college degree, the average person with a high school diploma or a trade certification earns far less than graduates of higher institutions due to the over-politicization of its relevance. And the facts and figures behind this are quite staggering.
   Since 1979, the median weekly wage of individuals with college degrees has continued to grow while the median weekly wage of high school degree holders had continued to decline. The decline in their real median wage has been put at 22% since 1979.
3. Race plays a part in educational inequalities due to poor political representation of people of minority descent and the focus government agencies place on schools in urban locations while shunning inner city schools.
   High school dropout rates are high among blacks and Hispanics but quite low among whites while college attendance rates are high among whites and Hispanics but quite low for blacks.
   A 2007 statistics put the numbers at: high school dropout rates for blacks are as high as 7% while college enrollment rate is at 60%.
   For Hispanics, high school dropout percent falls at 20% while college enrollment falls at 63%. For the white demographic, high school dropout rate is 3% while college enrollment is at 70%.
4. The policies behind resources shared among schools in the US show clear inequalities between resources received by schools in wealthier districts and those in poorer districts.
   Statistics show that public schools in poorer districts with 75% of its student population below the poverty line receive less funding than schools with 50% below the poverty line and they in turn receive less resources than schools in wealthier districts.
5. Statistics have shown that policies geared towards public education are usually discriminatory to blacks and minorities as well as teaching policies and punishment.
   These stats show that public school policies foster inequalities as poor students are twice as likely to be paired with minorities as well as newer teachers which affects learning continuity.
   Also, students from minority descent–predominantly black–are four times more likely to be punished or suspended by teachers than white students.
6. Here we see some staggering statistics from the US Department of Education for Civil rights on how public schools with predominantly black populations are run.
   These poor statistics show that public schools with a predominant minority population are less likely to have access to advanced math and science courses. And these schools are three times more likely to be assigned first time instructors than schools consisting of white students.
   A third of schools with a major minority population were also found to not offer courses in Chemistry.
   Also, a quarter of these schools did not offer Algebra II to its students.
7. Data showcases the disparities between the enrollment levels of minorities–blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans and the corresponding admission success rates.
   Black and Hispanics accounted for 40% of the enrollment percentage at schools with gifted programs but account for just 21% of successful candidates admitted into these programs.
8. The statistics provided give some evidence on how students of minority descent are punished in schools when they err.
   Although black kids make up just 18% of the total pre-k enrollments, they made up approximately 48% of the number of suspended preschoolers when admitted.
   Also, Native Americans and Native Alaskans take up 1% of the number of students enrolled in pre-k but make up 3% of the number of suspended students.
   Lastly, black students were three times more likely to be expelled than white students.
9. Girls of minority descent are not also left out for statistics shows that they are recipients of discrimination.
   Black girls were suspended more than their white counterparts as well as more than most boys.
   American Indians and native Alaskan girls were also suspended at higher rates than white girls as well as white boys.
10. Approximately one in four boys of minority descent with disabilities – except Hispanics and Asian students – are more likely to receive out of school suspensions.

So here we come to the end of some of the 10 disturbing yet interesting facts on the politics of Educational inequality anyone can use for an informational essay. Note that these facts are accurate and will serve you well as you draft your paper on educational inequalities. Additionally we’ll prepared 20 topics for an informative essay on education as well as a complete guide to completely fill possible gaps in understanding of this kind of assignment.

References:
Western A, Bruce & Becky P. (2010). Incarceration and Social Inequality. Daedalus, 139(3), 8-19
Celia, B. (2007). Evidence says Educational Inequality is Hurting the Economy.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865569511/Evidence-says-educational-inequality-is-hurting-the-US-economy.html?pg=all
Salvatore, B. (2015). How America Is Failing its Schools.
http://inequality.org/america-failing-schools/
Students First Online Journal. (2014). The Education Crisis.
https://www.studentsfirst.org/EducationCrisis
United States Task Force Report. (2012). US Educational Reform and National Security.
http://www.cfr.org/united-states/us-education-reform-national-security/p27618
The Nation’s Report Card. (2013). Reading 2013 State Snapshot Report.
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/stt2013/pdf/2014464NP4.pdf
The New York Times Editorial. (2012). Affluent Students Have an Advantage and the Gap Is Widening.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/12/22/education/Affluent-Students-Have-an-Advantage-and-the-Gap-Is-Widening.html?_r=0