Cassie Barran
English Argument
December 6,1995The crisis of illiteracy in the U.S. educational system is an issue that affects every American citizen. Unfortunately the government has been placing education farther and farther down on its list of priorities. With so much attention presently being focused on the national debt, the lay-offs of teachers and lack of sufficient materials in the classrooms are rarely discussed. These factors have led to declines in school attendance, school participation, and the desire to learn (Harper, 762). Consequently the students of the United States no longer are competing on an international level in the majority of world wide tests. Government aid is necessary and it is apparent that the problems in the educational system should be placed at a high priority. Government Action Towards Education
Thousands of schools subsist on minimal budgets which, in actuality, are an embarrassment for our society. It is a commonly known fact that, "teachers earn less than accountants, architects, doctors, lawyers, engineers, judges, health professionals, auditors and surveyors. Teachers can earn higher salaries teaching in Berlin, Tokyo, Ottawa, or Amsterdam than in New York or Chicago" (Barber, 40). The question arises if education is supposedly considered a basic right in America, then how can illiteracy be so rampant? Every year, high schools graduate a significant number of students who cannot read. These graduates must support themselves without the simplest of tools: literacy. It is also unfortunate that leaving school is the only option for some teenage students. Rarely do these teenagers return to finish their education. In 1985, five million American adults were unable to read labels as simple as poison warnings on cans; the number continues to increase at a startling rate (Kozol, 4). How can society produce a competitive work force if the members of our society cannot read?
The situation is not much better for those students who remain in school. It is difficult for teenagers to receive a quality education when schools are in various states of repair and/or low paid teachers are on strike. In September 1992, two of the nation's largest school systems were temporarily closed; in Chicago, there were disputes over the school budget and in New York, asbestos had to be removed from the school buildings. "I'm also concerned because I live not too far from Detroit, where many schools are crumbling, where textbooks arrive late or not at all, where many of the materials are outdated, and where the dropout rate remains high because of a largely irrelevant curriculum" (Harper, 762). Not surprisingly discouraged students do not consider school to be very beneficial.
The latter two aspects of the failure of the system both rely on the assumption that the students could find proper schooling. Although the United States guarantees its citizens a free education, there are still those who cannot attend school. Homelessness remains a problem in our society, and the children of the homeless are probably most unfortunate. They do not have the same opportunities to receive an education as others may have. Therefore the realization of their hopes, of improving their lifestyles, are slim. "The children are onto this game. They know that if we really valued schooling, we'd pay teachers what we pay stock-brockers; if we valued books, we'd spend a little something on the libraries so that adults could read, too" (Barber, 42).
Harper discusses many recommendations she feels the government should follow to improve the education of our children. She feels the government should spend more time in urban school districts, where they can interview administrators, students and also their parents, to "better determine their needs and the role government might play in helping them achieve the goals outlined in America 2000" (Harper, 762). She also argues that James Comer's educational projects for urban school should be observed and evaluated, for it has survived for over 30 years. Also the secretary of education should spend more time convincing the President to financially support more of our children's educational programs rather than "rely on contributions from the business sector" (Harper, 762).
In the earlier years, illiterate adults did not have any problems finding a job to support their families. However, times have changed drastically and "there are progressively fewer jobs which an illiterate is able to fill" (Isenberg, 31). I believe without an education, one will never survive. They will not only have troubles finding a job and surviving in the real world, but also they deprive themselves of knowledge. In my opinion, the government speaks of education as an important issue that must be taken seriously. However, factors such as teachers being laid off, insufficient materials in classrooms, and run-down school buildings add to the idea that lack of money and government help may be one of the main reasons for illiteracy. Government action should take place among these unfortunate schools that seem to be slowly deteriorating. The government should supply more funds for education in order for students to excel and for our nation to prosper.