Education In The United States Essay, Research Paper

Education

Education in the United States is a very crucial part of a person’s life. Going to school opens doors and facilitates the pathway for future individual achievement and economic success. Formal education is a conscious effort by human society to convey the skills and modes of thought considered essential for social functioning.

According to the census 2000, the total number of people in school between nursery and high school is approximately 57 million. Out of those 57 million, roughly 49 million are in public school. In students 15 – 17 years old, 30.8 % are below the modal grade. Furthermore, between 10 through 12 graders the annual dropout rate is 4.7%.

Continuing education to the college level is a very important decision in ones life. Attending college usually increases a persons pay and job availability to them. However, some people do not feel it is necessary to go to college; rather they go straight into the work force or choose to do something else with their life. Out of a population of approximately 26 million 18 to 24 year olds, about nine million decided to attend college. Probably almost all of these college bound adults want more out of life. They decided to continue the educational process, which many years earlier were started when they first attended pre-school, or kindergarten. People wishing to attend college are growing everyday.

To continue having a successful society it is essential that society as a whole do everything to the best of their ability to provide for a great education for the children. There should be a constant desire to better the educational system and to always be ready to improve it.

Today, however, it seems as if the public has lost track of the importance of a great educational system. The main issue today’s public schools faces are funding problems. There is not enough money allocated to support the growing needs of school across the nation.

Most of the other problems the schools face are directly related to the funding issue. Buildings are run down and sometimes mobile because of the lack of finances. No child wants to go to school in a dreary building that smells bad. It makes it hard to concentrate and hard to study in buildings such as this.

Every school has some type of sport being played by the students. For some, sports are the only reason they do not drop out of school. However, if finances are not available then the school should focus mostly on the education of all of its students as a whole, not just a few who think they cannot make it without sports.

Without the financial issues, schools have even more problems. School violence is becoming more and more common. School should be a place where children come to learn and be with their peers, in a very good environment. It should not be a place where children are afraid to go because of the anger or hurt of other children. This is probably the major issue of the public today.

No matter what the issue, schools have important issues that they have to work around and with everyday to ensure the children’s safety and education. To help put these and other issues at rest, more participation is something that is needed enormously. Parents need to be involved more and more in their children’s lives. However, parents are usually very busy, which does not allow them to spend time with their children or to keep in touch with the child’s teachers. This makes it necessary for people without children to become involved with the school system. Volunteers are always needed to make the schools more enjoyable and safer.

More funding has got to be given to all the schools. There is no way to escape or go around this problem. For they are to be more money given, the public should give up some of its own. Some people say that they do not have children in school so they do not think they should have to pay for it; yet they themselves were at one time in school and took full advantage of its opportunities. Everyone in society should be more than willing to give more money back to the schools.

As horrible as the educational system seems sometimes, it is very effective. There are problems that need to be fixed, but most everyone gets a good education. The one thing that education needs is participation. The more people become involved and help, the better the schools can become. Ultimately it is up to the individual being educated if he or she desires to take their education on further. They make the decision to be as educated as they would like to be.