Did you know that 84% of lower-class students don’t graduate or even attend college? Today, we see the lower class experience exclusion and inequality. People might ask “How is the lower class different from the other socio-economic classes?” Well to answer, the lower class is the group who seems to earn the lowest yearly incomes. They are barely able to stay afloat and have no room to spend money on unnecessary things. In contrast, the middle and upper class have more spending money and have higher income levels. It is important to acknowledge that the lower class face great deals of inequality compared to the other 2 classes. For example, the lower class reports having numerous disadvantages in education. The lower class seem to attend low-ranking public schools with insufficient government funding, they experience a lack of access to higher education and experience segregation in the classroom. Thus, individuals in the lower class experience the most social inequality in relation to education.
Generally speaking, lower class individuals seem to attend underperforming public schools with insufficient government funding. Specifically, inadequately funded public schools are typically located in the poorer side of town. Because there is a scarcity in money distribution, public schools aren't able to provide the necessary tools that kids need to succeed in the classroom. Public schools are always in need of materials such as books, computers, desks, and more. To illustrate, the Foundation for Economic Education, Corey DeAngelis states “Since children from minority families live in lower-priced households, and government-run schools are funded through property taxes, disadvantaged children receive less educational resources each year.”(DeAngelis, Corey 2017) Therefore, the government chooses to distribute less money to public schools with larger amounts of low-income students. Thus, depriving them of educational materials needed for success. In addition, public schools shrinkage of funding also leads to a lack of class variety. Schools with not enough financial resources tend to administer a limited supply of classes. A lot of the time, schools choose to ignore classes like college prep, foreign language and especially the arts. A reduction in class variety can cause students to become unfit for future educational opportunities and cause a minimization of students reaching their fullest potential. For instance, Robin L. Flanigan addresses that “Many rural schools lack the technological infrastructure or the financial resources to offer students rich experiences in foreign-language instruction, science, and other subjects. As a consequence, rural students often end up being academically and technologically unprepared to take on college or jobs right out of high school that requires a sophisticated level of thinking and technological skills.”( Flanigan, Robin 2017) Thus, acknowledging how public schools with insufficient funding can cause a limited supply of classes leading students to be unprepared for their future learning. Adding on, underperforming public schools also have an absence in school programs. Financially unstable schools have no choice but to cut programs like sports, theater, and art. These programs are important for students to maintain school involvement and success. In fact, Kevin Mahnken talks about how “…the economic downturn followed a prolonged decline in funding for public school dance and theater programs (the proportion of elementary schools offering these subjects dropped from 20 percent to 3 percent and 4 percent, respectively).” This piece of evidence highlights how programs are dropping rapidly and how its downgrading student involvement at school.
Moreover, the lower class seems to combat a deprivation of access to higher education. As a result, lower-class students typically do not have the means to afford college. In the United States, tuition for college has increased tremendously. Tuition for an in-state 4-year institution estimates roughly to about 10,000 dollars. For out-state tuition, the numbers can add up to around 25,000 dollars and 35,000 dollars for a private university. (Goldy-Brown, Sarah 2018). Evidently, the cost of going to school is only rising. According to Sarah Goldy-Brown, “…expect the yearly price to increase by an average of 2.4% at private colleges and 3.2% at public colleges.” Thanks to Sarah, we can statistically see how expensive higher education is and how impossible it may be for lower class individuals to continue on. Just as the lower class does not have enough money for further schooling, they also do not have the right support to move forward. Students in the lower class more often than not have parents whose education stopped right after high school. As a result, students do not have enough parental guidance to help navigate them through the college process. For instance, the U.S Department of Education points out how “21 percent of those with family incomes of less than $25,000 were highly qualified for admission at a four-year institution, and 20 percent were minimally qualified.”(US Department of Education). Inferring, that about 80% of low-income students are not at all ready or even go to college.
Equally important, the lower class tend to face large amounts of segregation in the classroom. For instance, lower-income students seem to be popular targets for bullying. These students do not have enough money to dress in clothing that is considered to be “on trend” therefore making them outcasts and insufficient. In fact, Neil Tippett and Dieter Wolke state “…low socioeconomic status do somewhat increase the risk of being victimized at school. Standing out from the rest of the peer group such as being unable to afford lifestyle items may single out children for victimization.” Therefore, Tippett and Wolke are acknowledging that poorer students do tend to get bullied more than other social classes. Next, students who are in the lower class are more likely to experience harsher disciplinary actions. Low-income students commonly do not receive enough attention at home due to parents long work hours. These parents are less involved in school and hardly care what their child is doing because they are more concerned with putting food on the table. As a result, students are more likely to act out in class for the attention they do not receive at home. To illustrate, Eric Jensen comments “Caregivers tend to be overworked, overstressed, and authoritarian with children…low-income caregivers are typically half as likely as higher-income parents are to be able to track down where their children are in the neighborhood (Evans, 2004), and frequently they do not know the names of their children's teachers or friends.” In short, proving that lower class students are likely to act out in the classroom causing them to be more disciplined and become outcasts.
On the other hand, Lower class students are inclined to receive more benefits than the other social classes. Underprivileged students have programs like FAFSA to help them get as much money for school as they can. Certainly, the lower the income of your household then the more money you can receive for school. Thanks to FAFSA, “The U.S. Department of Education awards more than $120 billion a year in grants, work-study funds, and low-interest loans to more than 13 million students.” As a result, less economically stable students qualify for “free money” to have a greater opportunity to attend college. In addition, Lower income students typically qualify for better scholarship opportunities. In fact, The American Bar Association happily grants roughly around 15,000 dollars for a 3 year time period for students with a household income of 30,000 or less (“Too Poor for College”). Adding on, students in the lower class can have an admission bias over students in the middle and upper class. Accordingly, low-income first-generation students may have a higher percentage of getting into college than most. In particular, Stephen Burd infers that “private colleges that serve the largest share of low-income students are non-selective, meaning that they admit most students who apply.” In fact, students with yearly incomes of 37,000 and under outnumbered students with incomes of 110,000. Without a doubt, students who are less economically stable do receive more benefits than the other social classes.
With this in mind, social inequality in regards to education is greatly experienced by the lower class compared to the middle and upper classes. If society ceased to exclude and overlook the lower class, there would be more money from government funding in underperforming public schools, higher percentages of low-income students attending college, and a suppression of segregating lower class students in the classroom. Stop victimizing the lower class for not having the means to provide all on their own. These individuals are just the same as people in the middle and upper class and should not have to suffer through such disadvantages.