Introduction
In recent years, the number of minority youth attending schools has risen exponentially due to the significant impact schooling has had on their lives. People of color have multiple purposes for education, such as it provides them with better chances of acquiring well-paying jobs, enabling them to learn and embrace cultural diversity and acquiring impactful skills in their life development, such as leadership. In addition, it allows them to obtain cognitive awareness, ensuring they have better chances of living a satisfactory life in the nation. Nonetheless, multiple political and social policies encourage education inequality, such as unequal funding. Moreover, the prevalence of ethnic discrimination, social status bias, and existing white supremacy make it challenging to maintain tutorage equality. Despite the barriers, various teaching techniques are suitable for non-whites, such as hybrid and collaboration, which ensures they have better chances of comprehending tuition materials. Therefore, the essay analyzes the reasons for schooling among minorities, factors contributing to inequality, and teaching methods suitable to such vulnerable groups to enhance their schooling experience.
Purpose of Schooling with Case Study Examples
One of the main reasons for attending school among minorities is that it provides them with better chances of acquiring high-paying jobs. In modern settings, advanced education is one of the key requirements among learners aiming to reach high and influential working positions. Education is the basis of innovative ideas; thus, it allows them to make positive personal and societal impacts. The reading presents the case of a Dominican parent who identifies that the best way to create a better lifestyle for herself and her young ones is to provide them with advanced learning (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2009). Minority students understand that they have similar chances of giving input to foster societies and identify learning as the basis of sharpening their skills to promote excellence. As such, education provides the foundation for such contributions among minorities, enabling them to enhance their societal positions while facilitating national growth.
In addition, minorities attend schools as they allow them crucial skills, such as leadership, which can enable them to create better lifestyles for themselves and their communities. Due to the prevalence of education inequality within the country, there is a need for support among non-whites, allowing them to foster societal growth while creating more opportunities for future generations. The continuous growth among people of color has raised the need for active leadership connections, which allows them to advocate for better chances. A large percentage of non-white Mexican students highlight education to be the most positively impactful aspect of their lives in the country as it allows them to acquire critical skills, such as leadership (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2009). Such groups recognize the need for collaboration, enabling them to provide a solid education foundation for subsequent generations, thus expanding their chances of having a successful life.
Schooling is important among minorities since it provides them with the ability to learn about cultural diversity and connect with diverse groups. One of the main issues within the country is ethnic inequality, which may be associated with limited awareness about other societies. A case by Gary Orfield and John Yun from Harvard University identified the prevalence of segregation among Latino immigrants in American schools, which has been progressive in recent years (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2009). Such notions are associated with the lack of awareness of various factors involving contrasting cultures. They may foster adverse learning conditions, raising the need for tuition among all ethnic groups in the country. Education enables them to eradicate the stereotypical notions they have about other communities, allowing them to collaborate on developmental initiatives.
Although specific groups experience initial challenges, there have been progressive patterns demonstrating the positivity of such measures. For example, the case of non-whites indicates that once they arrive at the facilities, they have an early fear of relating with others due to factors such as language differences, which progressively eradicated once they recognize the benefits of education and associating with others (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2009). Despite the fear, people from other cultures visit schools since they value it as the key to excellence. Therefore, it provides them with a different mindset, enabling them to embrace diverse traditions and relate with other people, thus limiting segregation within the nation.
Political and Social Policies Promoting Educational Inequalities
Despite the growing need for education, especially among minorities, there has been an existing inequality due to the prevalence of various political and social policies. One political policy contributing to the unfairness is unequal fund allocation at multiple schools by the administration. Throughout history, minorities, such as Blacks, have had to face significant barriers to acquiring similar education programs to their counterparts as they lack the financial resources to pursue tuition. Although the government aims to promote learning through funding, the unequal disbursement of such finances jeopardizes the chances of such communities acquiring similar opportunities. Another policy is taxation within the country, which exposes poor people to more vulnerability. The U.S. administration funds education by using property taxes, and minorities often live in poor backgrounds, making it challenging to acquire enough taxes to ensure comprehensive financial coverage (Ladson-Billings, 2013). Such policies reflect the inconsistencies within the schooling system, which is associated with ineffective administrative policies that expose non-white communities to more problems, thus, learning imbalance.
One of the main social factors contributing to inequality is segregation based on socioeconomic status. When accessing education, there are various requirements, mainly financial, which may limit specific groups from accessing education, thus fostering the disparity. The problem is especially prevalent among people of color since most of them belong to the low social classes, creating a gap between them and other natives. For example, only an eighth of Whites live below the poverty line. At the same time, minorities, such as Puerto Ricans, have more than a third living in poverty, which exposes them to education accessibility difficulties (Nieto, 2000). The academic results reflect the differences since students accessing institutions with ample resources are likely to perform better compared to their counterparts. Therefore, the social policy of separating people due to their socioeconomic class has been impactful in perpetuating inequality within the system, exposing specific groups to greater risks of failing to acquire effective learning.
Next, ethnic stereotyping is another social policy contributing to education inequality. In various schools, there are contrasting expectations among learners from different cultural backgrounds, creating a premature notion that makes it challenging to maintain uniform education standards. There is a prevailing notion in most learning institutions involving white supremacy where they identify minorities to be inferior to Whites, thus discriminating against them from related education initiatives. In most cases, minorities have to encounter significant struggles to combat such narratives, such as the Blacks fighting for the opening of the New York African Free School, where they encountered substantial conflicts (Rury, 1983). The facility provided a platform where they could demonstrate their academic skills and help develop the country. The conception shows the challenges that people of color encounter when seeking to acquire proper education, which may elicit fear among others and refrain them from pursuing tuition, thus developing the educational gap.
Best Teaching Styles for Youth of Color
Due to the differences between people of color and natives, it is important to employ specific teaching styles that suit their requirements, enabling them to have adequate opportunities to acquire a proper education. One of the most suitable styles when dealing with such diverse groups is the hybrid technique, which involves integrating traditional and modernized techniques to create an effective platform for education. There are multiple differences in current experiences among learners compared to previous generations, and there are new resources they can take advantage of to complement their learning. Teachers explain that they have seen multiple changes among today’s learners, thus resulting in the use of factors such as technology to enable students to acquire more information and improve their interactions (Ladson-Billlings, 2013). Due to the modernization of the education system and the diversification of cultures within the country, hybrid presents an effective learning platform for people of color as it creates opportunities for individualized interactions with tutors. As such, people can demonstrate their academic prowess, enabling teachers to recognize any inefficiencies and provide additional assistance to acquire better results.
Another style applicable to such communities is the collaborative technique since it enhances their connection with other students and educators, introducing a uniform learning environment. It assists in limiting the challenges minority youth face in their education. For example, teachers use such cohesive techniques to maintain effective oversight among learners and their activities, which reflects positive academic performances (Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2009). Such techniques make people of color feel welcome in such institutions, enabling them to exploit such opportunities. Reports identify that non-whites are more eager to learn compared to their counterparts due to the various challenges they face in their native land but experience multiple difficulties acquiring uniform education. Therefore, creating a collaborative atmosphere is essential as it enables them to identify their purpose within the institution and work towards their objectives.
Conclusion
There are multiple reasons for schooling among minorities, such as increased chances of better jobs, learning and embracing cultural diversity, and acquiring critical skills that can be helpful in their lives. However, multiple policies foster education inequality, such as unequal fund distribution and segregation due to multiple social factors. When dealing with non-white learners, teachers can employ numerous techniques that are most suitable to their needs and consider their backgrounds, such as collaborative and hybrid. Therefore, although there are such unfairness challenges, teachers have a crucial role in educating minorities since it enhances their chances of meeting their academic purposes.
References
Ladson-Billings, G. (2013). “Stakes is high”: Educating new century students. The Journal of Negro Education, 82(2), 105. https://doi.org/10.7709/jnegroeducation.82.2.0105
Nieto, S. (2000). Puerto Rican students in US schools: A brief history. Puerto Rican students in US schools, 5-38.
Rury, J. L. (1983). The New York African Free School, 1827-1836: Conflict over community control of Black education. Phylon (1960-), 44(3), 187. https://doi.org/10.2307/274931
Suárez-Orozco, C., & Suárez-Orozco, M. M. (2009). Children of immigration. Harvard University Press.
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