SHAME OF THE NATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SHAME OF THE NATION - Essay Example Nowadays it is used to think that democratic views and principles of equality play an overwhelming role throughout the world. However, an outstanding author and public activist Jonathan Kozol makes the emphasis that even the most democratic country, the USA, still has numerous examples of racial inequality.Making school segregation as an extremely significant problem in contemporary America, Jonathan Kozol and other numerous authors proclaim the necessity to solve it and develop democratic values as those, which lead to national prosperity and global piece. From the beginning of the 90s of the XXth century the process of school segregation has increased in a great extent. As a contemporary researcher mentions, "In 1992 nine schools in the Twin Cities area had a majority of students of color. By 2006, that number had increased to 248" (Magnusson 3). Another author also supports and proves the opinion of segregation turning back: "Resegregation, which took hold in the early 1990s after three Supreme Court decisions from 1991 to 1995 limiting desegregation orders, is continuing to grow in all parts of the country for both African Americans and Latinos.." (Orfield and Lee 5). Geographically, as the majority of researchers mention, the process of new segregation mostly occupies the territory of American South and West, since the structure of population introduces high concentration of immigrants there. Being closely connected to general economical aspects, school segregation contains the problems of poverty and discrimination, based on the social status. Undoubtedly, schools for White Americans introduce more conveniences and additional abilities for wealthier population, while schools for poor immigrants do not have the same level of treatment. According to contemporary online sources, "Schools in low-income communities remain highly unequal in terms of funding, qualified teachers, and curriculum..Schools with high levels of poverty have weaker staff, fewer high-ac hieving peers, health and nutrition problems, residential instability, single-parent households, high exposure to crime and gangs.." (Hawkins et al.). As Kozol mentions about suburban computer classes for the non-white, where "according to one student, "we sit there and talk about what we would be doing if we had computers" (Kozol 171). Therefore, racial segregation is closely connected with personal wealthy and social status, which people have today. Jonathan Kozol, being a true teacher and having the ability to investigate the problem of school segregation directly from his own experience, makes the emphasis on unequal status in urban public schools. Considering the differences between education in mega polices and suburbs, Kozol mentions: "in the fall of 2002 that only between a quarter and a third of children in the district had received even a single year of preschool and that less than five percent had been provided with the two years of pre-K instruction that are common in mo st affluent communities" (Kozol 51). Showing that only white suburban have the opportunity to get preschool education, Kozol demonstrates that racial minorities, in fact, have minimum chances to receive a successful formal education. Analyzing factual consequences of current segregation, Kozol and other authors mention considerably difficulties, which segregated students have with the precise process of their education. For instance, poor conditions and unattractive appearance of segregated schools usually cause stressful feeling and the lack of desire to study there. Efficiency-deprived schemes of studying, often overcrowding also