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It shouldn't be that way. We should all have the same high quality education, regardless of social standing.
Don't you think that part of the reason why there is a gap between rich and poor is quality of education? An inner city school with outdated text books and teachers that don't stick around for a long time is less likely to perform well than a suburban school with older teachers and better materials.
Schools with more money can have more after school programs, better test scores.
It's not only seen in the private vs. public school realm...but just comparing public education we see a discrepancy.
How can you get "a better job, make more money, and have more choices" if you are given the rights tools to prepare with in the first place?
You can either look at receiving a "high quality education" as an opportunity or an outcome. For me, being able to provide it for my daughter is an outcome of me having made good choices earlier in my life and being able to provide it for her now. From her perspective it's an opportunity (which I have provided). Am I (or society) obligated to provide such opportunity to everyone? Where does parental responsibility come into the equation? And please remember that Rule #1 in every circumstance is that Life Is Not Fair (it's not meant to be).
Schools could improve greatly by better application of available resources. Why do schools (an acedemic instution) spend so many resources on sports? (I know I'll raise some feathers here with that comment.) Children who need to learn basic knowledge and life skills do not need to be spending time and school money playing games, particularly when they're also being fed the nonsense that this is a path out of poverty. (Yeah, for one in 10 million, and you're not that good a player, Junior!) School boards and most importantly - PARENTS - need to work towards solutions. And that doesn't involve making sure I spend more on taxes to provide those answers. After school programs are not the answer.
Parents need to be more involved in their kids' education. My daughter's learning time does not end with the school day. As I stated earlier, we spend a lot of time with her reading, doing math, langauges, etc. This is stuff that any parent can assist with, but it takes a commitment that a lot of parents won't make. Less time hanging with friends, polishing the car, hitting the club, watching American Idol, etc - and more time with your kids. That will make a difference.
As for the "a better job, make more money, and have more choices" part, it's amazing what people can do when motivated. Most people, however, just aren't.
Maybe because so many of them are so brazen in their smug arrogance and blatant exploitation of other people to get where they are?
Maybe because the fat cats are so intent to brainwash everyone else into thinking that the current societal setup rewards hard-working, ambitious individuals and not folks who are already blessed with advantages such as socio-economic, racial, and even physical attributes?
Maybe because so many of their gains have been ill-gotten, either through inheritance, government largess, manipulation of the financial markets, white collar crimes, and so on?
My wife pays $700 a month for her insurance and should get far superior care IMO to the person who has the taxpayer paying for their health care.
Also it is a known fact that poor people often have a horrible diet leading to bad health that often requires more medical care.
For some reason when broke they seem to pop out more kids. Is it the social programs enabling this?
The children flunking out from schools suffer their parents. They don't often enough bring their kids to school with the ability to participate, sit, listen, do homework or study.
See a bad student, look to the parents.
I'm able to get same day MRIs at a cost of 58,000 won a month, no copay, and a fee of 100,000 won for the MRI.
That's roughly $50 a month and $90-95 for the MRI costs.
Lasik is also government subsidized at less than 1million won ($800 or so).
Dentistry is also subsidized at 50,000 won or so for teeth cleaning and a checkup ($45).
I've gotten two weeks worth of meds for 6,000 won (about $4).
Huh, I kind of like not being broke and having good quality medical care.
In France, my friend is attending the Ecole Polytechnique, the equiv of MIT or Cal Tech, for a few hundred euros a semester.
Not having social programs is creating a bigger gap, not vice-versa.
Over the last 20 or so years in this country we seem to have adopted the belief that everyone should get a trophy - everyone deserves a trophy. We have moved away from the notion of equality of opportunity and embraced the notion of equality of outcome. These new beliefs manifest themselves as you describe.
If my neighbor has a high paying job, then I want a high paying job. I deserve a high paying job. It's not fair if we're not equal, right?
If his kid plays first string, then my kid should play first string. My kid deserves to play first string. It's not fair if it's not equal!
If his family can afford first-rate health insurance, then my family should have first-rate health insurance. We deserve deserve first-rate health insurance. If it's not equal it's not fair!
I don't know how to fix it, but I think this is part of the problem. My 2 cents.
Get the Liberals out of office would be a Great start to fixing this!
Get the Liberals out of office would be a Great start to fixing this!
If it's the liberals then all of that "repair work" being done from 2000 to 2008 surely paid off.
The problem has nothing to do with liberals and conservatives. The problem has to do with the woefully uneducated American voter, and who they're willing to vote for.
Do you realize that the last election was between a community organizer and his sidekick Mr. Footswallower, against Old Man River and Caribou Barbie?
That was a game of tic-tax-toe if I ever saw one.
There is simply no excuse or explanation for our current economic failure. It has nothing to do with party, and everything to do with competence and integrity. Lately, our politicians have had neither.
The moral of that story is to stop electing crooked morons to the highest office in the nation, and we'll probably be fine.
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And handing out entitlements and other forms of welfare destroys any motivation to get off your butt and be part of a solution.
