The education system is a fundamental institution, which aims to educate students with sufficient life and academic skills to develop further after graduation. The effectiveness of the learning process is a predictor of success, which means that the ability of students to realize their potential and become highly-paid workers depends on the optimization of education. US education is world-renowned, and many students worldwide seek visas to attend local schools, colleges, and universities1. However, the current system is based on flaws that could be improved, leading to chronic talent shortages. The system is notorious for serious safety problems, particularly relevant in the context of school shootings2. It follows that the system requires a radical reform that would return education to its primary focus and meet the needs of a rapidly changing society. Fixing the current problems and improving the US education system requires, primarily, increased funding and security. This paper focuses on offering recommendations on how to improve public education in the US.
One of the main problems with the current US education system is low funding, which threatens adequate resources and support for learning. As of 2019, the US ranks only 65th in global spending on education as a percentage of GDP, behind most developing countries3. This level of funding for education may seem unacceptably low, indicating the general insignificance of an educated population to the authorities. This pattern leads to a lack of essential resources and teaching materials during education, overcrowded classrooms, and a consequent lack of attention to students’ interests4. Funding gap can lead to an inability to hire highly qualified teachers and purchase technological equipment, which can affect student motivation5. This problem can be dangerous in communities that are inherently more vulnerable, with lower social and economic status, represented by ethnic minorities and low-income families. Insufficient funding can lead to a deterioration of the educational experience and a lack of interest in further education and can create inequalities in access to further opportunities. Thus, the low level of funding of the US education system is a real problem, the consequences of which can be fundamental to the long-term deterioration of the quality of life.
The solution is obvious: the federal government should pay more attention to such an important area of public life. Paying attention to the experience of other countries, including those that spend three times as much — as a percentage of GDP — can be an effective practice for identifying opportunities for competent funding6. However, it would be wrong to assume that more money invested in this area will necessarily lead to better results in the future. The lack of competent management, risk assessment, and an integrated approach can exacerbate problems by creating corruption risks and widening socio-economic gaps. Instead, it is proposed to develop and implement a comprehensive approach to financial reform in education, including issues such as ensuring equal access not only to learning but also to educational materials for all students, differentiating funding for public schools according to the socio-economic status of the population they serve, and expanding talent incentive programs. This step is expected to improve public education, but it should not be an exceptional measure.
The second major problem with education in the US is the safety. The nation’s education system regularly exhibits examples of school bullying and psychological discomfort for students, creating a widespread issue of learning safety and keeping students, teachers, and school administrators alive7. Between 2018 and 2021, more than 93 bullying incidents were reported in the US, with one-third occurring in 20218. It is hard to imagine the magnitude of the problem of psychological pressure and bullying in the nation’s educational system when statistics report that one in five students under the age of 18 has been a victim of such bullying, not counting the number of unreported incidents and episodes of cyberbullying9. Addressing this issue is critical to improving the student experience and ensuring safety. Increased funding for private security firms, expanded mental health counseling for students, and threat detection technology, including metal detectors at school entrances and video cameras, are recommended. The non-symptomatic solution lies in addressing the severe problems in American society that lead to safety threats in vulnerable academic environments.
There are counter-arguments to the proposed reform changes. The recommendations for improving the US educational system are symptomatic; they address the signs of the problem but do not change the root causes. As a result, the threats will continue to evolve and adapt, and more money will have to be spent to address them. In fact, despite the importance of addressing the root causes, the educational problem is observed now, and students are uncomfortable in the present moment10. Working with the underlying predictors requires significant resources of time and money to rebuild society, and there is no guarantee that this will be successful. Therefore, improvements in mind to increase funding and safety in educational institutions can eliminate threats at the moment and design an environment in which threats can be minimized, which will also affect improvement overall.
Low funding and security are not the primary problems of the current education system. Attention could be paid to the problem of low diversity and ethnic representation among teachers and students, problems of increasing tolerance, and the achievement gap. The threats listed are critical in the education system, but the lack of funding and security is paramount as they are the minimum requirements for an effective and safe educational environment. Unless at least the issues of textbook shortages and lack of school shootings are addressed, diversity and inclusion will be irrelevant.
In conclusion, the current US education system faces many problems that define low levels of learning, poor student experiences, and the resulting lack of talent in the graduate market. Addressing these threats is a high priority for the education system. The paper has shown that funding shortfalls and lack of security are paramount issues that need to be addressed and has provided recommendations for improvement.
Bibliography
Álvarez, B., Walker, T., Long, C., and Litvinov, A. “10 Challenges Facing Public Education Today.” Web.
Education Week. “School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where.” Web.
Esra, Meşe, and Çiğdem Sevilen. “Factors Influencing EFL Students’ Motivation in Online Learning: A Qualitative Case Study.” Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning 4, no. 1 (2021): 11-22.
Grimm, Adam. “Studying to Stay: Understanding Graduate Visa Policy Content and Context in the United States and Australia.” International Migration 57, no. 5 (2019): 235-251. Web.
StopBullying. “Facts About Bullying.” Web.
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. “Government Expenditure on Education, Total (% of GDP).” Web.
Footnotes
- Adam Grimm, “Studying to Stay: Understanding Graduate Visa Policy Content and Context in the United States and Australia,” International Migration 57, no. 5 (2019): 235. Web.
- “Facts About Bullying,” StopBullying, Web.
- “Government Expenditure on Education, Total (% of GDP),” UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Web.
- “10 Challenges Facing Public Education Today,” Álvarez, B. et al., Web.
- Meşe Esra and Çiğdem Sevilen, “Factors Influencing EFL Students’ Motivation in Online Learning: A Qualitative Case Study,” Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning 4, no. 1 (2021): 13
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, “Government Expenditure on Education, Total (% of GDP).”
- “School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where,” Education Week, Web.
- Education Week, “School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where.”
- StopBullying, “Facts About Bullying.”
- Álvarez, B. et al., “10 Challenges Facing Public Education Today.”