President Obama stated in his State of the Union speech that
a “world-class education” is the best anti-poverty programs. The deprivation of
equal education given to children of the lower class is an abuse of power.
Minorities are victims of a selfish government and they are being stripped away
of their basic right to an education. Katerina Tomasevski, former United
Nations Special Reporter on the right to education, points out:
"There is a large number of human rights problems, which cannot be solved
unless the right to education is addressed as the key to unlock other human
rights. Education operates as multiplier, enhancing the enjoyment of all
individual rights, freedoms where the right to education is effectively
guaranteed, while depriving people of the enjoyment of many rights and freedoms
where the right to education is denied or violated." It was considered unconstitutional
when our government denied equal education to African Americans (Brown vs. The
Board of Education 1954), so what makes the unequal education of minorities any
different? We may need entry-level workers in our society but forcing that
future upon a certain group of people is discrimination and against our basic
right to an equal education.
In
our society it is essential to have both white collared workers and entry-level
workers, but forcing a certain demographic towards a specific work field is not
needed nor is it just. Our generation today is more concerned with getting a
job they love rather than a job that pays well. Societies
expectations to prepare students for well-paid jobs and to maintain the social
norm (whether that be social inequalities, ideologies, or customs) is causing
our education system to force our students to loose sight of their
passion. The Narrator of The
Passion Project states, “And how gladly we succumb to the hatchet of conformity
splitting passion from heart “(Ontiverous, 4). This push in society is not only
negatively affecting minorities it is also affecting those who are wealthy. “Tempe,
Ariz, based “purpose” firm Ignite reports
that more than 95% of workers in the U.S. are in the wrong roles. In another
study by the company, 1,916 randomly selected employees between the ages of 23
and 28 were asked if they were interested in changing jobs, and 1,571 said yes.
A recent Gallup study
concluded that 71% of American workers are not engaged at their jobs. And
Deloitte’s Shift Index
survey indicates that 80% of workers don’t like their jobs.” These numbers are
including the doctors and lawyers of society who are forced by their parents to
continue on their legacy and high status in society. Society shouldn’t be
forcing the entry-level jobs to the minorities by depriving them of an equal
education because everyone should have an equal opportunity to find their true
passion. Perhaps someone working for corporate America will realize that his or
her passion is photography and they will leave their high paycheck for a
guaranteed happiness of doing what they love.
As
our population increases so do the unemployment rates and the necessity of a
high level of education. With the current high levels of unemployment those
with college degrees are taking the entry-level jobs. The fact is that most
white collared jobs are already taken and college graduates need an income to
pay for their day-to-day expenses. If you have a high level of education you
are ultimately reserving your spot for an entry-level. According to the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, “Earning and unemployment rates
by education attainment”, in 2012 12.4 percent of people with less than a high
school diploma are unemployed where as 2.1 percent of people with a professional
degree where unemployed”. With these statistics it is apparent that minorities
are being stripped away from the job market because of their lack of education.
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