Addressing Inequality in the Distribution of Educational Resources

This opinion editorial, written by a student, addresses the global problem of educational inequality, particularly focusing on countries with a high number of low-income students lacking access to quality educational resources. The author argues that unequal distribution of resources, including fundin...Read More

Running head: OPINION EDITORIAL
OPINION EDITORIAL
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1OPINION EDITORIAL
Heading: Inequality in the distribution of educational resources
25th September, 2019
By [Student Name]
Introduction: I would like to point out to the global problem of educational inequality
especially in countries with a high number of low-income students who do not have
access to quality material to support their education. To me this matter is of great interest
and importance due to the fact that quality education for children acts as a major support
for a secure future, therefore promoting an environment of common good. However, I
think that a common quality educational utopia is a distant dream.
Body: What I think is the primary obstacle on the road to quality education of children is the
unequal distribution of academic resources, which include school funding, teaching staff,
books, and technologies to socially ostracized communities, which are historically
oppressed and disadvantaged. However I would be wrong to think that such a disparity is
only limited to certain nations and underdeveloped parts of the world. Drawing a
reference to what Tarsi Dunlop has said, in the developed and developing countries alike,
the disparity often rises from the policies employed by the government, the schools
attended by the children, parenting style, race, ethnicity, and access to resources and
wealth that the family has. If these aspects were generalized, I strongly believe the main
factors which cause such inequality to arise are sex, health, and cultural identity and the
factors which could be linked to poverty such as unemployment, illness, and illiteracy of
parents, increase the risk of discontinuing the education of the children by two times. And
I hoped it would stop there but clearly it doesn’t as children from impoverished
backgrounds are often forced to abandon their education due to health problem, because
of malnutrition or to work in order to provide for their families. It’s not just my opinion
as Cynthia Wells also highlights that the universal problem of lack of quality primary
education is a concern for most emerging nations in the world. As much as it is
disheartening to see that most of such countries do not appropriate the necessary financial
resources to build schools, provide materials, or train educators it is also highly
questionable as to how and why the funds pledged by the international communities fall
short in allowing such nations to establish a functional education system for all children.
Being someone who had had the privilege of receiving a quality education, I think all of
us who did should take up this stance and address the issue, not only from a
governmental-organisational perspective but also from a financial viewpoint as the deficit
of financial resources also affect the quality of teaching by denying proper training to
educators who need to manage large and oversized classes. Such an overflow of students
forces individuals of differing academic levels to be taught together, therefore disabling
personal growth and nurture. There is one more issue that I am seriously concerned about
and would like to draw the attention of likeminded people to - the rampant issue of

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gender based discrimination, as also pointed out in Bandeira and Nataraj’s study. In many
nations, the education of the girl child is deemed unimportant and therefore making up
54% of the world’s non-schooled population. As Ferreira and Gignoux point out, these
problems have been seen to be the most rampant in the areas of South Asia, Africa, and
the Middle East.
Call to action: It is prudent that children have access to quality education as it gives them the
support that they need in order to survive as adults later on in life. I can highlight a few
significant social benefits of giving children access to education. Firstly, it would
eventually diminish the rate of child marriages among girls, besides reducing child labour
and exploitation. Moreover, well-educated children have an increased level of political
engagement and they can even contribute to the intellectual capital of the nation, and
pursue entrepreneurial opportunities, which in turn increase the economic growth of the
nation. Unless these are not the benefits we would like to see in our country and every
country concerned, we need to emphasize this aspect and provide it with the highest
priority.
Conclusion: I would conclude by summarising my entire viewpoint into two distinct aspects.
Firstly, I think we desperately need to identify and concentrate on the children who are
left behind, especially the ones from economically and socially marginalised
communities. Secondly, I believe and strongly support that every child should have the
opportunity and access to a quality education. Resonating my views with Meghan Clark,
the nations of the world need to come together to ensure that this goal is reached.

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References
Bandiera, O. and Natraj, A., 2013. Does gender inequality hinder development and economic
growth? Evidence and policy implications. The World Bank.
Clark, M. 2014.Vision of Catholic Social Thought: The Virtue of Solidarity and the Praxis of
Human Rights, Fortress Press,
Dunlop, T. 2013. Education is a common good: there should be no losers. Education Digest,
79(1), pp.18 (4).
Ferreira, F.H. and Gignoux, J., 2013. The measurement of educational inequality: Achievement
and opportunity. The World Bank Economic Review, 28(2), pp.210-246.
Wells, C. 2015. "Finding the Center as Things Fly Apart: Vocation and the Common Good", At
This Time and In This Place: Vocation and Higher Education, Ed. David S. Cunningham, OUP
Online,