Forum 10: Education and Social Class

This discussion forum assignment explores the current trends and problems within the U.S. education system, focusing on the relationship between education and social class. Students are required to read an article and explore a map illustrating high school completion rates by state. They then answer questions about the American education system, identifying major problems such as decreasing accessibility for students from lower-income families due to rising tuition fees and the advantages afforded to wealthier students. The assignment emphasizes the shift from an education system promoting equal opportunity to one that inadvertently reproduces social advantages for certain groups. Students are also expected to respond to at least two other students' posts.

Introduction to Sociology – Forum 10
Forum 10 – Education and Social Class in the United States
OBJECTIVE
Analyze problems in United States education and provide recommendations and strategies for improvement
DISCUSSION OVERVIEW
This discussion forum explores the current trends in education and the current problems observed in the U.S.
education system.
DELIVERABLES
Your participation in the discussion forum, including:
 Responses to the initial questions
 Responses to at least two other students' posts
Step 1 Read the following article.
As Wealthy Fill Top Colleges, Concerns Grow Over Fairness
Step 2 Explore the following map.
Failure to Get through High School by State, U.S.: Map
Step 3 Write a post answering following questions.
 What does the material you reviewed suggest about the American education system?
American education system has always been about fulfilling American dream which aims at giving equal
opportunities to everyone. The American education system is liberal and allows racial and economic
diversity allowing admission of both local and foreign students and takes care of their finances through
scholarships. The education system serves as an engine of mobility wherein all sections of society gets the
privilege to get the most out of it. However, the current data suggests a shift in education system to
reproduce social advantage to some sections of society unwittingly. The same can be attributed to the
rising trends of impressive admission application from students belonging to higher income group and dip
in admission applications from students belonging to lower income group in some of the top and ivy
league universities.
 What are some major problems with the American education system?
The major problem with American education system is that it is getting less accessible to students
belonging to the poor and middle class families. The data suggests that a major chunk of the university
seats are getting filled by the students of upper income families. This change is fast becoming one of the
biggest issues in higher education.
With universities needing funds to sponsor research and cutting edge work, hike in tuition fees becomes
inevitable. With the hike in tuition fees in many top universities and early summer preparation by wealthy
students gives an unfair advantage to students from higher income family and less to students from lower

income family. Such students cannot afford to get admits in such universities and often end up applying in
lower ranked universities. As a result some highly talented students aren’t even going to colleges.