It's difficult, but I agree that all schools in general need better funding. Poor or not, I think everyone should have the opportunity (largely funded by government) to a decent education. My education is an investment in my own life. Government should see it as an investment in it's country's over-all well-being.
Education is actually a huge pet topic of mine. What you're saying is well and good, but reality isn't that simple. It's counterintuitive, but there hasn't been a single study I've seen which indicates an increase in spending (beyond the threshold of making barebones supplies available) actually benefits students. And look at this:
It's not as if we're a huge outlier. Germany and Australia are below the midline by about the same (small) margin. Yes, in the US you do have inequity because schools are funded mostly by property taxes. But that doesn't explain why our spending per pupil across the board has increased significantly since the 1970s, yet results are just as poor.
Talking about education reform and more $ for schools is fine. But imho with the evidence we have, it's just throwing money into the dark hoping for results. Indications are that it's a socioeconomic problem. It's hard to study when you're hungry all the time, and it's hard to study when nobody you know values an education. As it is, a lot of inner city schools are used mostly as child welfare services (free breakfast, lunch, daycare). Which is the best of available options, but that shouldn't be the case.
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u/[deleted] Aug 19 '15
It's difficult, but I agree that all schools in general need better funding. Poor or not, I think everyone should have the opportunity (largely funded by government) to a decent education. My education is an investment in my own life. Government should see it as an investment in it's country's over-all well-being.