In America, public education is in deep trouble. The dropout rate of school students at present is worrying, and so are the significantly deteriorating educational standards. Yet, little has been done to deal with the danger of educational decadence in the nation. This indicates one thing: the major problem associated with America’s public education is leadership.

Since our decision-makers have failed to pay due attention to public education in recent years, it proves beyond doubt that they couldn’t care less about what happens to our students in public schools. It’s no wonder that the unstable condition of public education today is attributed to poor leadership.

Mentioned below are some ways in which the country’s education is getting hurt by the government.

Reduced Funds

A lot has been said about how public schools have to struggle with reduced funds. The reality that public school funding is being reduced repeatedly indicates a lot about the significance – or the lack thereof – that our legislators bestow upon education. According to a CBPP (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) report, funding per student dipped in 29 states across the nation between 2008 and 2016.

Though it can be understood that the economic recession of 2008 caused diminished state funding, it is simply deplorable that a massive cut of 10% and more happened in 17 of these states. This is extremely bad and indicates that the leaders simply don’t care about the student’s future, who will be eventually responsible for our country’s future. Due to the cuts and diminishing resources, public schools are increasingly finding maintenance of their facilities difficult, while the student-to-educator ratio stays very high. This has drastically damaged the American education system.

Unwillingness to Upgrade the Schooling System to Be Compliant With Contemporary Realities

Many have demanded the entire system be revamped, or at least drastic changes are undertaken by the government. To date, the people this nation’s public trusts with the decision-making task on its behalf have been reluctant to act. For instance, some state laws let educators punish students by literally hitting them, but similar action would be prohibited in other states. Such offensive disciplinary measures are deplorable in the 21st century, but several calls to do away with them have been ignored.

Misplaced Priorities

It is unfortunate that more money is channeled to fund what you call the “elite schools.”Though such schools cost more to administer, they limit admission to a handful of privileged students. Since a very small percentage (lower than 15%) of students attend these schools across the country, the majority that goes to K-12 schools, which constitute more than 80% of the nation’s entire student population, remains neglected. This is in conflict with the basic premise of democracy, where it’s essential to prioritize the majority.

Final Words

Our leaders must accept their responsibility for the deterioration of public schools and implement serious steps fast to address the actual problems plaguing public education. If this is not done, the country’s future will be in grave danger.