Comment on “Top Schools preserve social rifts”
Greetings,
As I was reading my bloglines this morning, I came across this article from CNN.com. This article, entitled “Top schools preserve social rifts,” deals with the top private schools in England, and how the affect the country.
A very large section of the ruling elite, including Prime Ministers, Lawyers, Princes, have gone to schools such as Eton College, and will, most likely, send their sons there as well. Private schools, where parents pay huge sums of money per year, offer students a great deal of personalized attention and a high class education. As one father states in the article, “the advantage of a private education is that even if you are not that bright, you can get on much better.”
This article struck my interest because of the question of fairness. Obviously parents who are poor or middle class cannot get their children into the private schools. Does this mean that these children do not deserve the same chance to have a high class education and join the ranks of the elite? Please note that this question stems from the American ideal of upward mobility, but this question is also pertinent in America. From the point of view of the poor, middle class, or hard core equalitarianism, the answer would be no, every student deserves to receive an equal education and have the potential to achieve anything they have the ability to do so. This point is valid and logical because not only does this support upward mobility, where the best rises to the top. This also helps the society as a whole since there is a large pool of people, there will be a greater amount of crème that will rise to the top.
However, from the point of view of the rich, they have a great amount of money; shouldn’t they be able to spend that money to improve the lot of those important to them? This is also logical and valid. If those with money can buy any material good from the marketplace, why should they not be able to buy immaterial goods, such as a quality education? The argument would continue with the idea that the rich are still supporting an education for the masses through taxes, and the rich are not attempting to seal off the ruling elite from the masses, but rather society is doing so by putting a great deal of importance on the name and reputation of the school attended.
Websites:
“Top Schools Preserve Social Rifts.” CNN.com. March 12, 2006.
