Wild Inequalities: Children in American Schools In today's world, education is one of the most valued aspects of life that most parents hope to provide for their children; however, not all children in America receive the same quality of education and opportunities. The book written by Jonathan Kozol evaluates the sociological and economic aspect of American school education and makes a profound statement accentuating the severe segregation that existed between the years 1988 and 1990. He highlights the level of racial segregation that occurs in public schools despite this most Americans would describe it as “a past injustice.” Although inequality in education is a huge problem, it is not taken into account in national reports, along with poor motivation, low reading and writing scores and high dropout rates. He argues that equality and equity in education cannot be achieved with the current state of the American education system. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. Kozol states his argument based on two years spent with students, teachers and parents for observation and interview purposes. His aim in this book is to convince people in power that the issue of inequality in education is an important issue that needs to be considered for the good of children. This book amplifies the voices of these children to those who should listen to them. The reason for his argument is to reflect the amount of work that still needs to be done in public education sectors focusing primarily on urban schools. He presents his argument by giving several examples such as his experience in Boston in 1964 when he began working in a segregated public school in a fourth grade classroom that had no learning spaces with over 35 students and 13 different teachers. Additionally, he noted that the students had a “second-grade reading level” and first-grade math. This example is one of many that demonstrates a lack of resources, quality of education, and staff that are not living up to their highest level of excellence. His argument is of great importance to him, as public schools are expected to provide economically less fortunate children with opportunities for equality with pupils from richer backgrounds which, however, is far from being achieved. This book is essential for the writer and children as it creates a deep awareness in the American community and the intensity of inequality and segregation that still exists in public schools. His trip in 1988 involves thirty areas of the United States such as Illinois, New York, San Antonio, Washington DC etc. These schools mostly involved non-white students who did not mix with white children. Some of the remedies suggested by some schools such as those in East St. Louis were to separate black males from other races and provide them with a different education. The likelihood of this succeeding is unlikely since the society they live in “has no obstetric services,” “nearly a third of its families live on less than $7,500 a year; 75% of its population lives on some form of welfare." It's hard to place blame on unsuccessful students when the area they live in is described as "the most struggling small town in America." As a result, equality in education is an important issue for teachers like Kozol and also for parents of those children who face the daily consequences of inequality, segregation and other issuesneglected. Similar environments in which they are described as “black holes” strongly affect both. motivating students and teachers to achieve the best results, particularly where the curriculum is test-driven. “On an average morning in Chicago, 5,700 children in 190 classrooms come to find out they don't have a teacher.” For any student this is a demotivating situation where students lose confidence, enthusiasm and hope, their future and their chances of success. In some schools “salaries are too low” so much so that some teachers have to work two jobs to pay the rent and it is unlikely that a teacher who has just returned from another job will perform as well as a teacher who focuses only on teaching. This exemplifies a situation where the education system desperately requires an overhaul so that every student in America can receive the best of their teachers' skills and expertise. Camedian, New Jersey is the fourth poorest city in America and children have one of the highest poverty rates, where half the family lives on less than $5,000 a year. Pyne Point Junior High, located in Camedian, is home to many sick and unhealthy children who cannot afford the cost of private healthcare. Polluted air, soil full of chemicals, unspeakable sewage system, poverty and lack of education are some of the health and well-being problems that exist in the district. Half of the children who attend this school do not have books and "parents do not ask" for budget increases because they are not informed about the disparity in the allocation of funds from school to school. It is depicted as a place where no mother would want to raise a child. In contrast, a five-minute drive from Camdan is Cherry Hill, where the majority of residents are white and every student has the "book they should have for their grade level." Likewise, we also have Riverdale receiving a much larger allowance than other schools due to property values. Kozol wonders why this difference exists in schools when what we are fighting for is equal opportunities for all. Unequal budget allocation is one of Kozol's main aims of his work. According to his observation, the distribution of money seems to be determined by the region. The difference between schools surrounded by wealthy buildings and schools surrounded by less expensive homes is large. Because a wealthy district's tax revenue is higher than that of an economically poor district, public education spending in wealthier districts is relatively much higher. Therefore, New York public schools like Public School 261 (PS261) can only receive $6,000 or less per student, while schools like Cherry Hill in New Jersey can receive up to $11,000 per student or even more. This disparity in budget allocation leads to a state where education is provided in worn-out buildings with insufficient resources and less qualified and competent teachers. This in turn affects the quality of education provided to children and with this condition equality and equity of education cannot be satisfied. “How can we achieve both equity and excellence in education in America?” is one of the most crucial questions that Kozol clearly asks. Is it the increase in spending that makes a difference in student performance? People from wealthy backgrounds believe that no matter how much money is spent on public schools, it will have no positive impact on the performance and level of education children receive. According to the Wall Street Journal, the increased spending made no difference in “average performance scores.” However, the magazine does not mention the fact that most.