Education is Problem

A social problem is “a social condition or a pattern of behavior that people believe warrants public concern and collective action to bring about change”. One of the ways to bring about change is to educate. Unfortunately, many argue that there is a breakdown in our educational system that places education under the umbrella of a social problem.

Education is obtained through several channels including homeschooling, private schools, public schools, and more recently charter schools. Each of these educational institutions has a common goal that is to give knowledge to or develop the abilities of someone by teaching.

However, there are some distinct differences in what is available to families based on class, cultural exposure, and finances. For example a family who home schools may be economically stable and well educated allowing for the process of learning at home not only possible but more beneficial for the student’s academic growth. The same could be said about families whose children attend private schools; they are economically stable allowing for broader and better educational options for their children. The creation of Charter Schools was in response to what some believed to be an answer to the problem of inadequate life preparation within the public school system. Even with these options or lack of options there still seems to be a breakdown in the educational system that service the masses.

Theorists agree that there is a problem with the public school educational system yet they cannot agree on what exactly the problem is. Social Problems ranging from inequalities according to the critical conflict theory; a breakdown of the manifest functions of one institution among several according to the functionalist perspective; and the inability to develop a positive and meaningful concept of ones own educational ability according to the symbolic interactions perspective.