Economic Inequality in Education and the Advantage of the Internet

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

This is just a little writing assignment I did for my social change class... It's pretty simplistic due to space constraints but I thought it might be a good topic to stick here.



Economic inequality has a profound influence on the success of  students from a very early age. Although much has been made of the idea that the poor have lower IQ scores, the disadvantages many face, often beginning before they are even born, have a negative impact on their ability to learn. Inadequate nutrition, stress, exposure to chemical contaminants from their environment, and insufficient nurturing due to overworked parents all may have a significant impact on both a child's development and on their access to educational support. Lower scholastic aptitude doesn't cause poverty; poverty causes lower scholastic aptitude.

Children who are impoverished are often categorized as "troubled" at school and fail to receive sufficient educational support. A poor black or brown-skinned child who acts out is likely to receive a much more severe punishment than a well-to-do white child who performs exactly the same actions, even to the extent of having a fairly innocuous act turn into a police record. Once so categorized, children may be punished harshly for minor behavioral infractions that would not even be considered a misdeed by a "good" child.

Parents who themselves did not receive a good education may feel that education is very important, even crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty, but lack the time, experience, or skills to support their child through the bureaucratic nightmare of the school system. A struggling child without a strong advocate in the schools is a victim waiting to happen, and in our society these child victims all too often become fodder for the machine of the correctional system.

The internet is a tremendous advantage in the lives of students who are fortunate enough to have it at home. The ease of accessing information that once required a trip to the library and hours of combing through books or old newspapers is a revolution in researching for school projects. There are also disadvantages; a child may accept the first piece of information about a subject that he or she finds, and it may be erroneous or biased. Because of that, it's important to teach children who are using internet sources to use critical thinking and fact-checking skills when determining the credibility and value of information found on the internet.

Due to the high number of projects my children are bringing home that require or are greatly simplified by access to the internet and a printer, I think that children who  don't have access to the internet at home are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to completing their schoolwork. Not only does that lack place a greater burden on them in terms of completing their schoolwork, but if the reasons they don't have internet at home are economic, their parents are also less likely to have the time and resources to assist and support them through completing projects and assignments, making it a real double-whammy in practical terms.

[The Johnny]

This is just a little writing assignment I did for my social change class... It's pretty simplistic due to space constraints but I thought it might be a good topic to stick here.



Economic inequality has a profound influence on the success of  students from a very early age. Although much has been made of the idea that the poor have lower IQ scores, the disadvantages many face, often beginning before they are even born, have a negative impact on their ability to learn. Inadequate nutrition, stress, exposure to chemical contaminants from their environment, and insufficient nurturing due to overworked parents all may have a significant impact on both a child's development and on their access to educational support. Lower scholastic aptitude doesn't cause poverty; poverty causes lower scholastic aptitude.

Children who are impoverished are often categorized as "troubled" at school and fail to receive sufficient educational support. A poor black or brown-skinned child who acts out is likely to receive a much more severe punishment than a well-to-do white child who performs exactly the same actions, even to the extent of having a fairly innocuous act turn into a police record. Once so categorized, children may be punished harshly for minor behavioral infractions that would not even be considered a misdeed by a "good" child.

Parents who themselves did not receive a good education may feel that education is very important, even crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty, but lack the time, experience, or skills to support their child through the bureaucratic nightmare of the school system. A struggling child without a strong advocate in the schools is a victim waiting to happen, and in our society these child victims all too often become fodder for the machine of the correctional system.

The internet is a tremendous advantage in the lives of students who are fortunate enough to have it at home. The ease of accessing information that once required a trip to the library and hours of combing through books or old newspapers is a revolution in researching for school projects. There are also disadvantages; a child may accept the first piece of information about a subject that he or she finds, and it may be erroneous or biased. Because of that, it's important to teach children who are using internet sources to use critical thinking and fact-checking skills when determining the credibility and value of information found on the internet.

Due to the high number of projects my children are bringing home that require or are greatly simplified by access to the internet and a printer, I think that children who  don't have access to the internet at home are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to completing their schoolwork. Not only does that lack place a greater burden on them in terms of completing their schoolwork, but if the reasons they don't have internet at home are economic, their parents are also less likely to have the time and resources to assist and support them through completing projects and assignments, making it a real double-whammy in practical terms.

i think a big part of what you adress is discrimination, and unfortunately, the internet access cant do much about it for it depends on others perceptions and actions

how people are marked/categorized as "trouble" that is

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

This is just a little writing assignment I did for my social change class... It's pretty simplistic due to space constraints but I thought it might be a good topic to stick here.



Economic inequality has a profound influence on the success of  students from a very early age. Although much has been made of the idea that the poor have lower IQ scores, the disadvantages many face, often beginning before they are even born, have a negative impact on their ability to learn. Inadequate nutrition, stress, exposure to chemical contaminants from their environment, and insufficient nurturing due to overworked parents all may have a significant impact on both a child's development and on their access to educational support. Lower scholastic aptitude doesn't cause poverty; poverty causes lower scholastic aptitude.

Children who are impoverished are often categorized as "troubled" at school and fail to receive sufficient educational support. A poor black or brown-skinned child who acts out is likely to receive a much more severe punishment than a well-to-do white child who performs exactly the same actions, even to the extent of having a fairly innocuous act turn into a police record. Once so categorized, children may be punished harshly for minor behavioral infractions that would not even be considered a misdeed by a "good" child.

Parents who themselves did not receive a good education may feel that education is very important, even crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty, but lack the time, experience, or skills to support their child through the bureaucratic nightmare of the school system. A struggling child without a strong advocate in the schools is a victim waiting to happen, and in our society these child victims all too often become fodder for the machine of the correctional system.

The internet is a tremendous advantage in the lives of students who are fortunate enough to have it at home. The ease of accessing information that once required a trip to the library and hours of combing through books or old newspapers is a revolution in researching for school projects. There are also disadvantages; a child may accept the first piece of information about a subject that he or she finds, and it may be erroneous or biased. Because of that, it's important to teach children who are using internet sources to use critical thinking and fact-checking skills when determining the credibility and value of information found on the internet.

Due to the high number of projects my children are bringing home that require or are greatly simplified by access to the internet and a printer, I think that children who  don't have access to the internet at home are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to completing their schoolwork. Not only does that lack place a greater burden on them in terms of completing their schoolwork, but if the reasons they don't have internet at home are economic, their parents are also less likely to have the time and resources to assist and support them through completing projects and assignments, making it a real double-whammy in practical terms.

i think a big part of what you adress is discrimination, and unfortunately, the internet access cant do much about it for it depends on others perceptions and actions

how people are marked/categorized as "trouble" that is

Those are two different topics. The internet access (or lack thereof) has nothing to do with the practice of tracking, it's just another deleterious consequence of poverty.

[Doktor Howl]

Due to the high number of projects my children are bringing home that require or are greatly simplified by access to the internet and a printer, I think that children who  don't have access to the internet at home are at a serious disadvantage when it comes to completing their schoolwork.

Not to mention the fact that they aren't learning or keeping current with information technology which is itself a crippling disadvantage.  Not just the homework, but the means by which to access information, now or in the future.

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

I've noticed in our area even people who are struggling to get by make sure they have some kind of internet access, even if it means leeching wifi from a consenting neighbor. I don't know if that's related to living in the northeast specifically or the proximity to a major metropolitan area, or the fact that Massachusetts has a serious hardon for education.

[Don Coyote]

i concur with your piece nigel.

[NewSpag]

Also it seems more and more like they are building schools (especially in inner-city areas) to be like prisons.  Large windowless concrete structures patrolled by police are no place to learn.  And the kicker is that having police there actually does little to increase "security" however it does mean that what might get you detention or even nothing in a rich white school will probably end up on inner-city kids' criminal record.

A struggling child without a strong advocate in the schools is a victim waiting to happen, and in our society these child victims all too often become fodder for The Machine's Correctional System™.

Fixed.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Thanks guys!

Yeah, one of the things that I'm gleaning from my sociology readings is that everything is fucked and nobody (who wants it stopped) knows how to stop it.

[Don Coyote]

Thanks guys!

Yeah, one of the things that I'm gleaning from my sociology readings is that everything is fucked and nobody (who wants it stopped) knows how to stop it.

This actually zinged into my mind something I had half-formed, and that is that the internet should be treated like a public utility, but then again I think that all public utilities should be state run, and not by subsidized monopolies. DAMNIT NIGEL I AM BLAMIGN YUO FIOR MAKING A COMMUNIST!!!!!

Not really.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Thanks guys!

Yeah, one of the things that I'm gleaning from my sociology readings is that everything is fucked and nobody (who wants it stopped) knows how to stop it.

This actually zinged into my mind something I had half-formed, and that is that the internet should be treated like a public utility, but then again I think that all public utilities should be state run, and not by subsidized monopolies. DAMNIT NIGEL I AM BLAMIGN YUO FIOR MAKING A COMMUNIST!!!!!

Not really.

A SOCIALIST, COYOTE! COMMUNISIM IS DIFFIRINT!!!!!

[Don Coyote]

Thanks guys!

Yeah, one of the things that I'm gleaning from my sociology readings is that everything is fucked and nobody (who wants it stopped) knows how to stop it.

This actually zinged into my mind something I had half-formed, and that is that the internet should be treated like a public utility, but then again I think that all public utilities should be state run, and not by subsidized monopolies. DAMNIT NIGEL I AM BLAMIGN YUO FIOR MAKING A COMMUNIST!!!!!

Not really.

A SOCIALIST, COYOTE! COMMUNISIM IS DIFFIRINT!!!!!

NOT IN MURKIA!!!!!!!

I know. I know. But yes socialist.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

My program director told me about an awesome study today; about an epidemiologist with an economy degree who recently proved that farm subsidies cost the US more in healthcare than it generates in economic benefits.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

"murkia". 

[Don Coyote]

My program director told me about an awesome study today; about an epidemiologist with an economy degree who recently proved that farm subsidies cost the US more in healthcare than it generates in economic benefits.

Is it because of the cheap corn that is used as a filler in all it's glorious and "nutritious" forms in American "food"?

"murkia". 

[NewSpag]

My program director told me about an awesome study today; about an epidemiologist with an economy degree who recently proved that farm subsidies cost the US more in healthcare than it generates in economic benefits.

Sounds like someone shat in his high-fructose corn syrup based punch bowl.