Episode 3: Education is Not a Privilege

“Education is not a privilege!”

That’s the sound of South African students protesting for fair education.

"No al exilio educacional chileno!!"

         Now, this is the sound of Chilean students protesting for fair education during the 2011-2013 Chilean Protest.

         Though I brought up only two examples, this is just a portion of the harsh reality when it comes to education fees all around the world. Now at this point, let me make a clarification. By ‘all around the world’, I literally mean from the entire globe; whether rich or poor, almost every nation is suffering due to educational issues.

“F**k fees"

         This is the shout from college students from the United Kingdom, during the 2010 United Kingdom Student Protest. United Kingdom, a country that we call as one of the “rich” countries, is also suffering from the government incapability of ensuring equal opportunities to students who wish to be educated. You must remember. United Kingdom is one of the TOP 10 countries to invest the biggest money to their students. 

           Ranked 4^th in the globe for investigating money for education. Total of approximately $11,825 per student. Spends 5.4% of their whole GDP on education. The absolute number one in all terms within the globe. But yet, still incapable of paying for young students with the potential and ability but without the money. This is the reality of Carlos’s homeland, America.

          

           In the podcast, Malcom Gladwell introduces Carlos, an outstanding student in all of his academics, but yet greatly suffering from poverty. Carlos has a very common, or more like a cliché story. He is smart, young, and passionate, but yet poor. His financial inabilities were his greatest obstacles during his school years. He had the capability to do well in many top ranking universities, but he didn’t have the capability to afford it. This type of story, as people who haven’t been to such dramatic situations, just sounds like another story of a poor student giving up their dreams to earn money.

           But one thing to remember is that the biggest problem of this story is not Carlos’s tragic situation itself, but the fact that this type of story if referred as ‘cliché’. We face such stories in all different parts of the nation, or from the world, but yet there is not a single story that alarms us with some news that such cliché is now coming to an end; or at least, they are making some progress.

More than ten thousand dollars per student. Ten thousand. Where did it all go? Because obviously, thousands of Carlos’s all over the nation didn’t get that. Saying the US government simply doesn’t have enough to investigate more on K-12 students is not an acceptable excuse; neglecting those young students situated in great jeopardy requires a better explanation.

Trump has recently presented his new plan for his following presidency which included a 10% decrease in money investigation in the education field. Simple nonsense. This will knock off all the Carlos’s in the nation: just another extension in torture for students longing for ‘good’ education.

“Education costs money, but so does ignorance” This is a quote from Claus Moser, a former government statistician. Children represent the nation. They will lead the next generation. As descendants that will take the burden of managing the country within thirty years or so, better treatment, not ignorance, is needed. They are not people to be underestimated and treated in such a shabby way. If they, the government, can’t ‘afford’ to help the unprivileged students, at least give them a mean to find their way out of hell. We all can help, and the big fat government can surely, too. 

Podcast Review on Episode 5: Guarantee Unlimited Future For the Limited.

Guarantee Unlimited Future For the Limited.

            

           One of the best liberal arts colleges within the nation. One of the top ranked schools that provide equal opportunity to numerous students from diverse economic backgrounds. Saved money for the poor. Used money for the poor. But still a school that can’t only take care of the poor. The situation Vassar is related into is quite a dilemma. They have got everything to help the financially insufficient, but brilliant students. Great alumni, fabulous professors, and outrageous dorms that resemble five star hotels. But one thing they don’t have is money; they’ve got no money to help the low-income students.

           In order to provide fair opportunities for students of all financial conditions, they made programs and facilities to help the low-income students. More than half of their budget was poured in to provide financial aid for them. But the problem is that Vassar’s entire annual budget comes from students that are capable of paying full tuitions. Vassar wishes to build a school for everyone, especially to the unprivileged, but if they want to do so, they have to make the school also charming for the wealthy or the money-bringers. Then, here comes the million dollar question; what can we do to help hard working schools like Vassar?

           The first thing that comes to mind is getting a helping hand from the Department of Education, a department that was ‘originally’ established to help the educated to educate those who want to be educated. Though originally, government budget assigned to the Department of Education was only used for supporting public schools, I do not see why the government money should only be consumed for students attending in public schools. Australia is already in the lead.

           At the very front of the troop, there is Australia, leading the way for other wealthy countries to follow. Since Australia Education Act 2013, regardless of governmental or nongovernmental, the country has been investigating money very fairly. Now this is how it should work. Unlimited future for the limited.

           As a student of KMLA, one of the most prestigious schools within the continent, and one of the most expensive schools in the nation, I can’t say what is right and what is wrong about Vassar and Bowdoin’s FA policies. Even if I do, it will be extremely unrealistic due to the lack of sympathy and understanding; I grew up without having to worry about money. In a country dominated by us arrogant, selfish, and unsympathetic but yet privileged top 10% people, it is always the government that should stand by the 90% and keep company. Because we live in a world of capitalism, it is the government’s burden to help its citizens to ironically stop worrying about money. Why does the owner of the school matter so much in helping to provide equal rights to people to be educated? Promoting equal learning opportunities is a world-wide goal and the US is not an exception. Students of Vassar are citizens of US before students of a private school. 

1st Podcast Review: The Drawbacks, Damage, and Dilemma of Moral Licensing

           You open the door for one, let them in, pretend you welcome them, but soon slam the door down, as if you were waiting for this very moment. Moral licensing, that is, allowing yourself to take the leeway, after giving yourself a permission to do so, because you have been “nice” yesterday. The fact that I was kind to someone, picked up some garbage in the streets, and wrote something about racial discrimination on Facebook yesterday, permits me of today to become slightly careless of folks falling behind, spit on the streets and make a sexist comment. Because I was “good” yesterday makes me to feel okay to be “bad’ today; because yesterday’s “good” justifies today.

           I think we have previously mentioned this during our class discussion, but I could not agree more on the point that moral licensing made an effect on this last year’ US presidential election. The 44^th president of the Unites States in Barack Obama. Though I was only nine years old at the time of his election, 2008 federal election was famous enough to reach a little nine year old kid in Korea. The first African American to win the election. The first time an African American won votes from more than half of the country. Though many people of this era believe that racial discrimination should be eliminated from politics, still Obama being elected shocked the whole world. There shouldn’t have been anything strange, but still, for quite a long time, Obama decorated the top headlines for days. I won’t make any political comments about the rights and wrongs of Barack Obama, but one thing for sure is that Americans, at least those who were diligent enough to go and vote for the wrong guy, were lured in the psychology of moral licensing. A president that supports white supremacy right after an African American president. A contributor of discrimination of all sorts right after a hard worker to stop discrimination. I guess Americans thought since they have given a chance to someone in the minority, they are excused and permitted to choose how they used to do it: White over black, and men over women.

           This is a game with a fixed result. No matter what we do, the natural process of moral licensing is inevitable. It will remain forever, as long as we stay selfish. The “door” will never stay open. Nor will it open by itself. But still, with effort, both socially and individually, the can push the door open, and leave it open; maybe not for a long time, but still enough for people to easily pass the door and become an exemplary for the next generation to watch and learn. Bit by bit. That is how we should push the door open; not too fast that it will break the door and bring chaos, but fast enough for the prepared to pass through.