The Gap between the Classroom and the Real World

By: Jason R. Weber

Bridging that gap between the classroom and the real world is one of my main goals as a
faculty member. When I first started teaching, fresh out of the professional world, I
struggled with having my students only receive a textbook education. I wanted them to
not only learn the concepts relevant to their field, but I wanted them to be able to
experience it as well. I was growing tired of hearing that our graduates were struggling
with applying the information they had received in school. It seemed the same topics
such as writing, communication, and critical thinking, were constantly being mentioned
as areas of improvement for our students from professionals in the field.
Knowing that this wasn’t a problem solely with my students and that others faced
similar challenges, I went to my colleagues and asked them the following, “How do we
get our students to understand what ‘the field’ is really like? How can we help them
realize that they not only need to understand the information we are teaching, but that
they need to be able to apply the information that we are teaching.” The responses I
received led me down the path of problem-based learning strategies. According to
Wlodkowski (2008), “problem-based learning is characterized by the use of real life
problems as a means for people to learn critical thinking, collaboration, and the
essential concepts and professional skills of a particular discipline” (p. 276).
So, how do we create these learning activities and how do we assess them for
understanding and proper application? It should be noted that as you are creating these
learning activities, such as scenarios, you also need to create rubrics. It is important to
ensure the learning activity is measurable. How will you know when the student
completed the activity successfully?
Also, make sure the learning activity is something the student can effectively respond to
and be successful in with effort. Do not put them in a situation where they are not able
to work their way to a successful conclusion. Make sure you start with basic scenarios
and as you progress through the academic term, build into more difficult scenarios. I
would also encourage not assigning points to your scenarios early in the term. Let
students have fun with the activities and allow them to make mistakes without fear of a
bad grade. As the term progresses, assign points and work with them to ensure they
understand what is expected from them.
Additionally, we should consider the following criteria when developing learning
activities such as these:

 Make the learning activity safe. We do not want students to experience

embarrassment or ridicule from other students. A safe environment allows
students to make mistakes and to learn from them.
 Make the learning activity a successful experience. While we want to
challenge our students, we need to remember they are still building their
foundation. Success leads to confidence and a confident student is one who fully
engages in their learning experience.
 Make the learning activity interesting. What are some unique twists that
you can apply to the learning experience to keep students engaged?
 Make the learning activity personal. Allow the students to make choices
and reflect with them on how their biases and beliefs affected what they did.
 Make the learning activity relevant. Giving the students a chance to fully
engage in a professional role allows them to fulfill that goal they are working
toward. (Wlodkowski, 2008, p. 220-221).
Online classes are another venue where problem-based learning can be applied. Posting
scenarios that relate to the weekly topic provides an opportunity for the students to
travel further into the material. Students submit their methods for dealing with the
scenario and their classmates are encouraged to ask them why they answered the way
they did. This not only allows our students to defend their viewpoints, but it gives them
the opportunity to see the variety of perspectives contained within their classmates. In
my experience, my discussion boards came alive when the students had scenarios to
process and defend.
In a learning environment where we are constantly trying to connect to our students and
to ensure they understand and can apply the content we are providing, problem-based
learning is a tool that allows us to bring our students, course material, and the real
world closer together.
 School Issues That Negatively Impact Student Learning

By: Derrick Meador

Schools face several real issues on a daily basis that negatively impacts student learning.
Administrators and teachers work hard to overcome these challenges, but it is often an
uphill climb. No matter what strategies are implemented there are some factors that will
likely never be eliminated. However, schools must do their best to minimize the impact
these issues have while maximizing student learning. Educating students is a difficult
challenge because there are so many natural obstacles that hinder student learning.

It is important to note that every school is different. Not every school will face all of the
challenges discussed below, though the majority of schools across the United States face
more than one of these issues. The overall makeup of the community surrounding the
school has a significant impact on the school itself. Schools facing a large portion of
these issues will not see significant internal changes until external issues are addressed
and changed within the community. Many of these issues can be deemed as "societal
issues" which can be a nearly impossible hurdle for schools to overcome.

Bad Teachers

The vast majority of teachers are effective at their job, sandwiched in between the great
teachers and the bad teachers. We know there are bad teachers, and while they
represent a small sample size of teachers, they are often the ones who sadly generate the
most publicity. For the majority of teachers, this is frustrating because most work hard
every day to ensure that their students receive a quality education with little fanfare.

A bad teacher can set a student or group of students back considerably. They can create
significant learning gaps making the next teacher’s job that much harder. A bad teacher
can foster an atmosphere full of discipline issues and chaos establishing a pattern that is
extremely difficult to break. Finally and perhaps most devastatingly, they can shatter a
student’s confidence and overall morale. The effects can be disastrous and nearly
impossible to reverse.

This is the reason that administrators must ensure that they make smart hiring
decisions. These decisions must not be taken lightly -- of equal importance is the teacher
evaluation process. Administrators must use the evaluation system to make informed
decisions when retaining teachers year over year. They cannot be afraid to put the
necessary work required to dismiss a bad teacher who will damage students in the
district.

Discipline Issues

Discipline issues cause distractions, and distractions add up and limit learning time.
Every time a teacher has to handle a discipline issue they lose valuable instructional
time. In addition, each time a student is sent to the office on a discipline referral that
student loses valuable instruction time. The bottom line is that any discipline issue will
result in the loss of instruction time, which limits a student’s learning potential.

For these reasons, teachers and administrators must be able to minimize these
disruptions. Teachers can do this by providing a structured learning environment and
engaging students in exciting, dynamic lessons that captivate students and keep them
from being bored. Administrators must create well-written policies that hold students
accountable. They should educate parents and students on these policies.
Administrators must be firm, fair, and consistent when dealing with any student
discipline issue.
Lack of Proper Funding

Funding has a significant impact on student performance. A lack of funding typically

leads to larger class sizes and less technology and curriculum materials and the more
students a teacher has, the less attention they can pay to each individual students. This
can become significant when you have a class full of 30 to 40 students at varying
academic levels.

Teachers must be equipped with engaging tools covering the standards they are required
to teach. Technology is a tremendous academic tool, but it is also pricey to purchase,
maintain, and upgrade. Curriculum in general continuously changes and needs to be
updated, but most states curriculum adoption runs in five-year cycles. At the end of each
five-year cycle, the curriculum is totally outdated and physically worn out.

Lack of Student Motivation

There are many students who simply do not care about attending school or putting in
the effort necessary to maintain their grades. It is extremely frustrating to have a pool of
students who are only there because they have to be. An unmotivated student may
initially be on grade level, but they will fall behind only to wake up one day and realize it
is too late to catch up. A teacher or administrator can only do so much to motivate a
student -- ultimately it is up to the student as to whether or not they decide to change.
Unfortunately, there are many students in schools across America with tremendous
potential who choose not to live up to that standard.

Over Mandating

Federal and state mandates are taking their tolls on school districts across the country.
There are so many new requirements each year that schools do not have the time or
resources to implement and maintain them all successfully. Most of the mandates are
passed with good intentions, but the spacing of these mandates puts schools in a bind.
They are often unfunded and require a lot of extra time that could be spent in other
critical areas. Schools simply do not have enough time and resources to do many of
these new mandates justice.

Poor Attendance

Simply put, students can't learn if they aren't at school. Missing just ten days of school
each year from kindergarten to twelfth grade adds up to missing almost an entire school
year by the time they graduate. There are some students that have the ability to
overcome poor attendance, but many who have a chronic attendance problem fall
behind and stay behind.

Schools must hold students and parents accountable for consistent excessive absences
and should have a solid attendance policy in place that specifically addresses excessive
absences. Teachers cannot do their jobs if students are not required to show up on a
daily basis.

Poor Parental Support

Parents are typically the most influential people in every aspect of a child’s life. This is
especially true when it comes to education. There are exceptions to the rule, but
typically if the parents value education, their children will be academically
successful. Parental involvement is essential to educational success. Parents who
provide their children with a solid foundation before school begins and stay involved
throughout the school year will reap the benefits as their children will likely be
successful.

Likewise, parents who are minimally involved with their child’s education have a
significant negative impact. This can be extremely frustrating for teachers and makes for
a continuous uphill battle. Many times, these students are behind when they start school
due to a lack of exposure, and it is extremely difficult to catch them up. These parents
believe it is the school’s job to educate and not theirs when in actuality it needs to be a
dual partnership for the child to be successful

Poverty

Poverty has a significant impact on student learning. There has been much research to
support this premise. Students living in affluent well-educated homes and communities
are far more academically successful while those living in poverty are typically behind
academically.

Free and reduced lunches are one indicator of poverty. According to National Center for
Education Statistics, Mississippi has one of the highest national rates of eligibility for
free/reduced lunches at 71%. Their 8th-grade NAEP scores for 2015 were at 271 in math
and 252 in reading. Massachusetts has one of the lowest rates of eligibility for
free/reduced lunches at 35%. Their 8th-grade NAEP scores for 2015 were at 297 in math
and 274 in reading. This is only one example of how poverty can impact education.

Poverty is a difficult obstacle to overcome. It follows generation over generation and

becomes the accepted norm, which makes it almost impossible to break. Though
education is a significant part of breaking the grips of poverty, most of these students
are so far behind academically that they will never get that opportunity.

Shift in Instructional Focus

When schools fail, administrators and teachers almost always take the brunt of the
blame. This is somewhat understandable, but the responsibility of educating should not
fall solely on the school. This deferred shift in educational responsibility is one of the
greatest reasons that we see a perceived decline in public schools across the United
States.

In fact, teachers are doing a far superior job of educating their students today than they
ever have been. However, the time spent teaching the basics of reading, writing, and
arithmetic has been significantly decreased due to increased demands and
responsibilities to teach many things that used to be taught at home.

Any time you add new instructional requirements you must take away time spent on
something else. The time spent in school has rarely increased, yet the burden has fallen
to schools to add courses such as sex education and personal financial literacy into their
daily schedule without an increase in time to do so. As a result, schools have been forced
to sacrifice critical time in the core subjects to ensure that their students are being
exposed to these other life skills.
 10 Major Challenges Facing Public Schools
by Grace Chen

Are our public schools in a state of crisis? Learn about the 10 biggest problems with
public schools today, both from the perspective of the administrators and the teachers
Few would argue that the state of our education system has plenty of room for
improvement. However, developing a plan to take schools in the right direction is easier
said than done. The first challenge lies in identifying underlying problems keeping
students from learning today. This challenge, in part, is due to the fact that the problems
may change considerably depending on who is labeling them, whether it is students,
parents, educators or lawmakers. Consider this list of 10 major challenges currently
facing public schools, based on the perspective of many involved in the world of
education today.

Classroom Size

Many areas of the country are facing classrooms that are literally busting out at the
seams. A report atNEA Today two years ago discussed how schools in Georgia, in the
midst of major funding cuts for schools, had no choice but to lift all class size limits to
accommodate students with the faculty the school system could still afford to keep.
More recently, Fairfax County in Virginia has been looking into a proposal to increase
classroom sizes in the face of significant budget cuts. The Board of Education inSouth
Carolina is also weighing their options in this area.

When money gets tight, classroom numbers are often impacted. Yet, most teachers
agree that they cannot effectively teach every student in a classroom, if the class size
exceeds about 30. Their statements are backed up by research. Class Size
Matters cites a study performed by the Tennessee Star that found classes of 15-17
students in grades K-3 provided both long and short-term benefits to both the students
and the teachers in those classrooms. Minority students, those living in poverty and
male students appeared to benefit from smaller classroom sizes the most.

Poverty

Technorati reported last fall that 22 percent of the children in the U.S. live at or below
poverty level.American Graduate defines poverty as a family of four with an annual
income level of $23,050 or lower. American Graduate also cites a report from the
Southern Education Foundation, which shows in 17 states across the U.S., low-income
students now comprise the majority of public school students in those states. Some
estimates put poverty levels for public school students at 25% in the not-so-distant
future.

Students living at or below poverty level tend to have the highest dropout rates. Studies
show that students who do not get enough food or sleep are less likely to perform at
their full academic potential. Schools know these truths first-hand, and despite efforts to
provide students with basic essentials, teachers, administrators and lawmakers know
there is simply not enough to go around.

Family Factors

Family factors also play a role in a teacher’s ability to teach students. Principals and
teachers agree that what is going on at home will impact a student’s propensity to
learn. Divorce, single parents, poverty, violence and many other issues are all
challenges a student brings to school every day. While some teachers and
administrators try to work with children in less than ideal family environments, they can
only do so much – especially when parents are often not willing to partner with the
schools to provide for the children.

Technology

Kids Health Guide reports that students are more technologically advanced than many
teachers today, putting instructors at a decided disadvantage in the classroom.
However, a student’s love of technology also tends to distract him from his schoolwork,
according to NEA Today. When teachers don’t have the techno-savvy to compete with
those devices, by bringing education and technology together, it can be difficult to keep
students’ interest and attention to properly teach new concepts.

Technology needs to come into the classroom to keep up with the learning demands of
the 21stcentury. Schools that are already cash-strapped may find an unsurmountable
challenge in coming up with the funding to bring computers and other forms of
technology into their classes. Scholastic offers some tips for school districts that want to
fit the bill for technology, including everything from asking individuals in the district for
“big gifts” to going to Uncle Sam for the funding. The website also suggests negotiating
prices on technology when possible and allowing student to bring their own from home.
Photo By Intel Free Press CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Bullying

Bullying is not a new problem, but it is one that has a profound impact on the learning
aptitude of many students today. Technology has given bullies even more avenues to
torment their victims – through social networking, texting and other virtual
interactions. Cyberbullying has become a major issue for schools, as evidenced by
the number of suicides that can be directly traced to bullying events. The fact that laws
are still fuzzy regarding cyberbullying adds to the challenge – since parents, teachers
and administrators are unsure of how to legally handle such issues.

Student Attitudes and Behaviors

Many public school teachers also cite student attitudes, such as apathy and disrespect
for teachers, as a major problem facing schools today. A poll from the National Center
for Education Statistics cited that problems like apathy, tardiness, disrespect and
absenteeism posed significant challenges for teachers. These issues were seen more
frequently at the secondary school level, rather than the primary grades.

No Child Left Behind

Many students, parents and teachers see No Child Left Behind as a detriment to the
public education environment today. Although the current Obama Administration is
working to reform NCLB policies, the focus in education on both the national and state
level continues to be on the testing process. Student test scores are now being used by
a number of states as a way to evaluate teacher performance, putting even more
pressure on faculty in schools to “teach to the tests.”
NEA Today quotes Kansas special educator Shelly Dunham as saying, “Testing,
testing, testing, what is the point of testing? Do we use the data to remediate those who
do not measure up? No!” Many teachers believe they are forced to teach to the annual
standardized tests, and activities like recess and lunch have been cut way down to
make more time for academics in light of the new testing procedures.

Parent Involvement

Often teachers find there is no happy medium when it comes to parental involvement,
according to the Kids Health Guide. Some parents won’t be seen for the entire school
year, no matter what sort of issues might arise. Others never seem to go away,
hovering over the child and teacher and interfering with the education process. There
are ways parents can become involved and support their child’s education at the same
time, but teachers don’t always get that level from parents.

Student Health

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S., and the same poor eating habits
that led to the obesity problem may also be contributing to lower student achievement.
Obesity also increases a student’s risk for other conditions, like diabetes and high blood
pressure, which could result in higher absenteeism and more academic issues.
Photo By English: Lance Cpl. Ryan M. Joyner [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The national school lunch movement Let’s Move! has been working to bring healthier
options into school lunchrooms across the country. According to the website, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture released new guidelines in 2012 to boost the nutritional
quality of the meals students get at school. Exercise programs are also coming to
schools across the country to promote more physical activity among students of all
ages. However, it seems the country as a whole still has a long way to go to get on the
road to better health on a large scale.

Funding

Budget cuts have created huge problems for most public schools in recent years. Less
funding means smaller staffs, fewer resources and a lower number of services for
students. While some argue that throwing more money at the education problems won’t
make them go away, others assert that lack of funding caused many of the problems in
the first place.
There are many problems in public schools today, but identifying those issues is half the
battle. With a laundry list of challenges to face, now is the time for educators, parents
and lawmakers to come together and begin to find solutions – for the benefit of all
students in public schools today.
 Social Problems Affecting Students & Schools
by Erica Loop

Societal problems affect more than just the adult population. From racism to a topsy-
turvy economy, students and schools often feel the effects that trickle down from other
sources or social systems. As prominently noted in the ecological theory of child
development, students, schools, communities and even more abstract societal concepts
are all linked together, connecting to and influencing every level of a child's growth and
learning.

Racism
Racism, or denying someone their individual rights or acting in negative ways toward them, is a
major problem in American society. The effects that the societal view of race has on students and
schools are hardly new. While legal actions such as Brown v. Board of Education have sought to
bring racial equality to schools, these issues go much deeper than simply outlawing segregation,
according to the America Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU notes that there are a growing
number of schools that have 90 percent or higher populations of students who are considered
racial minorities. These often urban, low-income schools may not have the budgets or resources
to provide the same type of quality education as schools in higher-income suburban
environments.

Economy
When the economy takes a downward turn, everyone can quickly suffer. With less money
making it's way through society, schools may feel a funding crunch and go into a budget crisis.
For example, during a slow economy, the costs of fuel for school buses and food for school
lunches may increase. These costs are often passed on to the schools, the parents and the
students. When the costs to the schools begin to outweigh the money coming in through taxes
and other funding sources, programs that are deemed unessential -- such as non-academic or arts
concentrations -- are cut and teachers may lose their jobs. These cuts not only affect the schools,
but also impact the students and their opportunities to get a quality education.

Drugs and Alcohol

Substance use and abuse, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are
major issues affecting American students. A 2011 survey of American high school students by
the CDC notes that 39 percent of teens reported drinking alcohol within the past 30 days and 22
percent engaged in binge drinking. Teens who regularly engage in substance use often have
scholastic problems that include lower grades, memory issues and a higher likelihood of school
absences.

Unplanned Pregnancy
Teen pregnancy isn't just a societal issue or a statistic to shake one's head at. With more than
329,000 births to teen moms in 2011 alone, according to the CDC, unplanned pregnancies have a
drastic impact on many students and their schooling. Teen pregnancy is a societal problem that
costs taxpayers roughly $11 billion per year in health care, foster care and other related expenses.
Teen moms have a higher likelihood of getting lower grades or dropping out of school
completely. According to the CDC, only half of all teen mothers graduate from high school or
get their diploma.
 S oc i a l P robl e ms Affe c ti ng S tude nts & S c hool s
B y K yra S h ea h an

I t 's cle a r to an yo n e wh o wo rks in e du ca t ion t ha t scho ols a re a ref le ct io n

of wh a t is go in g on lo ca lly a n d glo bally. I f t he po lit ica l clim a t e is
t e n uo u s, t he n d iscu ssio n s in cla ssroo m s will b e h ea t ed. If th e job
m a rke t a nd e co n om ic sit u at io n in t he lo ca l co mm un it y is d e p re sse d ,
t h e n st ud e nt s a nd st af f will se e a n incre a se in cla ss d ivisio n s a t sch o o l.

S t u de n t s a nd st af f d e a l wit h t he se t yp e s of so cia l p ro b le m s a n d mo re in
t h e cla ssroo m t ha t im p a ct t he ir le a rn in g e xp e rie n ce . Reso lvin g a n d
a vo id in g su ch p ro ble m s be gin s wit h id e n t if ica t io n a nd awa re n e ss.
S ch o o l syst em s sho u ld re co gn ize wh a t t yp e s of so cia l issu e s a re of
p rim a ry co n ce rn , an d ed u cat e st u de nt s a nd pa re n t s a bou t p re ve n t ive
m e a su re s to he lp ke e p t h e se issu e s f rom im p a ct in g t h eir kid s. Te a che rs
a n d p a ren t s can co lla b o ra te on st ra te gie s f o r m in im izin g so cia l
p ro b lem s in sch o o ls.

Cl a s s r oom S e tt i ngs

Ra cism is a so cia l p ro b lem t ha t e xist s in a ll f a ce t s of so cie t y, f rom

b u sin e ss e n viro n me n t s to scho o ls. Ma n y m in o rit y st u d en t s a re e xp o se d
t o ra ce issu e s a n d d iscrim in a to ry la n gu a ge a t scho o l. W hile te a che rs
ca n ba n lan gu a ge wa rs a t sch o o l, racism m ig h t co n t inue t o e xist if
p a re n t s d o n ot a lso h e lp t o co rre ct th e p re ju d ice b e havio rs o f t he ir
ch ild re n in t h e h om e . Ho we ve r, sin c e st ud e nt s of t e n lea rn t he ir ra cist
b e lief s a n d re ma rks f ro m t h e ir pa re nts, t e a ch e rs will n o t b e a b le t o re ly
o n pa re n t s t o h e lp re so lve t h e issue .

Cl a s s a nd E c onomi c Di sa dva nta ge s

W ith in t h e re a lm of d iscrim in at io n is t h e so cia l issu e of u n e qu a l

e d u ca t io na l o pp o rtu n it ie s f o r in d ivid u a ls wh o co me f rom lo w -in co m e ,
m in o rit y b a ckgro un d s. St u de n t s wh o b e lon g t o th is d em o gra p h ic risk
m issin g o u t o n t h e sa me le ve l of e d uca t io na l qu a lit y a s m id d le -to up p e r -
cla ss st u de n t s of no n -m ino rit y b a ckgr o u nd s. T he m o st pre ssin g so cia l
p ro b lem he re is tha t t he ed u ca t io n syst e m h a s in e qu it ie s a nd of f e rs
d isp ro p o rt ion a te op p o rt un it ie s b a sed o n cu lt u ra l af f ilia t io n an d in com e
le ve l, wh e n , id e a lly, a ll ch ild re n sh ou ld ha ve e xp o su re t o an e qua l
e d u ca t io n .
E c onom y

T he e co n om y p la ys a sign if ican t p a rt in so cia l p ro b lem s t h a t af f e ct

st u d en t s a n d sch oo ls. A s ch ild ren get o ld e r, t h e y b e gin t o no t ice th e
f ina n cia l p re ssu res t h a t t he ir p a re nts a n d f am ilie s e xpe rie n ce . I n a ha rd
e co no m y, it can be d if f icu lt f o r f am ilies — e sp e cia lly sin gl e -p a re nt
f a m ilie s —to ma ke e n d s m ee t . Co n sequ e n t ly, so m e h igh sch o o le rs d ro p
o u t of scho o l so t ha t t he y ca n he lp su p po rt t he f am ily f in a n cia lly.
I n com e is a p rima ry issu e in vo l ve d in a st ud en t 's de cisio n to d rop ou t of
sch o o l, a n d st ud ies sh o w t h a t ch ild ren f rom lo w -in co m e f am ilie s a re six
t im e s a s like ly t o dro p o ut t ha n ch ild re n f rom h igh -in co m e f am ilie s.
S ch o o ls a nd pa re nt s ca n wo rk t o ge t he r t o he lp re sist stu d en t s'
d e cisio n s to d ro p o u t .

S ubs ta nc e Abus e

S u b sta n ce a bu se a n d a d d ict io n s h a ve b e co me an ep id em ic. Ma n y

ch ild re n —e ve n at e a rly a ge s — h a ve a cce ss to ad d ict ive su b st a n ce s,
ille ga l d ru gs a n d alco h o l. T he u se of su ch sub st an ce s le a d s t o
p ro b lem s in th e f o rm of vio le n ce , crim in a l b e ha vio rs, t e e n p re gn a n cie s
a n d a d im in ish in g in t e re st in ed u cat ion . S e ve re su b st ance a bu se rs m a y
d ro p ou t of scho o l a lt o ge t h e r o r h a ve d if f icu lt y wit h d a ily lif e . Th is so cia l
p ro b lem can be bet t e r co nt ro lle d t h rou gh st ru ct u red an d su p po rt ive
e n viro n m e nt s f o r st u d en t s, b o th at hom e a n d in th e scho o ls.
 Social Issues and Other Hindrances That are Affecting Education

By: John Dewey

If there is one thing that makes or breaks an individual, it is his education. Schools,
where children study, learn, and prepare for life, therefore need to provide the right kind
of environment so that students can get a proper education.
Students are taught languages, mathematics, science, history, and a number of other
subjects in school. They get to participate in sports activities, socialize with their peers,
and learn how to adapt themselves in different social situations. However, an
impediment in the path of child development at schools, comes by way of the various
social issues that plague our education system. Let us take a look at what these issues
are in the following section.
Social Issues in Education

Emotional Issues
Society has changed considerably in the last few decades. Today, the divorce rate is
very high in America and many school-going children are brought up in single parent
families. Growing up in broken homes can adversely affect the emotional health of a
student and it may thus lower his performance at school. However, even when children
are brought up in homes where both parents are present, it's not necessary that their
emotional needs will be met, since in majority of families today, both the parents are
working.
Ethnic Issues
Children belonging to certain ethnic groups, are wrongly judged as being slower
learners when compared to other races. This is, of course, not true, because one's
learning ability is not directly related to their ethnicity. However, due to social or even
geographical factors, children from certain ethnic groups lack adequate exposure to
sources of learning. Also, there are several other stereotypes that have been attached
to specific races, which puts the children belonging to them at risk of developing low
self-esteem.
Gender Issues
Another social issue in education is the differential treatment provided on the basis of
gender. In certain sections of the society, girls are provided lesser opportunities for
studying, in comparison to boys. Expectations from girls to score high in studies or
study further are less as well.
Economic Issues
Some social issues arise due to the economic strata a student belongs to. Students who
belong to poor families are most likely to attend public schools. These schools are,
however, not as well equipped with technology as private schools. This then
automatically puts them at a disadvantage when compared to other students who go to
private schools.
Cultural Issues
Students belonging to immigrant families, may not be well versed with the English
language. This creates a barrier in communication between students and teachers and
thus, such students are not able to receive proper education.
Ethical Issues
There are certain other ethical issues in education which affect students. For example,
whether to allow cell phones in school or not, should school uniforms be made
compulsory, etc.
Impact of Social Issues in Education
According to the Education Research Center, United States, around 7,000 high school
students drop out of school every day. The high drop out rates are propelled by social
issues in education as mentioned above. These issues basically have two forms of
impact―first, the student's performance suffers, and second, the teacher starts having
different expectations for different students, which then means that her attitude and
tendency to help students changes. That's why certain political issues on education
have been raised to deal with these social problems.
The government is running various bilingual programs in schools to benefit a majority of
students who belong to immigrant families. This helps them learn English and other
subjects faster. Secondly, the government has come up with "private-school vouchers",
with the help of which, students who attend public schools can attend private schools to
get a chance at better education.
Some current issues in education with regards to politics that require immediate
attention by policy makers are―providing family and medical leave to all working
parents so that they can spend quality time with their children, providing financial
support to low-income families and single mothers, giving scholarships to teachers to
study further, as well as running training programs for them, and taking steps to prevent
the spread of HIV, STDs among adolescents.
In order to tackle these issues, the government has to make certain policies and see to
it that they are implemented properly. Besides political will, a change in society's attitude
is needed too. Only this will ensure that these issues do not arise any further.
 S o c i a l P r o b l e m s Af f e c t i n g S t u d e n t s & S c h o o l s
By Onyeali Onyeberechi

In much the same way that institutions of worship are universally

considered sacrosanct, the school environment should be a safe
haven for students to seek educational enrichment. The inherent
challenges that are associated with teaching and learning require a
climate conducive to achieve both. However in recent years, several
societal maladies have permeated the walls of schools, presenting
major issues for students and administrators.

Violence

In a scene being played out with alarming regularity, ringing school

bells have been replaced by gunshot blasts. This was evident in
Newtown, Connecticut when on Dec. 14, 2012, 20 children, ages 6
and 7, along with six adult staff members, were gunned down at
Sandy Hook Elementary by a 20-year-old man. Until this tragedy, the
most widely known cases of violence in schools took place 13 years
prior in Columbine, Colorado as well as in 2007 at Virginia Tech
where a gunman left 33 dead. To thwart the recent rash of violence,
school boards have had to reroute dollars originally assigned for
educational supplies for security measures to keep students and
teachers safe.

Cyberbull ying

W hile bullying has always been a concern in schools, with the advent
of social media, what was onc e subject to being addressed
immediately can spiral out of control. The public aspect of these
social venues increases the humiliation and damage to a student’s
reputation as a result of false and or slanderous taunts and tweets
sent out by peers. Accordin g to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, suicide accounts for more than 4,400 annual deaths of
young people between the ages of 10 and 24. A Yale study
conducted in 2008 made the correlation between bullying and suicide
and concluded that victi ms of bullying are two to nine times more
likely to consider suicide than non -bullying victims. Teachers and
parents play a critical role in teaching acceptance and compassion
for students of different ethnicities and sexual orientation to prevent
this trend from escalating.
Financial Hardship

A 2009 Public Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Postsecondary

Education study concluded that students from households making
more than $120,000 were 10 times more likely to obtain a bachelor’s
degree by the age of 24 than students whose households made less
than $40,000 a year. W ith rising economic burdens, students from
low-income households may find it necessary to drop out of school to
assist their families. In a Department of Education study of different
socio-economic classes from 1990 to 2011, the dropout rate for
young adults in high -income households was generally lower than
that of those from lower -income households.

Single Parenting and Stress

W hether a student comes from a dual - or single-parent family, the

prevailing objective most parents have for their children is to be
successful in school. The symbiotic relationship between teacher and
parent as it relates to enforcing in -class study habits and behaviors
is a crucial part of a child’s educational develop ment. The
responsibilities of a single parent may not always allow for a mother
or father to consistently monitor a child’s progress. Also, the stress a
child may feel as a result of missing a parent or dealing with the
existing living circumstances could lead to psychological and
emotional problems in school.
 Family Factors That Influence Students' Behavior in School

BY LEIGH BENNETT

When a child misbehaves or fails to meet expectations at school, the child’s home and family
life should be considered. Several family factors can affect a child’s behavior and ability to
perform in the classroom. These include economic stability, changes in family relationships,
parental attitudes toward education and incidents of child abuse.

Economic Stability

Poverty can affect school readiness in several ways. Children from lower-income homes often
experience a lack of parental consistency, a frequent change in part-time caregivers, a lack of
supervision, poor nutrition and poor role-modeling. According to a 2007 article titled "The
Impact of Poverty on Educational Outcomes for Children" in the journal "Pediatric Child
Health," studies show that children from impoverished families tend to score lower in
communication and vocabulary skills, knowledge of numbers, ability to copy and recognize
symbols, concentration, and teamwork and cooperative play. Research conducted by the
Society for Research in Child Development also found that children from low-income families
received less positive parenting and had higher levels of cortisol, which has been associated
with lower levels of cognitive development.

Changes in Family Relationships

Divorce has long been linked to behavior problems, anxiety and depression in children. This is
often because single-parent homes feature parents struggling with their own feelings of
depression and anxiety, accomplishing household responsibilities previously held by two
people and meeting more financial demands. Single parents often must take on more hours
at work to meet financial responsibilities, which can lead to children feeling neglected and
acting out, and cause them to experience the effects of economic instability mentioned
above. However, according to Priscila Comino, a researcher at the University of the Basque
Country, it is not the divorce itself that affects children's behavior so much as it is the way
that parents handle the divorce. In cases where both parents mutually decided on the divorce
and choose to co-parent, both making decisions and providing for the child, the negative
effects of divorce are lessened.

Parental Attitudes Toward Education

Children learn first by mimicking behavior they see modeled for them. According to a 2009
article published in on the website of the National Center for Biotechnology Information,
studies show a positive correlation between the parents' level of education and their child’s
attitudes toward academic achievement. Children who have parents who encourage
academic success are more likely to develop their own aspirations for higher education. In
this way, parent education is a good predictor of a child’s academic success.

Child Abuse

Child abuse can happen by way of physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, sexual abuse or
substance abuse in the home. According to KidsHealth.org, victims of child abuse are known
to be at high risk for engaging in risky behaviors and acting out in school. They might have
problems socializing with other children and adults and completing or focusing on
assignments.
REASONS PEOPLE DROP OUT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
BY: Isabel Sagenmüller

Regardless of the type of school, some many common triggers may lead to
students dropping studies at higher education. These may be individual issues or a mix
of problems. If they are not addressed adequately by campus management, it will lead
to a significant decrease in student retention.

1. Financial problems
Beyond any other signal, this is perhaps the primary predictor of student attrition. These
financial problems are mainly due to a caregiver (either the student or a guardian) losing
their jobs, which adds a psychological stress to a financial predicament.
For instance, according to Times Higher Education, 1 out of 4 college students in
Germany broke off their studies early due to either financial problems, poor student
professor relationships or lack of motivation.
Margerite McNeal. writer and editor, explains how this issue has turned more
complicated in the United States due to student loans, as over 40% of student
borrowers are not making payments on their loans, which adds to a vicious student debt
cycle that pushes them out of school. She quotes former Secretary of Education Arne
Duncan saying "The most expensive degree is the one you do not complete."
According to Collegeview.com, some students “underestimate college costs
and realize too late that they lack the funds to cover it all. Others decide they would
rather be making money working full time than pursuing a costly degree.”

2. Poor secondary school preparation

Even though colleges and universities are addressing student’s lack of readiness they
inherit from high school in areas such as language and mathematics, there is a point
where students cannot cope or handle the workload anymore and leave school.
Margerite McNeal is very harsh at saying that, in the United States: “Higher-ed
institutions point fingers at high schools for sending them underprepared students who
drop out because they cannot keep up with coursework, but colleges and universities
are not innocent victims. They can be doing more to help students succeed even before
matriculation.”
It is not just the level of the degrees, but the mental attitude. In Spain, for
instance, Times Higher Education points out that some people that enter university from
vocational training “can have problems getting to groups with the theoretical side of their
degree. Others are disoriented by the change from the structured school environment to
the more autonomous university world."

3. The student is not sure or convinced with the major

Any college teacher sees two trends here: either the major failed to meet the student’s
expectations, or the major wasn’t the student’s first choice.
When asked about their major, a common phrase that freshmen and sophomore
students in the United States tell teachers when they introduce themselves at the
beginning of the year is:
"I am undecided."
In Latin America, this is completely different. In countries such as Chile, 17 and 18-year-
olds are virtually forced to pick a 4 to 7-year major, with almost no room to find
themselves first.
Students in programs and universities with a low entry requirements threshol – such as
social sciences – tend to have a higher dropout rate than majors that have higher
requirements to enroll in the first place, such as medical degrees (which in Latin
America begins at an undergraduate level).
This is gradually changing, as universities are slowly adopting college-mode
baccalaureates and common core education to provide orientation.

4. Conflict with work and family commitments

This happens both in undergraduate degrees and postgraduate education. According
to a study by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the main reason why of students
dropping out of college in 2009 was this conflict of interest between school, the job and
the family.
“Many students who drop out of college have to work while enrolled in college. They
often find it very difficult to support themselves and their families and go to college at
the same time. Many have dependent children and enroll part-time. Many lack adequate
support from parents and student aid.”
While this is also a financial issue, this work-study balance has many other underlying
problems. 3 out of 4 respondents said that work contributed to the decision to drop out,
and 1 out of 3 said that balancing work and school was “too stressful.

5. Increasingly failing courses

This is not about failing one class or two. Students feel overwhelmed when repeating
foundation courses the following semester or year become a trend rather than an
episode. To the overwhelming amount of piled up work, students feel stressed and
demotivated for a series of additional reasons:

 They feel that they are not up to the job ahead.

 They struggle with paying up for an extra year of school.
 They have strong feelings about their peers advancing ahead of them.
 They have a sense of hopelessness.
 They may feel that while they like the major, the major is not suited for them.

6. Lack of quality time with teachers and counsellors

Certainly, a high student: teacher ratio not only reduces the quality of education,
providing a less nurturing, personalized learning experience. It demotivates students.
Many education experts agree that the student experience improves if teachers and
authorities take a personalized approach. Leading education scholar Sir Ken
Robinson is very critical of this lack of awareness. He says that schools that do
well “employ teachers that treat students as individuals that need nurturing, not
widgets that get blindly assembled.”
Pedro A. Willging and Scott D. Johnson, from the Department of Human Resource
Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, studied the dropout rates at
online education, and explain that the specific reasons for dropping included
dissatisfaction and the feel of a "de-personalized learning environment.”
7. De-motivating school environment
Some put the reasons for leaving college very plainly: “boredom." However, there is an
underlying issue behind that lack of student engagement.
Lin Y. Muilenburga and Zane L. Berge studied student barriers to online learning. They
explain at the Distance Education that they found internal and external motivation
barriers.

 Internally, they found the feeling that their learning environment was not
“innately motivation."
 Externally, they found that students felt a lack of peer collaboration online, the
absence of social cues or fear of isolation.

A study made by GradNation.org surveyed some of the top reasons for dropping school.
Some of them show a significant trend from the classroom environment:

 “No one cared if I attended."

 “School environment."
 “Teacher and school problems."

8. Lack of student support

This is an issue that goes beyond the student’s checkbook, the teacher’s capacity and
the difficulty of courses. It involves the entire campus management model. Students
may be suffering from a mix of issues that we explained above. They may not trigger an
early dropout individually.
However, when more than one factor adds up, there should be an alert somewhere on
the campus.