Social Injustice in Education: from a Race and Disability Lens

Education is envisioned as the torchbearer of society's development by providing knowledge and skill to all youth, regardless of their gender, color, background, economic and social status, and abilities. Education empowers young minds and shapes their personalities, which shape the nation. The vision, however, is far from reality even in developed nations such as where the black students' exclusion rate was as much as five times more than their white peers. The administration is drafting a proposal that mandates mainstream schools to change their practices and make provisions to include children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). However, the problem of inclusion does not end there, as it is not limited only to SEND children. The gap extends to many marginalized sections of society, including race, gender, income, and social status.

Racial discrimination is another aspect of the social injustice discussed in this paper that unequal education fosters. According to the famous rapper Akala, Britain has the most pernicious race system by European standards. Inequalities in education stand at the crossroads of several roadways, including but not limited to: race, gender, income levels, social stratification, and level of marginalization in society. A vast amount of literature studies educational disparities based on one or several factors mentioned above. This paper is an intersectional study of existing literature on inequality in education. The paper debates whether education, in its present form, is furthering or curbing inequality for disabled and non-white groups. The current education global climate, with a particular focus on is also discussed. The paper also discusses the Australian government's efforts to overhaul its education system and how the efforts seem to have backfired. The example of Finland is explored where there are no formal tests and exams, yet the Finnish children have been seen to outperform in most international assessments. The paper is divided into two sections. The first section discusses the various factors that contribute to educational inequality. The second section focuses on the paradigm shift toward neoliberal education policies, competitive marketplaces, and how teachers, parents, and students are trapped in the web of high scores and the fear of underperforming. The paper gives examples of two countries with very contrasting education policies. The first is Australia's case, where there is rigorous testing, segregation of students, and advertisement of scores. The second is Finland, where there is a standardized public schooling system for all, and there is no differentiation between students based on race, gender, and disability. The paper implores administrations to consider adopting Finland's education policies and concludes with a summary of key points.

Education: Does It Foster Or Reduce Inequality

The exclusion rate was already high but spiked up even more after the COVID-19 pandemic. According to The Alliance for Inclusive Education, 29% of disabled students had lost the confidence to go back to school a year after the pandemic, with about half of them losing faith in their ability to communicate, be out and about, and interact with strangers. While there was an indication from the administration that 'catch-up' programs would be rolled out, there was little action. This fuels the already intense fire of exclusion based on social class and race that has been deep-rooted's education system, and while agencies such as the IMF, World Bank, OECD, and UNESCO are trying to influence the educational policies, it will require a mammoth-sized effort to achieve full inclusion.

The inequalities in the education system are based on race, background, gender, sexuality, and disabilities. According to Reay, to overcome social injustice in education, the education system needs to provide equal opportunities, ignoring where the learners come from. Only then can a socially just education system be achieved. Several factors perpetuate inequalities in the global education system, which are synonymous with. Globalization, inclusion, skewed funding, and grants fuel inequality and lack of funding. Each of these factors is discussed in brief.

Globalization And its Contribution to Education Inequality:

Globalization has resulted in high cross-border movement of the labor force, resulting in children from different language backgrounds being thrust into a completely new educational environment, where everything seems foreign. In their paper, Lingard, Creagh, and Vass discuss the case of Australia, where about 15% of students are from an ESL background. The Australian administration shifted to a more evidence-based policy-making regime that involved rigorous data analysis and categorization of students based on their primary language. The Australian Bureau of Statistics categorized students into two broad sections; Language Backgrounds Other than English (LBOTE) or English as Second Language (ESL) and primary English speaking students. The problem with this classification is that students from diverse backgrounds are segregated into a single category of LBOTE or ESL, and a standard program is designed to meet their education needs. The LBOTE and ESL data is not subcategorized into the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, international students, etc. Therefore, there are only two classes of students, one primary English speaker and the other the LBOTE students. Unfortunately, due to the lack of subcategorization, social and economic justice is grave maldistribution to the LBOTE student community. Education and achievement inequality due to a lack of language support. 

To further augment the problem, there is the concern of a lack of standardized definition of indigenous status, disability, gender, and LBOTE students. Since all ESL students are put into a single category, they face the challenge of overcoming indigenous knowledge and learning a new language. The inclusion policies created by the administration led to further exclusion of minority races due to language, cultural, and customs barriers. In the case of Australia, the various categories of indigenous groups were misrecognized, resulting in a standardized categorization. Therefore, when using evidence-based decision-making using data analysis, work must ensure that data is adequately categorized to provide accurate results. The first step in closing the educational divide is at the level of data collection and analysis.

Inclusion or The Lack of It

Inclusion is defined differently by various authors, but for this paper, the work of Lauchlan and Greig is considered, and two definitions of inclusion are identified. The first definition is of the 'moderate' view, which implies that special schools be set up for SEND children, while the second definition is more 'universal,' which suggests that special schools undermine inclusion and children with disabilities need to go to mainstream schools to be genuinely included. Countries have various ways by which they categorize SEND children. Some countries have four categories of recognition; physical disability, blindness, mental disability, and deafness. In other countries, the categories are as many as twelve, while has only one category, exceptional children (disabled and gifted). Based on this segregation, policymakers used a two-track system (moderate view) that classified curriculum as 'regular,' 'special,' and segregated students and teachers accordingly. This system, however, led to higher exclusion. The system elicited a charitable response rather than social justice and educational inclusion. Researchers found that the two-track system's primary barrier was attitude rather than economic resources. Some southern countries experimented and moved away from the two-track system and found it more cost-effective. A one-track system (universal view) can help achieve complete inclusion.

Global agendas like Education for All (EFA) stand on the two columns of poverty and exclusion, and these columns need to be taken down one brick at a time. Only 1% to 2% of disabled receive a formal education in most Southern countries, while 70% of the world's disabled are concentrated there. There is a high level of prejudice regarding race and disability in the education sector. Students are faced with bullying and harassment due to their caste or their disability. This is prominent in developing nations such as Africa and India. Despite laws regulating these classes' behavior, they still experience institutional abuse, lack of opportunities, and prejudiced attitudes. The World Bank estimates that about one in five people are disabled globally, and poverty and educational inequality locks them into the chronic cycle of underachievement. The cycle can be broken at the point of discrimination. If they are included in the traditional schooling system, the disabled can achieve dignity, self-reliance, and financial independence. There are four challenges evident when it comes to inclusion. The first is at the access level, where the disabled and the marginalized are given equal access (not special access) to education opportunities. It means equal access to health, transport, infrastructure, and grants. The second challenge is at the education level with equal learning opportunities for quality teachers, an on-par curriculum and special instructions to overcome their disability. The third challenge is at the achievement level, where teachers assist and nurture the SEND learners to produce outcomes that empower them to gain employment. It includes primary education, tertiary education, and vocational education. The final challenge is their ability to exploit their achievements using employment, community participation, social and economic equality, and life-long productivity. Policymakers need to overcome these challenges to close the education gap for the disabled and the marginalized race groups.

Conclusion

In conclusion, social injustice in education is a pervasive issue that has far-reaching consequences for individuals, communities, and society as a whole. The education system should serve as a tool for equalizing opportunities and improving social mobility, but instead, it often perpetuates and reinforces existing inequalities. Inequities in education can manifest in various ways, including inadequate resources, inequitable access to high-quality education, and implicit bias and discrimination. These injustices can have severe consequences, such as limiting access to economic opportunities, perpetuating cycles of poverty, and perpetuating systemic discrimination. It is crucial to recognize and address these issues to create a more just and equitable society. Education should be viewed as a fundamental human right that must be accessible to all individuals, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status. To achieve this, it is necessary to invest in equitable resources, increase access to high-quality education, and provide comprehensive support for marginalized communities. Only by addressing social injustice in education can we create a society where every individual has an equal opportunity to fulfill their potential and contribute to the common good. It is time to take action and work towards a more just and equitable education system that empowers all individuals and communities.