Sociology education: Access to schooling in America

Sociology education: Access to schooling in America
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Universal access to education is a global concern that affects people’s ability to take part in the education system (Macionis, 2011). Education begins through an informal process for infants, but as the child grows, formal education takes precedence. In the U.S., the main concern for access to education concerned people with disabilities, but difference also emerged based on class and gender. The high living standard and democratic ideals shape the American education system. It is possible to access education than other poorer countries and there is focus on participation in the education system as a right. This paper explores the extent to which Americans enjoy equal access to schooling at the kindergarten through 12th grade level and at the college level.
Kammen et al (2005) also focus on the impact of social class, culture and race in influencing quality of education. People in the upper social classes can afford to access quality education through private schools or better finance public schools. Similarly, the attitudes of families on education influence the extent to which they seek better education. On the other hand, people in the lower social classes have fewer options and have to deal with to less quality education standards. There are other families against the public school system, based on the notion that it lays little emphasis on morality, and hence the growing acceptance of homeschooling especially among conservative parents.
Even though, the ideal situation is that students have access to education from kindergarten to college level, the reality is that there is inequality in schooling. Most students attend state funded public schools, with a smaller share attending private schools mostly church based from kindergarten to 12th grade. One of the main concerns affecting access to education is that, inequality in public schooling mak...