Why Is Educational Equity Important?

Karen Swanson
4 min readAug 22, 2022

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A crucial component of the struggle against discrimination is educational equity. It encourages diversity and raises academic performance. Additionally, it is essential to ensure that students have the support and resources they need to thrive. Early intervention is crucial to preventing learning disorders, which are frequently the root of low academic achievement. The following factors demonstrate the importance of educational equity.

Eliminating educational obstacles and fostering diversity in hiring, recruiting, and training are critical components of equity in education. We can build a more equitable society that promotes individual growth by ensuring that every child has access to the same educational opportunities and resources. In regards to student demographics, the same is true. Every child has exceptional skills, needs, and resources regardless of race, background, or family income. Ultimately, more pupils with comparable proficiency levels will result from a proper education.

Equity may also result from a student’s family situation. Some students are raised in unhappy homes with little support or motivation. Other students struggle to receive a top-notch education since neither parent in their family has a college degree. Socioeconomic disparity is intertwined with many of these problems. Children from higher-income families are less likely than those from low-income communities to attend public schools. Racism, poverty, or familial circumstances may all contribute to inequity in educational outcomes.

Equity in education acknowledges that every kid has a unique set of needs. Students from various racial backgrounds may require various classroom supplies, and those from non-English-speaking backgrounds will require various linguistic assistance. However, every student has distinctive skills and abilities, and fostering equity in education is crucial. Here are a few instances of how education equity can help students. These techniques might help you make sure that all kids are made to feel welcome in the classroom.

American society prides itself on its racial and cultural diversity, therefore educators should work to promote equality in the classroom. Many of the pupils may have racial prejudices from their families or popular culture because they have a variety of ideas when they enter the school. Teachers may fight systemic prejudices and establish a sense of belonging for all kids by encouraging positive behaviors among pupils. They can encourage a respectful environment among all pupils.

By taking the learning styles of each student into account, teachers can adjust their teaching methods to meet their needs. While some kids learn best when information is read aloud to them, others prefer to digest knowledge through images and color. Some people take breaks while others learn better by doing the lesson themselves. Using story problems, charts, or models, teachers can also modify the format of their classes to better suit the learning preferences of their pupils. Enhancing educational equity is essential for raising academic achievement.

We must recognize and comprehend the cultural disparities between black and white kids as we work toward educational justice. While ensuring that all students succeed equally is everyone’s aim, achieving fairness is more complicated. For instance, The Education Trust’s study revealed that the majority of families of color do not think that schools are designed to help them academically. Instead, educators must acknowledge and take into account cultural variations in their teaching and learning methods.

Long-standing research on early childhood health equality has underlined the need of encouraging parenting and a good family environment. These two aspects of early childhood education and care have received a lot of attention from both public and commercial programs. Three important early childhood initiatives — the HighScope PPP for three and four-year-olds, the Carolina ABC Study, and Chicago Child-Parent Centers — included a significant family participation component.

Equity is the idea that pupils from various origins should be given equal opportunities in the classroom. It acknowledges that certain children may need more specialized support in the classroom due to their greater resources. For instance, pupils who speak English as their first language require different physical support than students with disabilities. Additionally, each student is different and has their own demands. Teachers must take note of these variations and figure out how to meet these demands.

Each student has a different learning level, therefore teachers should be aware of this and modify their methods accordingly. In addition to providing information, teachers should also equip their students with the necessary resources. The idea of educational justice must be put into reality consistently. Teachers must not only foster an environment of equality in the classroom but also be conscious of the cultural background of each student. They can better serve all of the pupils in the classroom as a result.

Early intervention aims to provide kids with certain health issues or developmental delays with the tools they need to succeed in school and beyond. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, certain services are offered. Children who qualify for them can either receive them for no cost or at a reduced price. Each state’s definition of a developmental delay and list of children who qualify for services are different. All children with disabilities can benefit from early intervention services, which will increase their degree of academic performance.

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Karen Swanson

Swanson attended the University of Phoenix from 1996 through 1998 — where she earned her Master of Arts, Education — Administration.