Online education could be the tool of the future to provide the young and the old with schooling and instruction. It provides a cheaper way of teaching while still giving the student the material necessary for the class (Clark). Students learn responsibility through online education and it gives them a reason to work hard during the class. Overall, online classes will help provide many students with a respectable, affordable education they need.
Education has many levels. In order to get a good education, one must pass all of the levels. For some, graduation from high school marks the end of all the education they want or need. Others desire or require college or graduate school. Whichever path one chooses, a worthwhile education is not hard to attain. Sure, attending expensive private schools is always a possibility, but research shows that public schooling is becoming the better option. First, public high schools do not charge tuition, while private schools do. Even scholarships and other financial aid may not cover the difference. Public schools, more often than not, provide transportation for students who live more than a few blocks away, whereas private schools usually cannot afford to. Because they receive Federal funds, public schools must follow strict teacher certification rules, which do not apply in many private schools ("Public vs. Private Schools”). As a result, public school teachers may be, and increasingly are, better qualified than private school teachers. Also, with the Federal funding, more money can be spent on after school activities that can allow students to hold leadership positions or give them other opportunities to be involved in their school, something that university admissions and financial aid offices often review before choosing the students who will receive aid. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana also found, when examining data from a standardized math exam taken by ninth and twelfth graders, that if they excluded the influence of family background and socioeconomic factors, public school students did slightly better than private school students (Schemo, A16). With an improving public school system, more students can receive financial aid for better grades and better involvement in extracurricular activities.
As for public universities, the same principle applies: they allow education to be more readily available to everyone, and they provide a better quality education than many private universities. Public universities have a more affordable tuition than private universities, and they usually have more money to give out as financial aid to deserving students, making it easier to receive and reap the benefits of scholarships and other financial aid. The affordability of the public university is one of its most positive aspects; even without any form of financial assistance, it is no doubt the cheapest path to a diploma. However, public universities, as affordable and convenient as they may be to students at a socioeconomic disadvantage, also are great schools to attend if one plans on working throughout his college career ("Public vs. Private Schools”). Many options allow students more flexibility both in and out of the classroom. For example, there are more work-study job opportunities for students at state universities, and in addition to helping pay the tuition, these jobs can open doors to a future in many areas of work such as providing internships or opportunities to partake in research or lab projects. The size of the school not only helps with finding on-campus jobs, but it also allows for larger, and better, facilities. Libraries in particular prove to be spectacular facilities at public universities. They are normally very well organized and hold a substantial amount of information, making research projects easier to do, and allowing them to be better in quality, giving students better grades (providing more job opportunities after graduation) and a great way to learn more, and therefore, a valuable education that is affordable and easy to receive. Public universities are readily available to all hardworking students, regardless of their backgrounds, and give them the resources they need to succeed in their education.
Although a solid education may be easy to receive in America, some argue that too many things get in its way. Online education, though cost-friendly and available to most people, requires expensive amenities, such as a personal computer, certain software, and high-speed Internet connection, which many people with low-income jobs and living in impoverished or developing areas cannot afford, even with financial aid (Clark). In addition, though many public high schools and community colleges are reputable places to acquire a good education, some do not or cannot provide the resources necessary to help student succeed. Since public schools usually designate their student body by the area in which the students live, these students cannot control the school they have to attend, and they certainly cannot take advantage of resources that are not there to begin with. Even if they are blessed with a good school nearby with good teachers and facilities, that does not always mean they will receive good grades. Students need to work for good grades and work to be involved in extracurricular activities, and some do not have enough time to devote to studies or involvement in college or in high school ("Public vs. Private Schools”). Many students have a family back at home to take care of, and they need to work (sometimes starting at the age of fourteen) to make money for groceries and other essential items. These students have no time, and a lot of them drop out of high school. Even if they graduate, they cannot receive a scholarship for college or simply cannot afford to go, even with financial aid. In extreme cases, some students cannot go to college, however cheap, because of their situation at home, one they cannot control. A worthwhile education, though increasingly available to all types of people, will always be something one has to strive to attain; it will never be handed to a student wrapped and bowed.
A valuable education is increasingly higher in demand, and since there is such a high demand, people from all different areas have worked to make it available, affordable, and therefore achievable. Motivation is the only thing one needs to get the education he wants. Of course, socioeconomic situations get in the way. Sometimes, receiving an education seems to be impossible for some people. However, in twenty-first century America, lack of motivation, perseverance, or desire are the only issues that truly stand in the way of a worthwhile education, and unlike poverty or lack of resources, these issues are easily managed.
Works Cited
Clark, Kim. "Online Education Offers Access and Affordability." US News. 2 Apr. 2009. Web. 3 Feb. 2012.
Hyman, Jeremy S., and Lynn F. Jacobs. "What's New in College Financial Aid?" US News. 3 Sept. 2009. Web. 3 Feb. 2012.
"Public vs. Private Schools." New York Times 19 July 2010: A20. Print.
Schemo, Diana J. "Public Schools Perform Near Private Ones in Study." New York Times 15 July 2006: A16. Print.