Issues of Homosexuality and the School Curriculum
The United States has been struggling to implement the civil rights that were fought for and that addressed issues of discrimination for various reasons sexual orientation being one of them. NCATE which stands for National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education has been in the frontline in influencing society to understand and respect what exists among individuals. There should be no discrimination in the education system based on sexual orientation, ethnicity and culture, social classes, people with disabilities, and gender differences among others (Ornstein, A., Pajak, & Ornstein, S., 2006). They recommend that the secondary, colleges, and universities incorporate diversity instruction as core units in the learning curriculum. Issues of sexual orientation and gender issues are mostly emphasized in college and university studies. This is because at this level individuals have understood their biology and can make informed decisions regarding their sexual needs (Garcia, 1994). It was discovered that about 140 universities neglected topics of sexual orientation. It was also discovered that although NCATE emphasizes the inclusion of sexual orientation subjects, 40 percent in the secondary schools level of the teacher training and 44.4 percent in the primary level did not incorporate the studies. Although they taught diversity, some of the important issues of diversity were not addressed. This shows that teacher training still clings to the homophobic perception regarding sexual orientation topics, especially concerning homosexuality.
Jeananne Nichols says that most of the learners who are actively involved in the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) seemed not to have Excellency in academic performance, some led a very lonely life and others were rebellious. Others were on the extreme and ended up committing suicide. It was later discovered that the behavior could be attributed to the high level of victimization they were facing in the schools. Most of the teachers who fall in any other group other than the heterosexual are not willing to disclose their sexual orientation for fear of victimization which to some would lead to their losing jobs (Ornstein, A., Pajak, & Ornstein, S., 2006).
Teachers should understand that individual differences are inevitable and hence should be respected. Children from homosexual parents undergo crises and even identity crises when they are young and do not understand why their families differ from the rest. The teachers should be able to help those children overcome this trauma by counseling and helping them understand that those are normal and individual differences (Hunter, 1997). They should be made to understand that they are normal and have capabilities like other children from heterosexual parents. To achieve this, the teachers should be made to understand these differences during their training to enable them to respect these differences in sexual orientations to communicate them openly to the children.
Core Need of an “Adequate” Education System
An adequate education system can keep having complexity in that it can incorporate all aspects of learning and at the same time be competitive which is achieved through examinations. The system should be such that if scrutinized, the critics will be positive and that learners of various subjects are accountable to society. People should have a variety of definitions in describing a learned person if a system is adequate. Equity should be emphasized in the school setting more than equality where the emphasis is laid on eclectic and everything is based on equal merit. The multiple ideas are important as they help learners and parents, as well as other involved members in various departments, make informed choices, from the many high profile ideas that have been laid down and pursue them (Ornstein, A., Pajak, & Ornstein, S., 2006).
A system is considered inadequate if it has a single model which means that it does not have a variety of options from which to choose. It may also be considered inadequate if it has limited methods of teaching and learning skills. It is therefore important that schools get the opportunity to come up with new concepts which are aimed at raising the standard of schools and be supported in the testing of the concepts (Glickman, 1998). All children should be allowed to reach the highest academic levels through encouraging them and providing supportive measures such as funding for the needy. American System of education seeks to liberate all children in following their dreams so that satisfaction and happiness are achieved.
To achieve this, America has made deliberate efforts such as involving the court to help in having a constitution that governs the running of education systems. Several dialogues between the state and the education management have been held in the bargain for funding the public schools. They do all this so that the learners develop cognitively so that they can satisfy the demands of the job markets and be able to compete in this competitive world in terms of capabilities.
How Does Social Class Impact Student Learning
It has been discovered that they are very close ties between social class and academic excellence. Although the government has made tremendous efforts in equating the education system, social classes still play a big role in the schooling of the learners (Ornstein, A., Pajak, & Ornstein, S., 2006). Those learners from poor backgrounds mostly from unskilled parents are not able to perform well as compared to those from skilled and well up parents. This can be attributed to various factors that affect the learners at schools, homes, and also in society.
Children from professional parents have the advantage of receiving guidance on academic issues. They also attend good schools hence get pass marks to go to higher levels. Those from poor families attend public schools where Excellency is not emphasized due to the big numbers per teacher. They are not likely to go to higher levels. Some parents discourage their children from pursuing education and some often ask them to work so that they can substitute the family budget (Garcia, 1994). In society, children from poor parents live in low-income estates where all forms of social evils are practiced. This affects the children’s performance as some cannot afford all their requirements and are influenced by peers to engage in social evils to obtain their needs. They lack motivation and thus only the intrinsically motivated students can achieve or have high academic performance.
References
Garcia, R. A. (1994). Countering Classroom Discrimination. Theory into Practice, 23 (2), 104 109.
Glickman, C. (1998). Revolutionizing America’s Schools.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Hunter, E. G. (1997). Changing the Dynamics of the Classroom. Theory into Practice, 16 (4), 290-295.
Ornstein, A., Pajak, E., & Ornstein, S. (2006). Contemporary Issues in Curriculum (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.