Society always says that “children are our future,” yet our current education system seems to diminishes the future of those children born into the middle and lower-class family. If a child is ‘lucky’ enough to be born into a higher-class family, that can afford the $10,000+ tuition for years K-12 of their education, then they will have what is considered to be a better education, they will receive opportunities they may have not otherwise received and they will continue to attack the education system. With the evident inequality we are creating through wealth, what kind of generation are we really creating for our future?When most people think of a good K through 12 education, they think that private schools are the way to go. Many people think that a student enrolled in a private school tends to learn and perform better academically then a student enrolled in public school. But, the department of education sees them as equal and say they both perform the same levels of academic achievement. A few studies actually have some research that shows public school students scoring the exact same and, in some cases, slightly better, although within the margin for error, than private school students. That being said why should a student’s education be considered better when the education they are receiving is nearly, if not, the same. Private schools often portray themselves to the public as the better option compared to public schools by getting to select the students they allow into their school.

It’s easy to show off students with high testing scores and impressive achievements when they only accept the students who are inclined to not only pay for the school, but also score and perform well academically.Once a private school’s “academically advance” students near graduation, there is yet another evident inequality. Private school students achieve greater success at the next level, meaning that they are able to get into better, more prestige universities. How is it equal or fair that every year, millions of students graduate from public schools across the country, completing the toughest curriculum in the nation’s history and passing all the standardized tests, but, a private school student gets the “leg-up” in college admissions because their schools are considered more rigorous then public schools. How can they be more rigorous then that, though? Perhaps private school students actually get the “leg-up” because money buys them smaller classroom sizes, improved facilities, and expensive technology, which seems much easier going then the public education system.

We can see public schools work in a lot of cases, they teach as well or better than private schools, they’re open to all children from every economic classes, yet there are still under attack by private schools. Public schools offer every child a chance at education. Many children are limited in their ability to benefit from academic opportunities due to circumstances at home. Without free, public education open to all, those children wouldn’t get the chance to better their lives through learning skills and knowledge. When attending a public school, you learn about the people in your community as a whole. When attending a private school, you only learn about people apart of the same religion and/or economic class.

In public school, you’re part of the public. A System that offers education to all shouldn’t be under attack by a system that has eyes for only the brightest and wealthiest.If society wants to continue saying “children are our future,” we must get rid of the current education system that allows wealth to dictate children’s future. We must create one that allows for equality, a system that levels the playing field for all students K-12 whether they are lower, middle, or upper class.

We must create a system where the education is considered equally good across all boards, one where students receive the same opportunities, and one that does pitch schools against one another. If we continue the evident inequality created through wealth in our education system, the generation we are creating for our future will not reach its full potential.