The U.S. Education System has Never Been a Great Equalizer

The American education system is pretty fucked up — and it always has been. The United States’ history has shaped the country’s education system into one that perpetuates white supremacy, classism, ableism (discrimination in favor of able-bodied people and people without mental illnesses), and toxic productivity (a culture that favors constant productivity over mental health and well-being). UCLA actively participates in this system. However, there are steps that can be taken to combat this harmful system on both personal and structural levels.

The school system in the U.S. has always been shaped by those in power — that is, rich, white, cis men — and these are the people who are most priveleged in this system. Many consider Thomas Jefferson the founding father of democratic education in the United States, and during his time, the American public and elites considered his ideas for education radical. However, many components of his vision for public education served to reinforce pre-existing power structures rather than serve as a great equalizer. He designed a “universal” public school system immediately after the American Revolution with a goal to “[promote] civic ideology to perpetuate the social order,” and to instill early on a thoughtless sense of patriotism. He proposed a two-track system: one for students going into leadership positions, and one for “those destined for labor.” About 20 students every year were, in his words, “raked from the rubbish,” to enter the leadership track, which was otherwise composed of the sons of Virginia’s aristocracy. Although a lucky few white men benefited from this system, white women were only allowed to attend through primary school in order “to raise the virtuous male citizens on whom the health of the Republic depended.” Jefferson fails to mention Black children (or any children of color) at all. Clearly, this is not a system meant to promote equitable education and opportunities.

Jefferson formed his plan for American education in a vastly different time period, but the inequality in his policies laid the groundwork for systematic discrimination against poor people, disabled people, and people of color today. American education has a long-standing relationship with the criminal justice system, providing a disproportionate amount of students of color, low-income students, and disabled students with a criminal record before they even reach adulthood. Students who aren’t incarcerated and have the option to go to college are subject to tremendous expectations to achieve high grades, do well on standardized tests, and participate in extracurriculars to get into their college of choice. This promotes a toxic lack of work-life balance and alienates students who may have conditions preventing them from concentrating for long periods of time and otherwise adhering to the rigid format of grade school. Furthermore, college admissions requirements are not nearly as merit-based as they claim to be. They are instead biased toward financially privileged students, even though income is entirely out of students’ control. Those who are able to afford attending a private school or living in an area with well-funded public schools are given an edge in the admissions process (in many states, school funding is largely determined by property taxes, meaning wealthier areas have better schools). Also, standardized test scores are highly correlated with students’ income, putting low-income students at an even greater disadvantage in this process. Once students are admitted to college, these high expectations remain, along with the necessity to pay increasingly expensive tuition.

UCLA contributes to this inequality.

As all UCLA students know, attending this school is expensive. While some students, fortunately, receive grants and scholarships, on average, UCLA students leave college with about $22,390 in student debt. This amount of debt can haunt students for decades after they enter the workforce, placing them at a financial disadvantage to their wealthier peers. On top of that, low-income students and students of color at UCLA graduate with a disproportionate amount of debt. In addition, many students are forced to work during their time in college, which can make time management more difficult and take away students’ ability to participate in extracurriculars. This places these students at a further disadvantage when entering the workforce, because they have fewer activities with which to pad their resumes. By pushing low-income students into substantial debt and taking away their ability to participate in activities that help their career prospects, UCLA exacerbates wealth disparities in the U.S. and reinforces the country’s inequitable systems of power.

Alongside the financial burden of attending UCLA, most students face day-to-day stressors. Operating on a quarter system means that students are constantly racing to write papers, complete projects, and cram for their next set of exams, promoting a culture that prioritizes working to meet unrealistic deadlines rather than gaining a deeper understanding of course material. Furthermore, UCLA’s “#1 public school” narrative is constantly shoved down students’ throats in the form of emails, banners, and news articles, fostering a seemingly school-sponsored culture of heightened academic pressure and sense of imposter syndrome (which is worse for students of color who often face microaggressions and blatant discrimination). The rapid turnaround time and short breaks of the quarter system coupled with high academic expectations can also lead to student burnout. Even mundane experiences for UCLA students such as braving Bruin Walk, attending class in big lecture halls, walking uphill going both to and from class (which is incredibly inaccessible for many disabled students), and living in the crowded dorms can increase stress levels.

UCLA students experience debt, discrimination, and stress, and many face mental health issues as a result. Though statistics on UCLA students’ overall mental health are unavailable, a 2018 study claims that “three out of five students experienced overwhelming anxiety, and two out of five students were too depressed to function” at some point during 2018. UCLA’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is not equipped to handle the student body’s demand. Students who are not considered “at risk” may face waiting times of over a month to get an appointment. To address the added pressure of being a UCLA student from a marginalized group, CAPS has started offering therapy groups for specific communities such as Black and Bruin, Gender Identity Spectrum Group, and Undocuscholars. While this is a step in the right direction, these groups only meet once per quarter, and students are screened before becoming a member of the group. It is easy to blame CAPS for these shortcomings, but in reality, these issues can only be solved if UCLA higher-ups provide CAPS with more resources to accommodate students’ needs.

It is impossible to discuss the U.S.’s education system without also discussing the ways in which the current COVID-19 crisis exacerbates every one of these issues. The American education system is not equipped to handle crises. This is an institution that encourages rigid individualism and constant productivity — it is nearing collapse now that students are forced to prioritize their own health in order to protect their community as a whole. This is reflected in UCLA’s refusal to adopt a default pass/ no pass grading policy, despite USAC urging the administration to do so. Although UCLA adopted slightly more lenient grading policies during the pandemic, many classes are still forcing students to take classes for a letter grade to count toward their major. The expectation to maintain already overly demanding academic practices during a global pandemic is unfair and unnecessary. All students are adjusting to new routines and coping with the implications of COVID-19. In addition, this grading policy puts extra strain on low-income students who may be working throughout this time or those who have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet.

In many ways, the lucky few who are able to make it through America’s education system unscathed by prejudice, debt, and mental health issues resemble Jefferson’s leadership track: either exceptional and lucky, or already a member of the American elite. America’s education system not only promotes inequality but also relies on it. UCLA and the nation as a whole must (and can) do better.

For education to truly serve as an equalizer, the U.S. must offer free public college for everyone, regardless of income or perceived merit. In the meantime, UCLA should reduce tuition prices, because many students and their families are out of work due to the pandemic. Schools should implement more mental health resources at all levels, including services specific to students from marginalized groups. Furthermore, college campuses should implement better support systems for students of color, disabled students, first-generation students, and LGBT students. Schools should adhere to more lenient attendance policies and improve online resources for students who can’t come to class in person. Until these changes are implemented, whenever possible, students should try to take a break from their schoolwork and do something kind for themselves — even if it is just for thirty minutes. Although large-scale change is necessary, this individual action as well as community self-care is necessary in conjunction with systemic change.