Breaking the Equality Illusion: The Case for Pursuing Equity in Education
n 2022, I was volunteering as a teacher at Hongliu Primary School, the only educational institution in a remote village of Guangxi, China. During my time there, I was confronted with the daunting educational barriers that many impoverished children face on a daily basis. One of my students, in particular, had a profound impact on me. His name was Meng, a 13-year-old boy enrolled in my class.
Meng's journey to school was far from easy. Each morning, he was forced to rise before the sun and walk over 5 kilometres, traversing two hills along the way. By the time he arrived at school, he was so exhausted that he didn’t have the energy to stay upright and focus in class. Sadly, Meng was not alone in his struggles. Many of his classmates faced similar obstacles to their education. Shockingly, the principal informed me that a staggering 70% of students at the school had to travel four or five kilometres from their homes just to get to school, with some needing to cross the river and others having to climb over hills that stood over 150 metres tall. To make matters worse, a shortage of boarding facilities in some schools and the fact that many teachers had part-time jobs and multiple classes meant that the quality of education was frequently subpar. During my stay, I experienced five days of water shortages, a common occurrence that made it difficult to provide the students with nourishing lunches. At the end of the day, many of them were left hungry and unable to concentrate in class.
Remember the daily morning roll call during school? The irony of this question is that those who aren’t there cannot answer for themselves. The students in the village of Guangxi are one of many students who face barriers to accessing quality education due to various socio-economic factors such as poverty, race, ethnicity, language barriers, disabilities, and sexual orientation. They are often excluded from mainstream education and face additional challenges such as inadequate resources, cultural barriers, discrimination, and lack of support.
Experiencing this dire inequality in educational opportunities first hand was truly heart-breaking. Growing up, I never thought that there would be people fighting for what I take for granted. So many children wanted to learn, but were held back by circumstances beyond their control. Shouldn’t education be a basic human right to all instead of a privilege?
Why should someone's background or social status determine their access to a quality education? Education should be a fundamental right for all, regardless of background or socio-economic status. We need to prioritise educational equity over equality, break down systemic barriers, and provide targeted support to level the playing field.
Similar but far from same
Just like a morning roll call where each student responds with their name, educational equality assumes that all students have the same needs, starting points, and goals, and treats them equally by providing the same opportunities and resources. However, just as each student has their own unique story and background, children in the classroom also have unique needs that may require different support. This is where educational equity comes in - ensuring that every student has access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed, regardless of their individual circumstances. While educational equality strives for sameness, educational equity aims for fairness and inclusion; they acknowledge that providing them with equal inputs may not result in equal outputs. So how can we strike a balance between the two?
“Achieving equity in education means ensuring that students’ socio-economic status has little to do with learning outcomes. Learning should not be hindered by whether a child comes from a poor family, has an immigrant background, is raised by a single parent or has limited resources at home, such as no computer or no quiet room for studying.” OECD (2016)
The dire situation that these children are in is heart-wrenching, emphasising the urgent need for more investment in education. Without access to quality education or the ability to connect with the outside world, these children remain invisible to mainstream society. Yet concluding that the government needs to invest more in education is almost like we are saying, it’s none of our business. Of course, the government has a critical role to ensure the provision of equitable opportunities and resources regardless of an individual’s race, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. But I believe there are actions that we, as students, can take to address this inequity too.
First, we need to put it into perspective. Education is not a given, but a privilege that not all are fortunate enough to receive. As we sit in the front of the lecture room, basking in the attention and care of our teachers, it is important to remember those who are sitting far away in the back corner, or even those who are deprived of even the opportunity to enter the classroom. Stepping outside of our comfortable environment and venturing into the rural mountains can be a jarring wake-up call. Let us take the initiative to do our part in breaking the cycle of poverty and improving access to education for all.
And how do we reciprocate this privilege to the marginalised? Volunteer mentoring is a meaningful and compassionate way for us as individuals to help raise education equity, especially for students from underserved communities. By becoming mentors, we can form personal connections with students and offer guidance, support, and encouragement. This can make a profound difference to the lives of young people, helping them to overcome obstacles and reach their full potential. Studies show that mentoring can improve academic outcomes, increase graduation rates, and provide a sense of belonging and support to students who may otherwise feel isolated or overlooked. By investing our time and compassion into mentoring, we can make a positive impact on the lives of young people and help to create a more equitable education system.
Remember the daily morning roll call during school? The irony of this question is that those who aren’t there cannot answer for themselves. Often, it is their friend who lets the teacher know that they are absent. As the ones who are privileged to be receiving quality education, we need to look out for those who are being left behind, share with them the skills and knowledge, heed their stories and amplify their voices. An important step towards educational equity comes from understanding the needs of each individual, so with the mind to look after one another, we can be an important part of achieving a better educational equity.