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Criticism Of Public Education

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Despite numerous reforms over the decades, the public education system has faced various criticisms in relations to its effectiveness. Many taxpayers, business leaders, educators and government officials have criticized public schools’ less than optimal performance and the failure of schools to address the needs of the diverse American society (Nelson, Palonsky & McCarthy, 2010). This paper examines some of the major reasons why schools are such a focus for criticism and reform efforts. It will achieve this by discussing the inequality of opportunity, bureaucratic systems, achievement-based outcome, privatization of public schools, reforms and the impact of globalization on education.
Over the years, public schools in the US are required to provide quality education for every child, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. However, critics of the public education system argue that the majority of the children lack equal learning opportunities and access to quality schools (Nelson, Palonsky & McCarthy, 2010). Some critics argue that the public education system prolong poverty among low-income families as the rich are provided with better learning facilities (Granger, 2008). The physical surroundings of wealthy neighborhoods house innovative and safer school facilities that offer better learning environments. Students from low-income families, especially the ethnic minority families lower quality public schools in impoverished neighborhoods.
The highly

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