Flag of the United States Department of Education. Photo via Fry1989, Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (No changes made)
The process of learning starts before children enter the education system. They learn how to walk, talk, and perform simple actions that they will continue to use throughout their lives. This learning progresses into schooling, allowing them to become educated and form their own opinions. However, this nation’s view on education is negatively impacting future generations and will continue to due to the lack of persistence and resources brought upon children.
Early childhood education alone helps develop critical thinking, curiosity, problem solving and comprehension skills. These are the skills that they will ultimately use throughout their educational years. According to American Public University, children who participate in early childhood education are more likely to graduate from high school, find interest in college and pursue a career. However, starting a disinterest in education with the parents and or the child may cause a negative view on school, which will further develop into inattentive behavior. Progressing throughout the years with this attitude could delay learning opportunities.
Childhood Education
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for 2024, 70% of eighth-grade students are below proficient in reading and 72% in math. 40% of fourth-graders did not meet the basic reading levels. This shows that childhood education is starting to become less important in today’s society. When schools nation-wide shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it became harder for children to grasp the idea of school with such a drastic change in environment. However, it was more difficult for children to adjust afterwards, preventing the enrichment that comes from education. Learning is not an immediate process for everyone, meaning if they lack the skills that help them learn from an early age, it can and will affect the child in the future.
“Not only did most students not recover from pandemic-related learning loss, but those students who were the most behind and needed the most support have fallen even further behind.” the U.S. Department of Education (ED) said in an issue statement regarding the NAEP for 2024.
Higher Education
Pursuing the enjoyment of education can lead highschool graduates to enroll in college and earn a bachelor’s degree. However, as of 2024, 36% of American adults feel confidence in higher education in a survey by AP News, which has dropped by 21% since 2015. Although this does not alert researchers, the amount of Americans that report they have very little or no confidence does, which is 32% of the surveyed Americans.
The general perspective on higher education has become dependent on gender, age and political affiliation. For example, republicans with high confidence in higher education have dropped by 36%. This drop is greater than democrats or independents.
“It is so expensive, and I do not think colleges are teaching people what they need to get a job,” Randy Hill, a registered Republican in Connecticut, said in the AP News’ survey.
Almost one third of respondents said that college is too expensive. Similarly, 24% of Americans feel that students do not have the proper education for what they need. This may be a product of the fact that President Donald J. Trump, a republican, signed an executive order to cut federal funding for schools, as well as his future plans to remove the ED. However, 41% of respondents who lack confidence worry about political agendas and indoctrination, which is the process of repeating a belief or idea to someone until it is accepted without criticism.
Beyond Education
Although further education is not a direct connection with success, with fewer college graduates, it could worsen labor shortages in certain fields such as healthcare or information technology. People who do not have a degree earn less in their lifetime, 75% less than people with bachelor’s degrees. As the view of college education decreases, so could the work systems in the community. There will be less positions for jobs that serve everyday needs and could create more poverty in certain areas. Once an area is in this state, it could become difficult to return to a well-supported city. The obstacles to pursue happiness will be greater and people will not know how to come back from the city’s depressed state.
