Education gap beween rich and poor is growing

Education has long been regarded the key to success in America. The quests to improve education and offer educational opportunities for all have been ongoing for many years.

In past decades, much attention has been paid to the achievement gap between black and white students. Researchers say that divide is narrowing, but the one between rich and poor is widening considerably, the New York Times reports.

The differences in standardized test scores between affluent and low-income students have increased by about 40 percent since the 1960s, according to a Stanford University study. A University of Michigan study reveals that the “imbalance” in the rates of college completion between rich and poor have grown by about 50 percent since the late 1980s.

These studies ended in 2007 and 2008, leading researchers to fear that the recession would have widened the education gap between rich and poor even further.

Education has always been the way for children from low-income families to improve their chances for success in life. But several factors have favored students from affluent families in recent years while leaving children from needy families at a competitive disadvantage. In recent years, wealthy families have devoted more time and money to their kids’ educational pursuits and extracurricular activities than ever before, according to researchers. The opposite is true for low-income families who struggle to make ends meet.

Yet it is not all about money. James J. Heckman, economist at the University of Chicago, stressed the power of parenting in preparing a child for education and social interaction in the world outside the home. “Early life conditions and how children are stimulated play a very important role,” he told the Times. “The danger is we will revert back to the mind-set of the war on poverty when poverty was just a matter of income and giving families more would improve the prospects of their children. If people conclude that, it’s a mistake.”

Theories abound, but it is good that academic studies are being devoted to these matters — to see what works and what does not.

Americans are believers in the power of education to enhance and enrich life. We also believe in equality: every child should have the opportunity for a decent education.

We need to keep working toward that ideal.