After seeing the movie Freedom Writers, I was totally taken aback at how Erin Gruwell changed all of those kids perspectives on life. I was inspired to read the book and - as always - it was more insightful and carried more information on the group's achievements and obstacles. They talked a lot about prejudism towards the "below average" students and it got me thinking. Are ALL schools like this? Do they favor Honors and AP students and are more willing to help the "above average" students than the others? Being an Honors/AP student as well as gifted, I have only seen help from my teachers through my years in high school, and nothing like hopeless attitudes toward me or my classmates. I have one regular class and the kids in there talk about how annoying teachers are for not believing in them or helping them out when they need it most and I was shocked to hear this for the first time. All my teachers had stayed after hours to help my classmates and myself if we needed to. Sure, one can argue that most students of regular and "below average" classes don't value their education and take advantage of it, unlike the Honors/AP kids. Why is this? The public school systems automatically assume that these kids aren't capable of being in honors classes, when in reality, they would probably do fine if they only had the faith from administrators and the push Erin Gruwell gave her students. It is possible to have an all Honors school. Its better for the school's reputation and the students well being. All Honors/AP students are labeled as "responsible, intelligent, respectful, etc" from the get -go and so they must live up to that reputation. When things get tough, its easy to find help because its readily there through the teachers. What about the regular kids? They don't have high expectations and if they do, they don't live up to them because its not what they're used to. A student who has been labeled "incapable" their entire life is only going to live up to that role. The public schooling system is totally biased towards the "smart" kids, and don't even give the "stupid" kids a chance.
Similar entries
User login
Like This Site?
If you would like to see ProgressiveU continue to grow, why not donate?
Have You Seen This Yet?
Recent blog posts
- Review of What is the Meaning of My Resistance to Psychotherapy? by T. Mouque: an ND student's POV
- Review of The Dark Side of Consciousness by Larry Dossey: an ND student's POV
- The future freaks me out
- The Clash Of Strange Alliances
- Fundamentals and Gymnastic Dress
- Why You Should Write at Triond
- Recessive Gene don't fail me now.
- The Secret Gospel of Mark
- The Four Truths, Unknown: Total oppositeness; interior darkness; control - Part 2
- For a Limited Time Only, Ramblings to Silence the Trapping
Navigation
Who's online
There are currently 3 users and 150 guests online.
Online users
- darwins beagle
- darwins beagle
- chomskybeat
Progressive U Features
Poll
The U.S. Travel Ban to Cuba Should
Remain in place
0%
Be repealed
63%
I don't know/Other
38%
No opinion
0%
Total votes: 8
Vote
I want to pose a question to everyone that reads this blog. Do you believe that all people should be treated equal? If so than I have to ask you another question, do you agree that minorities should be given lots of opportunities for scholarships, while the majority is only offered very few choices? And do you believe that it's right that minorities should have lower requirements than other students? If you answered "Yes" to all three of these questions than you are a hypocrite.
Minority scholarships are everywhere, and so are religious ones. I recently began to search for scholarships myself, and found to my suprise that in 6 hours of seraching i only found 5 scholarships for a white, non-religious male. Almost every scholarship I saw said that you either had to be a minority, or a woman. The few that didnt have that requirement required that you be an active member in a church. I realize that in the past minorities have been treated unfairly, but should we counter that by in turn treating white men unfairly? I think that instead of giving one group preference over the other, that all groups should be treated equally, and fairly. I beleive that race, or gender should have no place in a scholarship, and that everyone should be graded solely on merit.
I would be fine losing to a minority because he/she was better than I was, but I would not be fine if I lost because of the color of my skin. As such, I believe that scholarships shouldn't even ask for your race, or gender, as we are all equal, and we should be treated so. I believe that intentionally showing preference to minorities breeds new kinds of racism and sexism, prejudices born out of jealousy.
Yes, minorities and women have been treated unfairly in the past. But wouldn't treating us all equally be better compensation to those that were treated unfairly than raising them above others, singling them out in a different way? That would prove that we are a truly racially-indifferent people. And what about religious scholarships? I cant remember a time when Christians were ever a minority, or underpriveledged in America. So I have another question to ask, why should people get money for collage based soley on the fact that they beleive in christianity? I ask you this because I honestly can't think of an answer.
I truly wish that we could just do away with all this discrimination in such things as scholarships, which are supposed to help gifted students without a lot of money go to college. I believe that only when we become truly racially-indifferent, can we do away with racism at all.
...stop spamming your blog. x.x
What do you mean spamming? How am I spamming?
* Tatiana Romanov
The world 'scholarship' is defined as "a sum of money or other aid granted to a student, because of merit, need, etc., to pursue his or her studies". It says nothing about the person's ethnic past or religious affiliation.
You said: "I would be fine losing to a minority because he/she was better than I was, but I would not be fine if I lost because of the color of my skin"
I completely agree with you on this. By just being a minority and a woman, I am considered comparatively incapable of most work, although I am not. And I am offered more scholarships than needed. Although I am grateful for these opportunities I know others of different races, financial backgrounds, religious affiliations, and religions who would love to have the opportunites offered to me. I do not believe that any race/gender/religion works harder than any other, because each person is different in their work ethics and financial backgrounds. I think white males not of Christian faith - the least likely to be offered a scholarship based on their race, gender and religion - should be offered the same or equivelent scholarships as minorities. Its absurd how the system works.
* Tatiana Romanov