Higher education Essay Example for Free

Higher education Essay A Chronicle of Higher Education article states that only 34 percent of high-achieving high-school seniors in the bottom quarter of family income went to one of the 238 most selective colleges, compared with 78 percent of students from the top quarter (Markell). Certainly, these numbers show that students that come from low income families aren’t getting the opportunities that they deserve. With college costs going nowhere but up, students from low-income families face tough decisions. Some students choose to attend community college while some make the decision to take out additional loans. There are also those who choose to drop out because they can no longer sustain the cost of college. Those who don’t have the money to go to a selective college are often not reaching their full potential. Therefore, college cost should be lowered so that more people can have the opportunity to get higher education. Such a push is needed; firstly, due to the continuous rise in tuition, higher education is becoming less and less affordable for low-income students. According to the Journal of College Admission, from 1982 to 2007, college tuition and fees increased by 439 percent, while median family income increased by 147 percent. Last year, the net cost at four-year public universities amounted to 28 percent of median family income, while a four-year private college or university consumed 76 percent of median family income (Mahoney). These numbers show that college cost has risen at a rate that has consistently outpaced the median family income and also inflation. Patrick Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, states, â€Å"If we go on this way for another 25 years, we won’t have an affordable system of higher education†(Callan). Essentially, if college cost doesn’t stop increasing it will become unaffordable and many will choose not to get higher education. Furthermore, there are many students who aren’t getting the opportunity that they deserve because they are not able to afford it. At the most competitive colleges, only 14 percent of students come from the lower 50 percent of families by income (Perez-Pena). Some low-income students who study very hard cant reach the diploma or certificate. A New York Times article states, â€Å"While 2. 8 million students enroll in some form of higher education each year, most do not proceed straight through to graduation. Only one in five of those who enroll in two-year institutions earn an associate degree within three years, and only two in five of those who start four-year colleges complete their degrees within six years†(Lewin). College being outrageously expensive is one of the reasons students are not reaching their full potential. Access to higher education has become increasingly difficult for low income families, yet a college degree is more important than ever in today’s economy. Indeed, there’s no denying that college tuition and expenses aren’t cheap. In the 2011-12 academic year, the average net cost for a full-time student at an in-state public university was about $15,000 for tuition, fees, room, board, books and incidental expenses, according to the College Board (Clark). Four years of college costs about 60,000 dollars. Aside from tuition, college students also have to worry about the other expenses that come with being a college student. Those who don’t have enough to afford it are faced with tough decisions. According to a New York Times article, about 7 in 10 of the dropouts said they had no scholarship or loan aid. Among those who got degrees, only about four in 10 went without such aid (Perez-Pena). College students who come from low-income families are being forced to take out additional loans to afford college. Some students choose to attend community college while some make the decision to take out additional loans. There are also those who choose to drop out because they can no longer sustain the cost of college. Often times, students cannot afford the cost of living while completing a college education. Certainly, there are many reasons why students drop out of college, but the decision oftentimes has a lot to do with money. According to Public Agenda, a nonpartisan public policy research firm that conducted a telephone survey of more than 600 people ages 22 to 30 for the report, â€Å"Of students surveyed, 58 percent said they did not receive any financial help from their parents or relatives to pay tuition or fees, and 69 percent had no scholarships or financial aid† (Johnson). More than half of students are not being supported by their families or anyone else for that matter. Also, more than one-half of students are not receiving any type of scholarship or financial aid. The dropouts’ most popular solutions were allowing part-time students to qualify for financial aid, offering more courses on weekends and evenings, cutting costs and providing child care (Johnson). Most times, it’s just not attainable for a college student to afford college costs. Moreover, students who don’t have financial help from family or are not fortunate enough to get scholarships or grants are often forced work to pay for school. The New York Times states, â€Å"The top reason the dropouts gave for leaving college was that it was just too hard to support themselves and go to school at the same time. Balancing work and school was a bigger barrier than finding money for tuition, they said. In fact, more than a third of the dropouts said that even if they got a grant that covered their books and tuition, it would be hard to go back to school, given their work and family commitments† (Lewin). Essentially, low-income students are having to work while attending college. Many students find it difficult to find time to study, because they are too busy working part-time jobs in able to pay for their education and other necessities. Those students who are not able to balance school, work, and also other things often end up dropping out. A downturn in college tuition would definitely help those students who are in need of help financially. Ultimately, a decrease in college cost would greatly benefit the larger society. There will be more students who will be able to afford higher education. With this in mind, higher education will lead to better access to jobs with higher pay and the broadening of a college student’s social and mental horizons. College students will also no longer have to worry about being buried in debt after college. As Obama, the 44th president of the United States of America, states, â€Å"As a nation, our future ultimately depends on equipping students like you with the skills and education a 21st-century economy demands. If you have the opportunity to reach your potential and go as far as your talent and hard work will take you, that doesn’t just mean a higher-paying job or a shot at a middle-class life — it means a stronger economy for us all. Because if your generation prospers, we all prosper. And I’m counting on you to help us write the next great chapter in our American story† (Obama). In other words, Obama believes that higher education can lead people to success and that it is vital to the nation’s future. Lower college cost will lead to students reaching their potential. While it is true that a decrease in college tuition would just lead to students who are not meant for college wasting their time, there are many students who are actually academic material that cannot afford to get higher education. A study by the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution in Washington points out that half of Americans in the top fourth of the income distribution have a college degree. Among the poorest fourth of Americans, fewer than one in ten graduated from college (Porter). Higher education is turning into a privilege for the higher society. The rising cost of college is preventing low-income students from getting higher education. A decrease in college cost will give low-income students more options and it will benefit the larger society in the future. Ultimately, what is at stake here is that students who have the potential to succeed in college are not able to attend because they lack money. College has turned into a privilege for the higher society when it should be one’s right. Colleges need to be more accountable for making sure that their students graduate. Decreasing college cost will also decrease the number of students being in debt after finishing college. Higher education cost rising is causing low-income students to be locked out of higher education. Therefore, college cost should be lowered so that more students will have the opportunity to get higher education, especially those who lack money. Works Cited Clark, Kim. â€Å"How much does college actually cost? † cnn. com. CNN. Web. 24 November 2013. Johnson, Jenna. â€Å"Majority of college dropouts cite financial struggles as main cause. † The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 8 December 2009. Web. 24 November 2013. Lewin, Tamar. â€Å"College Dropouts Cite Low Money and High Stress. † New York Times. New York Times, 9 December 2009. Web. 24 November 2013. Mahoney, John L. Thoughts In Troubled Times. Journal Of College Admission 209 (2010): 4-6. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 November 2013. Markell, Jack. How To Give Low-Income Students The Chance They Deserve. Chronicle Of Higher Education 60. 6 (2013): A27. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 November 2013. Obama, Barack H. â€Å"President Obama on Early Childhood Education. † Remarks by the President on Early Childhood Education. Decatur Community Recreation Center, Decatur, Georgia. 14 February 2013. Perez-Pena, Richard. â€Å"Efforts to Recruit Poor Students Lag at Some Elite Colleges. † New York Times. New York Times, 30 July 2013. Web. 24 November 2013. Porter, Eduardo. â€Å"Dropping Out of College, and Paying the Price. † New York Times. New York Times, 25 June 2013. Web. 24 November 2013.

Misery of Sylvia Plath Essay -- Poetry

Sylvia Plath: Slanting the Scale of Misery It is often the dismal and gloomy poems that compel us as readers to wonder what was occurring in the poet’s mind, rather than the rhymes of flowers and sunshine. Poems about despair and sadness induce our own emotions and generate speculation as to how such negative thoughts transfer from one’s own mind to the paper, maintaining their sense of torment. Sylvia Plath’s inner suffering is effectively conveyed by way of her disturbing images and noticeable language. To communicate her private pain, she uses a mass event, the Holocaust, as her own expression and by doing so she is robbing the true victims of this historically tragic event for her personal representation. Plath is a Massachusetts native who sustained an exterior perfection throughout her childhood and into her early years at Smith College. However, the death of her father years before seemed to hold lasting distress upon her and a few years into her college career she attempted to commit suicide, which proved to be only the start of her emotional trepidations. After college, she married the English poet, Ted Hughes, with whom she moved back and forth from London to Massachusetts and eventually had two children. After suspicions of infidelity their unstable marriage came to an end. Plath remained in London with her children where she continued writing. Ultimately, during one of the coldest winters on record, her loneliness overcame her ambition and Sylvia Plath killed herself. It was a tragic end to an even more tragically forlorn life, but she left the world with admirable literary works to remember her by. (www.sylviaplath.info) Plath’s poems are recognized for their personally honest annotations of he... ...lved in the Holocaust. To say that Sylvia Plath is a Holocaust writer is incorrect. To say that she attempted to compare her sorrows to that of years of severe suffering by millions accurate. To say that Sylvia Plath’s comparison is shocking and offensive is correct. Works Cited Kutner, Bob. "Bob Kutner: Lamp Shade Made Out of Skin." Holocaust Memorial Day. 26 Nov. 2007 _kutner/lamp_shade_made_out_of_skin.htm>. Olidort, Shoshana. "Sylvia Plath and the Holocaust." The Commentator. 22 Nov. 2005. 26 Nov. 2007 Culture/Sylvia.Plath.And.The.Holocaust-1058400-page2.shtml>. Steinberg, Peter K. "A Celebration, This Is." Biography. 5 Nov. 2002. 26 Nov. 2007 .

Educational leaders in a globalising world

IntroductionThis study shall analyze and depict the extent to which leading is shared in an educational environment such as a higher educational establishment. It shall place and discourse some concerns and jobs in this country, which consequence pupils, such as myself, go toing such establishments. The treatment will be with mention to a suited literature reappraisal and based on my ain experience.DiscussionLeithwood and Riehl ( 2003 ) highlight that in these times school leaders are being held accountable for how well instructors teach and how much pupils learn. They ask the undermentioned inquiry. How does leading work within a high quality educational establishment? Leithwood and Riehl provide two maps of effectual leading, viz. supplying way and exerting influence. While it is frequently difficult to trap point good leading it is frequently easier to see hapless leading in action. Summarizing the major findings from research on school leading techniques, Leithwood and Riehl list five chief claims. First leading straight influences pupil acquisition, either by assisting to advance vision and ensuring resources and procedures are in topographic point. Second there are other of import leaders apart from instructors and decision makers. School principals have been found to assist instructors embrace ends and work together towards continual betterment. Third identifying and undermentioned leading patterns are important in developing the organisation as a whole. Fourthly, school squad leaders when held accountable to orientated school policies respond more fruitfully. Finally school staff respond fruitfully to educating diverse groups of pupils. Their study finds that school leading is most successful when it is focused oninstruction and acquisition. Problems may happen if leading maps are distributed across many informal functions in a school. Responsibility should be coordinated and clear about who takes duty and for what. From a pupil position this is besides really of import since as pupils we need to cognize who to turn to for equal learning support and if there is a job who to turn to. Bottery ( 2006 ) argues that a globalising universe is now the context within which educational leaders need to border their work proposing that an apprehension of the planetary nature of policy issues, and of their impact upon educational work, needs to be incorporated into a re construct of school functions and duties. Economic, political, demographic, cultural, technological, American, lingual and environmental globalisation factors are all countries that need to be considered for effectual educational leading. Gale and Densmore ( 2003 ) identify parametric quantities for how educational leaders might react to the economic and societal conditions presently being experienced. One chief concern for educational leaders at the minute is that instructor groups often do non hold the power to make up one's mind what the budget of their establishment will be. They may merely apportion the financess that are assigned to them from higher direction, and merely so as the last measure in the procedure. As pupils we are frequently frustrated by this every bit frequently we and our immediate educational instructor and or leader are frequently in the best place to see where financess would straight and most usefully better our larning experience. Hence leading as a shared squad frequently brings penetration at assorted degrees that upper direction may non hold the grasp of. Timperley ( 2005 ) besides agrees that the thought of leading should be distributed across multiple people and state of affairss. This proves to be the most utile model for understanding the worlds of schools and how they might be improved. This alternate involves believing of leading in footings of activities and interactions that are distributed across multiple people and state of affairss. He besides notes that leading has ever been distributed within good organisations. Lambert ( 2002 ) recommends that leading capacity among all members of the school community should be encouraged instead that merely looking to the principal entirely for instructional leading. Leadership is the professional work of everyone in the school. Out of that changed civilization will originate a new vision of professional pattern associating taking and larning. Burford ( 2001 ) wants us to see leading as truly a challenge to make and keep, ethical, reliable relevant and joyful relationships within a acquisition community. Education should non be seen as a concern. Burford challenges current leaders to be â€Å" ethically fit † leaders, committed bonders and theoretical accounts of beliefs and values for kids in a context that is about tolerance, understanding and joy. As our current intelligence is dominated by wars, such as those in Iraq and Afganistan, we need it now more than any clip in the last 20 old ages if we are to be true to our vision of a better universe for our kids and their communities. As a pupil we do look up to our educational leaders so this accomplishment is indispensable in harbouring an effectual and actuating larning environment. West-Burnham ( 2004 ) argues that our current thought about leading development is excessively to a great extent focused on the calling of the person. Leadership needs to set greater accent on constructions, procedures and relationships from a more corporate capacity. In add-on he highlights that trust is the â€Å"social glue† of organisational life and that frequently organizations that are high on the trust list tend to surpass other schools that are non. This alteration nevertheless may necessitate to come from the initial leader concerned, which shall in the terminal benefit both the leader and the administration. As a pupil we frequently see educational leaders constrained by their instruction duties where the instruction falls 2nd topographic point to their research activities. In this respect greater clip for both activities should be managed so that the leader concerned can stand out in both countries. From surveies in Australia, Gurr, Lawrie and Mulford ( 2006 ) showed important parts from principals in the countries of capacity edifice and instruction and acquisition. They farther concluded that principals remain an of import and important figure in finding the success of a school. The importance of the principals ‘ values and beliefs as a subject is found in both surveies, as is their of import parts in the countries of capacity edifice and instruction and acquisition. In footings of mentoring and teaming, Drago-Severson and Pinto ( 2006 ) conclude that a school ‘s human resources and puting more grownups in the schoolroom, supply chances for instructor acquisition by cut downing isolation and edifice a more collegial environment. Cranston & A ; Ehrich ( 2004 ) look into the effectivity of Senior Management squads within the direction of Australian schools. They find that the direction squads can offers educational leaders a tool by which they can reply how effectual a squad is and besides how might it be made more effectual. They besides facilitate the development of constructive schemes to better those facets of the squads deemed, by the squad, to be necessitating attending. Duignan and Bezzina ( 2006 ) highlight that the more instructors know and the more skilled they are in learning, the more successful schools will be in progressing acquisition. Whether instructors will cognize more and go more skilled, he suggested, depends on the support they get from policies and context. They point out that in many topographic points, instruction is undervalued, and the conditions for back uping instructors are developing. This state of affairs has effects for the life calling of instructors and schools. Foster ( 2005 ) investigates the ways school betterments, intending the sweetening of pupil acquisition, is generated by principals and other school members. The findings are that competent administrative and teacher leading contribute to school success. In add-on leading is found to be a shared societal influence procedure. As a pupil myself we frequently feel excluded from taking in the school betterment. By giving us pupils greater input in our acquisition waies frequently greater larning efficiency can be achieved. Slater ( 2005 ) draws on the consequences of a larger qualitative, self-contained focal point group study that identified effectual behaviours for school principals to join forces successfully. He asks what are the ways in which the principal influences coaction? Collaboration has the potency to better pupil results and to back up school-wide determination devising. The collaborative behavior of principals in the survey by Slater have been shown to be linked to the affectional sphere. Hence a challenge for principals who wish to work in collaborative ways involves recognizing, apprehension, and pull offing the emotional facets of the collaborative procedure. In add-on Slater points out that more educational leaders must larn to pull off emotionally every bit good as rationally.DecisionMost surveies on educational leading agree that while holding strong leaders, such as a principal is indispensable to the efficient running of an educational school, the leading is most effectual when d istributed across multiple leaders and shared. While a strong direction squad can supply indispensable support for ever inquiring how the school may be made more effectual, a stronger and more effectual learning experience can ensue if the leading is shared down the line, nevertheless the duty for these functions should be good defined within the organisation. In add-on educational establishments should non be seen as a concern and school leading is most successful when it is focused on instruction and acquisition.MentionsBottery, M. ( 2006 ) . Educational leaders in a globalising universe: a new set of precedences? School Leadership & A ; Management, 26 ( 1 ) :5-22 Burford, C. ( 2001 ) . Future Catholic School Leadership: The Search For Joy and Justice. Presentation: Twin Towers Services Club, Coolangatta 2 Cranston, N. & A ; Ehrich, L. ( 2004 ) Leading with, and through, effectual squads, Rehearsing Administrator, 26 ( 4 ) :24-27. Duignan, P. , Bezzina, M. ( 2006 ) . Constructing a capacity for shared leading in schools – Teachers as leaders of educational alteration. Retrieved on 24th August 2009 fromhypertext transfer protocol: //www.uow.edu.au/educ/research/CEL/conferenceproceedings/2006/DUIGNAN % 20P % 20Paper % 2006.pdf Drago-Severson, E. Pinto, K, C. ( 2006 ) . School leading for cut downing teacher isolation: Drawing from the well of human resources. : International Journal of Leadership in Education, 9 ( 2 ) :129-155 Foster, R. ( 2005 ) Leadership and secondary school betterment: instance surveies of tensenesss and possibilities, International Journal of Leadership in Education, 8 ( 1 ) :35-52 Gale, T. , Densmore, K. ( 2003 ) . Democratic educational leading in modern-day times Journal of Leadership in Education, 6 ( 2 ) :119-136 Gurr, D. , Lawrie, D. , Mulford, B. ( 2006 ) . Models of successful chief leading Journal of Leadership & A ; Management, 26 ( 4 ) :371-395 Slater, L. ( 2005 ) . Leadership for coaction: An affectional procedure. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 8 ( 4 ) :321-333 Timperley, H, S. ( 2005 ) . Distributed leading: developing theory from pattern. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 37 ( 4 ) :395-420 Lambert, L. ( 2002 ) . A Model for Shared Leadership. Educational Leadership, 59 ( 8 ) :37-40 Leithwood, K. , Riehl, C. , ( 2003 ) . What We Know about Successful School Leadership. Retrieved on 24th August 2009 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ncsl.org.uk/media/F7B/98/randd-leithwood-successful-leadership.pdf West-Burnham, J. ( 2004 ) . Constructing leading capacity: Helping leaders learn. National College for School Leadership. England: NCSL. Retrieved on 24th August 2009 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Leading-change/Strategic-leadership/Building-Leadership-Capacity-Helping-Leaders-Learn

The Paradox Of Socratess Euthyphro Paradox - 1841 Words

Greek philosopher Plato’s account of the end of fellow philosopher Socrates’ life in The Trial and Death of Socrates includes a plethora of philosophical theories and ideas, but the one that stands out the most is none other than what is known as the Euthyphro Paradox. Found in the â€Å"Euthyphro† section of the book, Socrates brings up the idea of what is actually considered pious, or moral, by asking what exactly makes those things pious in the first place. More specifically, Socrates asks Euthyphro: â€Å"Is the pious being loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is being loved by the gods?† (Plato 11). At first, the irony of Socrates’ question is confusing, and it is never fully answered within the text, but it does force one to think deeper than typically done. That was surely Socrates’ goal in asking the question – to make Euthyphro rethink his ideology before making a life-altering decision. Prior to their conversation, Euthyphro was planning on prosecuting his own father on a questionable charge of tying up a slave and leaving him to die. Socrates initially compliments Euthyphro, stating that most people would not have it in them to be to prosecute their own father, no matter the reason, so Euthyphro’s ability to do so must mean he is much wiser than the average person (4). Euthyphro agrees, which is what leads to Socrates’ question – the Euthyphro Paradox. As stated above, the solution is not directly stated, but is merely discussed by Socrates andShow MoreRelatedSocrates s Euthyphro, The Conception Of Piety, And His Knowledge Of It1139 Words   |  5 PagesIn Socrates’s Euthyphro the conception of piety, and his knowledge of it, comes from Euthyphro’s teachings. Socrates challenges Euthyphro’s knowledge of piety, and how he will defend himself on trial against Meletos accusations. Starting a path of righteousness in Meletos perspective, he’s actually causing more harm to his people. Socrates tries to understand Euthyphro’s definition of piety through his Socratic Method. He goes further on to understand his own meaning of the relationship between godRead MoreWhat Good Is Good?1716 Words   |  7 PagesGolden Age (Bramann). There was little that people knew about Socrates himself because he did not write anything down. Most of his speeches and teachings were told through other people’s interp retations. One person who had his own interpretations of Socrates’s work was another philosopher by the name of Plato. Plato was a great admirer of Socrates and was heavily influenced by him like others in Athens during his time. In the dialogue, The Apology, written by Plato he described Socrates to be a very simple