Education is a pillar of human rights, both a meritocratic and a structural capital. Even if
education is considered a major source of social inequality, high-quality education is always
more probable among social classes. ‘Education apartheid’, a common phenomenon in today’s
society, has been described as the deliberate categorization by social class of schools, setting the
educational quality, learning equipment, and skill-related opportunities.
One of the key features of educational apartheid is the unequal distribution of resources among
schools in richer and poorer areas. Schools in advanced areas enjoy greater affluence and will
position the infrastructure to better enable efficient and comfortable schooling, employ the most
talented educators, and have access to the latest learning hardware and software. In poorer areas,
education is less likely to be supported by the best resources. This distinction is likely to limit the
learning possibilities of vulnerable students and thereby help to maintain social and economic
inequalities.
Educational apartheid describes a situation in which educational institutions systematically treat
students differently based on their socioeconomic background. Firstly, privileged households
have an advantage over more advanced placement classes, extracurricular activities, and
personality development programs, as mentioned earlier, because they can provide their children
with more knowledge and better care. Secondly, due to the institutional and environmental
obstacles faced by low-income students inside and outside school, the educational system itself
works against their success. Examples include limited resources, a lack of support systems, and a
biased school administration imposing harsher punishment on these students.
In addition, social perspectives and security policies have an effects on how a certain group
continues to learn. Prejudices and stereotypes about particular social groups are often the result
of mainstream beliefs that permeate the media and society. Social policies and practices are
driven by mainstream beliefs in a community; and at a societal level, these beliefs regularly
produce prejudices and assumptions about certain social groups. This is institutionalized
discrimination. In this case, it would be the idea that low-income students are less intelligent or
motivated that causes them to perform poorly in school and have limited prospects for career
advancement.
Another aspect that determines whether the problem is minimized, is the role of the government.
Government action particularly matters when it comes to teacher training, financial management,
and curriculum development. If these policies ensure that school systems are still able to deliver
critical doses of educational medicine to the vulnerable, then educational apartheid can be
mitigated. Policies that ensure the equitable distribution of resources, the implementation of
targeted interventions explicitly designed for vulnerable students, and culturally sensitive
approaches, all reduce the negative impacts of educational apartheid.
Implications of Institutional Change
Education apartheid has wide-ranging and significant effects on institutional transformation. The
greatest impact of apartheid education involved the possibility of economic and social decline
due to economic inequality in society. Additionally, the organizational support for creating a
training force also influences attempts to make major changes. The resistance of interests
combined with institutional inertia creates serious problems for institutional reform.
In addition, the long-term impact of apartheid education extends to education in a wider society.
Religious cooperation and power are weakened by division, and distrust is weakened by class
divisions. To effectively address apartheid education, it is necessary to develop a comprehensive
approach that examines the solutions and root causes of inequality.
Addressing Education Apartheid
Addressing apartheid education must be an integrated, multifaceted, and cross-cutting approach.
Recognizing education as the most important human right and ensuring the fair distribution of
funds can be the first step in solving this problem. The most important elements of success are
adequate funding, assistance to those unable to pay due to financial hardship, and financial
investment in teacher training and development. Additionally, creating an environment that
encourages inclusion, positive thinking, and diversity in the Learning Center will facilitate the
development of dialogue and relationships.
However, radical changes in education were not enough to combat apartheid education. The
complex socio-economic inequalities that lead to social inequality, discrimination, and poverty in
our society need to be addressed. Effective collaboration between policymakers, academia, civil
society, and social actors is essential for the implementation of policy strategies. International
support and long-term commitment are also needed to address the complex problems that
contribute to racial inequalities in education.
Conclusion
A concerted effort to address educational inequalities shows that economic and educational
inequalities are interrelated and influence changes in the home. Despite increasing public
awareness of the problem, solutions cannot be developed without action at various levels, from
the individual level to the international level. By addressing the root causes of discrimination,
society can pave the way for a more just and inclusive future.
