Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence in an Urban Context

The United States is known for having one of the best education systems or many prestigious academic institutions that people from around the globe apply to. But how many Americans actually make it to these prestigious academic institutions? Many students do not make it to a public college or private university for an advanced education due to financial issues, drug abuse, high school drop outs, among other reasons. People without education can also lead to a higher crime rate. Perhaps the basis of this lack of advanced education can be traced back to elementary and secondary school. If the early education system is improved then students can build a stronger foundation for later education which will better their lives.

Starting from bottom-up, preschool is not mandatory but it prepares young children for what is to come when they begin their education. According to the textbook, preschool is most useful for underrepresented and malnourished minority children but they are the ones that are usually not enrolled in preschool; even though it is most effective for them than for children of the majority ethnicity from the middle class. That is a shortcoming in elementary school which could be fixed by making preschool more affordable for parents or by promoting preschool to first generation parents the importance this extra year will do for their child. However, this leads to another shortcoming which is the lack of funding for the educational system. The government spends billions of dollars on a weapon or a war outside of the United States but not the same for schooling. The children are our future, but the government does not invest in that and even cuts the budget for it.

The lack of funding means less money for books, classrooms and teachers and that applies to elementary and secondary school. How can children learn without all these substantial factors? This can stunt their education and discourage children from advancing their academic career.

The curriculum itself is not structured correctly. There is a lack of math and science and recently the United States asked international teachers to teach these subjects in school. Students from foreign countries are far more advanced than American students when it comes to these subjects. How is it that a developed country, such as the United States, that is technologically advanced lack learning in these subjects?

There is also a lack of activity, both physically and mentally. Young children are supposed to be active and not confined to a chair. Only some teachers educate children in an interactive way where it involves learning outside of the classroom. Most teachers teach in the lecture-and-respond way. This does not promote creativity in children and help them develop that part of their brain. There is also the lack of physical education and that can lead to health problems. There should be an increase in physical education or promotion of physical activity, such as sports in school, because obesity in children is becoming a major problem. Hands on activities can help children become more creative, such as this article on children and woodworking: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/garden/31kids.html

There should be a promotion of physical activities for children and also more hands on experience instead of in-class lectures. Overall, funding is extremely important but it keeps getting cut by the government. Funding can assist poor families with allowing their children to attend preschool. Funding can provide more books, trips, teachers and educational materials for young students. It is a cycle where better education can lead to well-educated teachers that can bring up better students.