Berkley Center

Perhaps the closest thing to a universally shared American value is our belief in social mobility. The American Dream is impossible without the availability of the skills required to succeed in life – derived almost entirely from education. A lack of educational opportunity drives inequality and its attendant social fracturing. Another American value, our belief in meritocracy, hinges similarly on the nation’s ability to provide a means for determination and ability to earn gains in society. The absence of educational opportunity swiftly leads to a dearth of professional options; portions of society without access to quality education can be left stagnating in poverty, betraying American values.

Limited educational opportunity is, without a doubt, a waste for the nation. From the perspective of an economist, education is an efficient means to capitalize on the capabilities of individuals. But if its attainment is limited, potential of many kinds is wasted. Raw human capital is left underutilized, diminishing overall social productivity. From an ethical perspective, too, does a lack of educational opportunity represent a problem. Varied access to education, an education that is vital for the fates of personal and professional lives, creates huge distinctions in social groups’ fates on grounds that appear arbitrary. In striving to create a fair society, people having to overcome significant disadvantages with arbitrary causes presents a huge problem. When the reversibility of these disadvantages is considered, the problem becomes an outrage. It seems central to a just society that all have some chance to achieve. Education offers an opportunity for individuals to excel in society, by excelling in the classroom and by using their learning for their ends.

Education is a key part of world political standing. Prestige is dolled out to those nations whose scientists win Nobel Prizes and whose students score the highest on achievement tests. Increasingly, education is an issue Americans would prefer to shamefacedly turn away from rather than recognize the loss of standing our public schools’ performance entails on the world scene. A well-educated country is a well-respected one. If the United States is to retain its status as a world leader, it cannot neglect to provide for the education of its people.