“All are to have an equal chance for earning, and equal security in the enjoyment of what they earn.” (Horace Mann) If everyone is supposed to have an “equal chance,” then why are educations not equal? Equality of education is important to give everyone an equal chance to succeed. Education is supposed to be a means of advancing ones life to higher levels, nevertheless some high school students lack the same chances as those around them and they gain have poor attitudes toward learning.

The first problem of the educational system is the equal opportunities. In George Orwell’s book 1984 there is a group of people who are the laboring class called the Proles. The Proles are not given an education because the people who run the society, the Inner Party, are afraid that if they get an education that they will rise up and overthrow them. Education is a gift it is the great equalizer of men. That is why the Inner Party fears the Proles getting an education. The same can be said in feudal times; the lords are like the Inner Party and the serfs are like the Proles. Without an education, the serfs relied on the lords to provide for them. This put the serfs in a position that forced them to accept whatever they were offered by the lords. (Horace Mann) Why did the lords get all the education, money, and power? They were born into it, they got chances that the serfs never did and that is why they had power and money.

If education is truly a great equalizer, why is it taken for granted by many high school students who have bad attitudes? Norman Rockwell’s painting titled “The Spirit of Education” contains a lot of symbolism in it that sheds light on the subject. The boy in the painting is carrying a torch and a book as a symbol of the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France that symbolizes freedom and independence to Americans. Horace Mann says, “But I mean that it gives each man the independence and... selfishness of other men.” Education is a gift, just like the Statue of Liberty, that leads to independence from oppression and poverty, just as the Proles and serfs hoped for. What the Proles and serfs longed for, today's high school students take for granted. Some will say that the kid in the painting is unhappy in finding education, but he is young and has not yet been educated. His torch or inspiration has not been lit to help him find his way to a brighter tomorrow. His face reflects many high school students of today and that is the problem: we should be happy to receive the gift of education, it should be just as exciting as opening a present.

Helen Suzman said, “I stand for simple justice, equal opportunity and human rights. The indispensable elements in a democratic society - and well worth fighting for.” It is through education that one gains rights, equal opportunity helps you achieve that education, and an equal education is something well-worth fighting for. Why then are many high school students not fighting for it? The answer to this question eludes me, but there are things that teachers and the government can do to foster an improvement in attitudes and equal opportunities. Teachers can try to instill the joy of learning, maintain equal opportunity, or help the student, but it is ultimately up to him or her to change their attitudes.

While attitudes are harder to fix it can be easier to get students to obtain good attitudes by solving the equal opportunity problem. Equal opportunity between students in a classroom is a teacher’s responsibility. In my personal experience in high school classrooms, if a teacher fails to maintain equal opportunity he or she will lose the respect of individuals of the class and that can lead to negative attitudes toward learning. Equal opportunity between classes in the nation is the government’s responsibility. Is it fair that some schools have the ability to offer advanced or special education courses and others do not? It is not, and the government can control this. They can provide extra funding to schools that do not have these courses so they can hire teachers to teach these courses. If a government fails to do this, it could potentially cripple some students ability to increase their potential. They could fall behind and lose their faith in learning and develop a sour attitude toward learning. Solving the problem of equal opportunity in education can indeed kill two birds with one stone by aiding to brighten the outlook of young scholars toward education. Equal education means the equal opportunity to increase potential and succeed in life beyond high school. After all isn't high school supposed to prepare you for the "real world."

As said by Horace Mann “All are to have an equal chance for earning, and equal security in the enjoyment of what they earn.” It is through education that people can rise up through oppression and make a living that is not based on sustenance. High schoolers need to embrace it, even if teachers and the government need to give them a push. Once we end the downward spiral we can begin to climb back to the top.

Works cited
Mann, Horace. "From Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education." Language of
Composition. Ed. Renée H. Shea, Lawrence Scanlon, Robin Dissin Aufses. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008.150-151. Print.