The US education gap between the haves and have nots is only getting worse
Education remains the main path for the less privileged to financial security, with less college education meaning lower productivity, which can keep all boats from rising
It’s no secret that in this economy the well off, or “haves”, have done very well at the expense of everyone else. We see it in the record-high stock market, the expiration of extra US jobless benefits and the higher death rates among black people from Covid-19, to name just a few examples. The return to schools will drive these inequities further apart, with long-lasting economic effects.
The haves get the bulk of the attention. Harvard University made news when it decided to make classes largely online, and again when many freshman deferred enrolment. With its immense endowment, Harvard will be fine. So, too, will the school’s typical student, who comes from a household with an income that is three times the national median. Privilege for the privileged...
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