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Education and Social Class

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Submitted By farhan123
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“If you want to know how well a child will do at school, ask how much its parents earn. The fact remains, after more than 50 years of the welfare state and several decades of comprehensive education, that family wealth is the single best predictor of success in the school system. Of course some children from well-off homes don’t do well at school and some children from poor backgrounds succeed, but the overall pattern is clear: social class, defined in terms of socio-economic status, correlates closely with attainment at school.” (Cole, Mike. (2006). Social class and schooling. In: Education, equality and human rights. Taylor and Francis. 202.) This extract shows that social class defines how good or how bad a student will perform in their educational years therefore it can be linked into what Gaine says “Many working class parents will want a wider range of opportunities for their children than to what they have experienced […] many will socialise their children into the world they know” (Gaine, Dr.Chris, George, Ms Rosalyn (30 Nov 1998). Gender, 'Race' and Class in schooling: A new introduction. 3rd ed. l: Taylor and Francis. 35.) Although parents would want their kids to have high aspirations they know that because of the social injustice and because they belong to working class families that’s all they’ll be aspirations. Furthermore such decisions as to what the child receives in terms of education wise and career wise all depends on the students willingness and those that don’t have the determination and for some the ones that come from lower classes it is a constant circle for them of dropping out of education and living on government benefits because they feel out of place when attending schools that are highly populated with middle and higher class

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