Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities

Jonathan Kozol's Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools looks at the ways the government, the society, and the educational system fail poor children, especially poor black children, in the United States. Kozol's work examines six cities, where he finds common problems which work against the education of poor children. His major argument is that the government simply does not spend enough on the schooling of poor children, while spending far more on the schooling of more wealthy, white children. To Kozol, the problems of the schools are not the fault of the children themselves, but rather of the system which has let them down. He does not merely offer this view as an opinion, but bases it on his thorough research, including his Appendix which shows clearly how far more is spent on children living in wealthy districts than on children living in poor districts. This spending pattern is a central part of a public policy at all levels of government and it cheats minorities and the poor out of their rightful education and out of the life of success and self-development which come from a good education. Although his work is thoroughly researched and documented, the strongest part of Kozol's book is his decision to let the children speak for themselves. He is not trying to win an argument or a contest of theories, but keeps in mind the fact that these are very real children who suffer because the nation has unfairly treated them as second-class citizens because of their

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g the education which they need and deserve. Also, Kozol's book is successful because he sees that a school is an expression of the spirit of the nation. If the nation's social and political leaders fail to educate these children, the nation will suffer not only socially and economically, but also morally and spiritually. The nation which lets down its poorest children is an unjust nation. Kozol's argument, then, is twofold. First, he argues simply that the nation does not spend enough money on the poor and minorities, especially poor blacks. The continuing segregation of whites and blacks is a major part of this political and economic failure. Second, he argues that the answer is to spend more money on the education of these students, and that any reform which does not include such added spending will be a tragic failure. Kozol gives statistical data which shows that the more money spent on educating children, the more successful will be that education (Kozol 158). The school system, he shows, is a system of separate and unequal education: "Behind the good statistics of the richest districts lies the triumph of a few. Behind the saddening statistics of the poorest cities lies the misery of many" (Kozol 158). Kozol point

Category: Psychology - J