Segregation Should Be a Phenomenon of the Past - Essay Example

PEER REVIEW Ana Martinez (130 marks) Thesis The thesis of the essay is that segregation should be a phenomenon of the past but it continues to haunt the American society even in present day. The thesis clearly addresses the prompt on segregation because the prompt seeks to look at all aspects of segregation including its demerits, which the writer also spells out clearly in the thesis. Consequences of segregation The writer looks at the consequences of segregation from a nationalistic viewpoint and also from a global viewpoint. This is because the writer elaborates on the fact that segregation amounts to human rights abuse; especially abuse of the right to quality, universal education by all. With this, the consequence is viewed not as a private issue but as a global issue that ought to be taken up by all well meaning advocates of human rights. Solution(s) proposed The writer suggests an action-driven solution in the sense that the writer wants to see the transportation of segregated students to White schools, where they can learn about the culture of other people and how to socialize easily with these people. The argument in favor of the solution is however weak as the writer does not give any legislative backing to the solution. Integration of research sources The writer uses variety of research sources including court cases on the issue of segregation. There has also been sufficient analysis of the evidence. However, the analysis of sources would have been more proactive if primary sources were also used. Carina Melchor (105 marks) Thesis The writer links the thesis or main argument directly to the consequences of poor education in the country; stating that the nation would have to build more schools if attention is not given to proper education. Given the prompt, the writer makes direct reference to it and tags segregation as a poor educational policy that is recipe for a degenerated society. Consequences of segregation Having tagged segregation as a bad educational policy, the writer goes ahead to clearly elaborate the consequences of segregation, stating that it could be a reason for moral breakdown in society. The reason for this argument was fused in the believe that when people are segregated one from another, they do not come to accept the personality of other people and as such have no inner regrets when they are offending them. Solution(s) proposed The writer suggests a solution that is based on personal appeal to affected people. For this reason, the writer holds the believe that programs like Magnet Program can be used to attract and appeal to students in segregated schools to get attracted to their colleagues in other integrated schools. The writer argues in favor of the solution by drawing on specific instances where the solution had yielded results. Integration of research sources Wide ranges of sources were used for the present essay but most of these were secondary sources from newspapers and books. These evidences were used to support the writer’s claims, especially on the solutions offered. Shanell Sanders (120 marks) Thesis The main argument of the writer is that segregation constitutes an apartheid education and that the result of the insurgence of this apartheid education is because of reduced government expenditure on selected schools, most of which are African-American and Latino schools. The relation of this main argument to the thesis is that schools are not able to meet their goals and thus students become affected negatively as a result of the segregation Consequences of segregation Not much light is shed on the consequences of segregated education by the writer. However, mention is made of some issues such as the lowered scoring rates of students in segregated schools in America. The writer sees this as a major discrimination against the fundamental human rights of affected students. Solution(s) proposed In the light of the problem of segregation, the writer supports the solution and suggestion by Kozol that the best option to use to curtail the consequences of segregation in schools is to make government funds available to these schools on an even ratio or score. This, the writer believes would give low-income and poverty stricken areas an opportunity to receive quality education. Integration of research sources The writer incorporates the inputs of earlier researchers in an elaborative manner. More specifically, a lot of evidence is gathered from educational bodies and institutions such as The Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity (METCO) and this gives the essay a very valid conclusion on its analysis. Iem Phan (100 marks) Thesis The writer addresses a thesis that segregation is the biggest problem in the American educational system and that it leads to the delivery of poor and substandard education to affected students. With a prompt on the negative effects of segregation, it would be said that the theme clearly addresses the prompt because the mere identification of the existence of the problem is a major step to identifying what could be wrong or right with it. Consequences of segregation The writer approaches the consequence of segregation from a perspective where the allocation of funds to segregated schools is seen as woefully inadequate. An instance is cited with the provision of $8000 to segregated schools in whole year whiles White schools got $12,000 for the same period. Consequently, the writer says that this takes away the equal opportunity that each student is supposed to get. Solution(s) proposed Solution offered by the writer is that of the adaptation of integrated schooling. The writer favors this solution by giving evidential proofs to how schools that have received realistic funding have produced students with good grades. In effect, if there would be integration and all forms of inequality in the allocation of funds would stop, the writer believes that it would solve the problem of poor performance, emanating from the denial of equal opportunity to students. Integration of research sources Not much research sources are used as the writer makes reference to only a few sources. Much of the sources were dominated by the works and findings of Kozol. The evidences from Kozol were however used to support the writer’s ideas in a detailed manner. Mike Strikeland (110 marks) Thesis The main argument of the essay is that segregation continues to exist today and that it has a lot of negative effect on affected students. Because of how negative the effects are, the writer actually refers to the affected students as ‘victims’ of segregation. Touching on the consequences of segregation right at the onset, it can be said that the writer addressed the prompt clearly and hit the nail right on the head. Consequences of segregation The writer looks at the consequences of segregation from a very broad perspective and this is the national perspective, where the writer states that segregation has a lasting negative effect on the whole nation. This consequence is clearly established by identifying the student who suffers from segregation as a product for national development and so any effect on the student transforms directly unto the nation. Solution proposed There are two major solutions proposed by the writer. The first has to do with the provision of equal facility for learning at the State and federal level whiles the second has to do with the readjustment of housing policy, such that families that presently live in segregated neighborhoods needs to be given housing units in integrated neighborhoods. These solutions are however not defended further. Integration of research sources There was very limited use of external sources to support the arguments raised by the writer. The few sources used however could be used to support the writer’s ideas as they were used as evidence for yielding results, especially if the solutions are implemented. CITED WORKS Kozol, Jonathan. The Shame of the Nation: The restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America. New York Crown Publishers. 2005. Print. Read More