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Patrick Keen

Dr. Rieman

English 1101X

February 12, 2010

Unequal Education

In undertaking the reading of Jean Anyon’s essay “Social Class and the Hidden

Curriculum of Work” I learned many of her opinions about education and also formed

many of my own. A point of hers was the difference in education for different social and

economic classes. Anyon stated “The identification of different emphases in classrooms

in a sample of contrasting social class contexts implies that further research should be

conducted in a large number of schools to investigate the types of work tasks and

interactions in each to see if they differ in the ways discussed here and to see if similar

potential relationships are uncovered. Such research could have as a product the further

elucidation of complex but not readily apparent connections between everyday activity in

schools and classrooms and the unequal structure of economic relationships in which we

work and live.” I have also noticed these differences in going through the Charlotte-

Mecklenburg School System. In the public school system the quality of your education

depends heavily on the location of your house and the income of your parents. The

school you are assigned to is based on what neighborhood or zone your house is located

in or how far the bus will drive out to pick up students.

Once a student is assigned to a specific school their social/economic status can

still impact their learning environment. Usually the students who come from families
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with more money are placed in higher level courses than the other less affluent students

who are usually taking the standard level classes. In addition to the course difficulty the

higher level classes are also taught by more qualified teachers, who have better degrees.

In another section of her essay I found the following quote, “There is little

excitement in schoolwork for the children, and the assignments are perceived as having

little to do with their interests and feelings. As one child said, what you do is "store facts

up in your head like cold storage - until you need it later for a test or your job." Thus,

doing well is important because there are thought to be other likely rewards: a good job

or college.10 “ I also found this statement true in the majority of my classes, they were not

fun or motivating, but I knew I had to pass to graduate.

In my senior year of high school I decided to take an easier course of math called

Discreet Math, I ended up regretting the decision because the lower level course with an

unqualified teacher was more difficult to pass than the higher level courses I had

previously taken with more qualified teachers. Here is another good point from Anyon,

“In the affluent professional school, work is creative activity carried out independently.

The students are continually asked to express and apply ideas and concepts. Work

involves individual thought and expressiveness, expansion and illustration of ideas, and

choice of appropriate method and material.” From my observations of the North Carolina

school system the main difference between public and private schools is the nature of the

work. The private schools fit Anyon’s description of the affluent professional school,

while the work in public school is solely based around passing a standardized end of

course test. Anyon has included many of these same points but on the other hand some of
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hers seem to be more biased. I believe she was looking for a specific result and went to

the schools where she knew she would find these cases. I would be willing to listen to

her points a little more openly if she stated where she did her observations and how she

did them.

Self Assessment:

Throughout the process of writing this essay I have made many revisions. When we first

began I barely even understand the point that Anyon was trying to prove. My first draft

was barely over a page in length, I had no quotes, and no works cited page. During my

second draft I further improved my understanding of Anyon’s essay and incorporated

some of her quotes into my own essay. My final draft mostly corrected a few grammar

errors and the mla format. This project really helped me understand the differences in

education between social classes.

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Works Cited

Anyon, Jean. “Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work.” Writing Conventions.

Eds. Lu and Horner. New York. Pearson, 2008 225-51. Print