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U.S. Education and the Gates Foundation

Introduction

The Gates Foundation

The “Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation” established by Melinda and Bill Gates is the biggest transparently functioning private organization in the world. It is controlled by its three trustees, Bill & Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet. The passions and interests of the Gates family make the foundation tick. The main objectives of the foundation include enhancing healthcare and reducing severe poverty all around the world, and expanding opportunities for education along with access to information technology (IT) in the U.S.

Education in the United States

The higher education for the populace, in U.S., is at a defining moment. Universities and colleges encounter increasing financial pressures due to rising education costs. The education gap is getting wider, and public financial aid systems for the students are at their limits, even though workers who are college-educated are required more than ever before.

If left unchecked, these trends will create a shortage of skilled workforce, in the U.S. economy, which is quite needed to remain competitive. There would also be an increase in the 'education gap' between individuals from meager backgrounds (low-income) and the remaining populace. The role, historically played, by the higher education is as a driver of economic growth and social mobility. The social and political implications for the U.S. nation (chiefly for low-income people) are unacceptable and intense. However, they can be avoided (Gates Foundation, Postsecondary success).

Discussion

Issues related with student's access to the education system

The United States of America is home to a multi-cultural/multi-racial populace. There are different income-groups in different races. Generally, most of the Hispanics (16.4% of the total population) and African-American (12.6% of the total population) belong to the low income groups (Humes, p.4). This makes it hard for them to spend their income on education. According to a study, African-American students graduating were lower in percentage than the 'white' American students. This disparity increases from one state to the next, which makes it impossible for the states to maintain the 'status quo'.

Access and affordability are not the only issues; geographic location, transfer programs for students, relevant subjects and customized teaching styles for students with different backgrounds are also necessary to remove disparity (Michael, P.12a).

How can the 'education system' be helped

Realistic experiments and researches at universities and colleges all over the U.S. are revealing hopeful results that might enable universities and colleges to boost graduation rates while sustaining or diminishing costs and making certain that every student receives an educational experience that is high in quality, and personalized according to their educational abilities, career/employment objectives, and needs.

These results comprise of sophisticated teaching (that is technology-enabled), student advising tools, as well as enterprise systems for gathering and analyzing data in order to assist institutions in improving their performance along with student outcomes. Also critically important is close association between college entry standards and high school graduation requirements.

What the Gate Foundation is doing for the education system

The Gates Foundation is committed to make sure that every student has a chance to obtain a superior ...