How Budget Cuts Affect Education

Abstract

The federal budget cuts are negatively affecting the quality of education. It is important to understand the effects of the budget cuts and the need to restore public funding to maintain the quality of education. Districts across the nation are facing severe budget deficiencies. In our local area, schools have been consolidated, electives have been eliminated, teachers are going to be laid off, and extra services for students are being cut. The disadvantages of reducing funding for education will greatly impact teachers, eliminate services for students and affect our community. Teacher layoffs and education budget cuts have threatened student achievement, laying off teachers, increasing class sizes, eliminating critical programs, shortening the school year all mean that our students receive less attention and fewer chances to achieve in their education. This paper delves into the problems that are created when there are serious education budget shortfalls in America. The government needs to support public education and realize that children are the future.

How Budget Cuts Affect Education

I. Introduction

After facing the economic crisis started in 2008, the United States faced the reduction of budgets of many sectors including defense, education and various industries. It was suggested by many political parties that reduction of budgets will help the country in reviving its economy in the years to come. As a result, a new legislation and policy was passed by the US government to reduce the education budget. There were both positive and negative outcomes of the cut in the education budget. There were minimal positive aspects of this decision and on the other hand there were many negative effects. This budget cuts led to decrease in the funds provided to all the educational institutions nationwide. The government played a major role in making awareness among educational institutions to plan their needs according to the set budgets. The cuts in the educational budget had a direct effect on the students, teachers and community as a whole.

II. Discussion

According to Coleman (et al., 2011), the US government has implemented the budgets in different forms; many educational institutions have adopted some changes in its structure and course plan accordingly and some have thrived for new resources and implemented advanced technology to ensure that the education of students remains unaffected by the cuts (Coleman, et al., 2011). The different forms through which budget cuts were implemented nationwide included: implementing a four-day school week, increase in a number of children in each class, and reduction in the help provided for the education of the students with special needs and in many other forms (Steinbach, 2008).

Limited budgeting has not only affected students and teachers in an education setting but also had a great impact on the quality of education and curriculum provided to students for learning and educating (Alfano, 2009). It was also reported by the Business Times in 2011 that the budget cut had a poor impact on the infrastructures of the educational institutions, for example leaky roofs that could not be fixed, drafty classrooms, ...