Equity in Classrooms

BINTA DIALLO

STAFF WRITER

Equality is defined as the “quality or state of having the same rights, social status, etc,” where as equity is defined as “fairness or justice in the way people are treated.” Although giving everybody the same rights seems like the best option in almost every situation, that is definitely not the case in schooling.

Equity proves to be more beneficial in a learning environment because it does a better job allowing students to reach their full potential, by aiding them in areas needing improvement. When teachers enforce equity in classrooms, each and every student is helped individually, according to their needs. This, in turn, leads to a more positive growth in every student. Edutopia noted that equity “[gives] each student access to the resources they need to learn and thrive.”

While equality has a very positive connotation, when enforced in education, that is quickly forgotten. Equality in education simply means that everybody is given the same resources, whether they need it or not. The primary goal of educating a student should be to make sure that every student’s educational needs are tended to, and that is not possible while equality is being enforced. Giving each learner the same resources means that the assumption that every student has the same weaknesses and strengths is true, which it is clearly not.

The ideals of equality should be practiced in a person’s everyday life, only if it is outside the classroom. Tending to students by giving them the resources they need, instead of assuming that every learner is the same is the best option.