United States Spends Less on Education Compared to Other Countries
RUBY LA, DAHILA BUELNA STAFF WRITTERS
The United States spends more money on prisons than schools compared to countries around the world. In a study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), researchers discovered that the U.S. spends less money on education than countries, such as Switzerland, Norway and Luxembourg. The U.S. supplies more money to prisons than schools, due to the increase in the number of people sentenced to jail in the past few decades. In each state, the cost per inmate exceeds the cost per student. In a survey conducted by the Department of Corrections, the state of California spends less than $10,000 per student while spending over $40,000 per inmate.
The U.S. had cut the amount of invested tax money for every tax dollars earned. On the other hand, countries like Turkey had increased education spending by roughly 76 percent. For every tax dollar earned in the U.S., 70 cents are being put into school funding, which is less than the average 84 cents from other countries.
“I believe that schools in the United States should spend more on education or at least more on the quality of teaching,” freshman Rudy Cordova said. “By investing more money into schools people will benefit greatly because it will give us a better learning experience.”
A study conducted by the OECD monitored expenditures on education from 35 countries. It was shown that U.S. investment in schools has declined by four percent from 2010 to 2014. In another study conducted by the OECD, 15-year-olds from the U.S. ranked 31 on OECD’s standardized mathematics test, with below average reading and science scores. Some other countries with less money put into education also outshine U.S. international test scores.
The U.S. also asks teachers to carry a heavier teaching load than most countries. This means that there is less time for professional development, teacher collaboration, lesson preparation or working with students individually in the U.S. than there is in other countries.
“The US should place a higher priority on education,” senior Jordan Rea said. “While there are other necessities the government must allocate to, the well-being of the population is directly correlated to the quality of education. If all men are truly created equal, every person must have equal opportunity. Placing more of an emphasis on education in our country would certainly be an important step in the right direction.”