Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Latinos Falling Behind in Education

During a recent speech regarding the “No Child Left Behind” act, the first Hispanic Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, said, “Education is the great equalizer in a democratic society.” Unfortunately, it seems that Latinos around the country are still falling behind in terms of education, it is clear that current policies have done very little to close the achievement gap.

The state of California which has the highest Hispanic population in the United States has dismal rates of college graduation rates for Hispanics and similar trends are seen throughout the nation. As Hispanics are increasing in numbers, their high school dropout rates remain consistently higher than those of other groups, and their college completion rates are consistently lower. California is one of the top three states with the most segregated schools for Black and Latino students, Schools where children of color account for between 90 and 100 percent of the student body are four times more likely to lack the resources to prepare them for college. Only 9 percent of Latinos age 25 or older have a bachelor’s degree or higher in California, compared to 37 percent of whites. Only a quarter of Black, Latino and American-Indian high school seniors complete the requirements for college admission, compared to 40 percent of whites and 60 percent of Asian Americans.

Latinos have extremely high drop out rates in comparison to other groups, and only a very small percentage graduate from college. In the midst of the economic crisis it seems that the education issues have been placed on the back burner this election cycle. While these issues are of grave importance, Latinos cannot afford to forget that this is an issue that particularly affects them. If these trends continue Latinos may find themselves at a disadvantage both socially and financially in the upcoming years.

New American Media