Public Schools and Education in Detroit
Public schools play a vital role in ensuring that the majority of children have access to a high-quality, low-cost education. However, the dilapidated state of Detroit's school buildings and unsafe teaching facilities jeopardize children's right to an education.
Understaffing and Facilities
First, Detroit's public schools have one teacher for every 45 pupils, undermining their ability to provide quality instruction to those students. Furthermore, the visible gaps in the walls and the moisture on the walls make the buildings uninhabitable and unattractive for studying. Based on observations, many buildings in the public schools are crumbling downs owing to the laxity by the government authorities to undertake repairs in such structures.
Impact of Budget Cuts
The quality of education in Detroit public school is also talking a downward spiral owing to the budget cuts. The budget cuts have led to low pay for the teachers, making them less motivated to undertake their routine tasks. Additionally, the budget cuts have reduced the capability of the schools to buy essential supplies such as laboratory equipment, thus, making it difficult for the teachers to organize for science experiments.
Teacher Shortage and Health Concerns
The teachers in Detroit have a limited role to offer petitions to the government authorities to address their concerns on how the quality of education could be given more consideration. As a result, the increase sick ins that are being recorded by the teachers tend to exacerbate the situation. The situation has paralyzed learning in many schools with some being on the verge of closure owing to the teacher shortage. The conditions of the various classrooms tend to expose the teachers and the student to multiple diseases, and such would lead to respiratory infections.
Poor Maintenance of Playing Facilities
The conditions are made worse by the poor maintenance of playing facilities within the schools. For example, some playgrounds are reported as having geysers while some schools have neither gyms nor swimming pools. As a result, may students are not able to undertake physical exercises. The City of Michigan is to take the blame for them since they are the authority that is in charge of the public schools in Michigan. Additionally, there has been a case that has been filed with the authority over the claims of rodent droppings within the classrooms and window panes being broken, but such has not been addressed. Additionally, there has been the case of the teachers not receiving pay increases for the past decade, thus, leading to the increased incidences of sick ins as a means of expressing their displeasure with their condition of work.
Addressing the Issue
Therefore, addressing the issue calls for the coordination of the teachers, City of Michigan official, the state, parents, and other education stakeholders to find ways to which a solution can be determined. Notably, the teachers need to have a union that should negotiate on their behalf. The state should also set aside budgets that would assess the state of building and facilities within the schools and come up with a budget for renovating such schools. The corporate groups also need to be involved in the renovation program to assist with the rebuilding of the close to 100 public schools in Detroit. Teachers need to have good motivation to teach while learners a conducive environment like their peers in the United States to enhance the quality of learning in Detroit.
