Higher Education isn't for Everyone

Reminiscent of scenes from Stand and Deliver (1988), Dangerous Minds (1995), and Freedom Writers (2007), a Chronicle of Higher Education post published March 11, 2013 entitled "The Second-Chance Club" offers a narrative account of a remedial English course taught by an instructor by the name of Greg  in a Maryland community college. "The Second-Chance Club" sheds light on the unique challenges that Greg faces not only as a teacher but as a counselor of sorts. Not only does he have to begin with the very basics of classroom know-how, "Who knows what a syllabus is?" but as the article describes, “Instructors here must be social workers, too. If you take students in, Greg believe, it’s your obligation to support them.” In the case of 19-year old Xiomara who often has to take care of her nieces and nephews, Greg must decide whether to let her come back to class after missing several weeks and also struggles with whether she should pass the course after her mother suffers a stroke, causing her to turn in her final assignment late.

“The Second-Chance Club” reads like a short story, narrating a semester of trials and successes. Much like students at Ballou High School, the students enrolled in English 002 face many hardships outside of the classroom. Unlike the Ballou students, those who enroll in English 002 must pay nearly $750 to enroll. This course comes at a steep price—especially considering that many of the students come from poverty, no credit is offered for course completion, and many students do not pass the first time around. The student must pass the course before gaining permission to enroll in for-credit courses. One student, Elio, works 40+ hours at a local Safeway grocery store to make ends meet, another student Kenneth, is from Nigeria and is ineligible for financial aid. Kenneth offers insight, "Being in a noncredit class takes a toll on you," he says. "I feel like they put you in a corner to milk out more money."

In a Letter to the Editor submitted March, 18, 2013, a disgruntled reader (a Professor Emeritus of Walsh University) vehemently opposes the support of students like those in the English 002 course. He writes, “Academics, and really Americans in general, have to recognize that it’s not heartless to believe that higher education isn’t for everyone. It’s bad enough that recent studies consistently show how ill-prepared and unfit modern students are for college, but Mr. Wahl’s “enrollees” have to be among the worst.”  Refusing to call them “students,” this despicable professor refers to the “enrollees” of English 002 as “wards” and challenges their intellectual capabilities—claiming no employer will ever want to hire them.

If, as stated by one of Greg’s students, Lynn (54), "You can better yourself by going to school and getting good grades and getting a good job,” then what is to be said about the vicious cycle of poor students remaining poor while trying to pay their way into a system that doesn’t want them? If these students work hard to pay tuition do they not deserve to be enrolled in a college course? Is higher education for everyone? Who should take responsibility for the lack of basic reading and writing skills of these enrolled students? If remedial classes are not the answer then what is?