Pell Grants for Kids a worthwile program

Most people think that the Pell Grants for Kids program proposed by President Bush in his State of the Union address is an attempt to redeem what many are calling the failure of the No Child Left Behind Act. The $300 million program would give low-income parents assistance if they wished to send their kids to private or religious schools. I don't think this is about the failure of past policies, however, but an attempt to make the future better for low-income families. There are major benefits from this program, regardless of your beliefs about the current administration. One is the reputation that private and religious schools have for academic standards. While there are some public schools that are great, there are far more private schools that focus on academics and the development of good study habits.

Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 "Fourth Follow-up" showed that students who attended a private school in the eighth grade were twice as likely to have either completed their bachelor's degree or higher by their mid 20s. While this study may have been limited to one grade level, eighth grade is the preparation grade for high school and prepares students for the future of their academic career.

The reason I say this is because you have to look at the reality of the circumstances of low-income families. Chances are the parents of these kids didn't go to college. Through this program, kids would be offered the opportunity to develop fundamentally strong study skills at a school that focuses on education. In reading many reviews of private and religious schools, I found that they generally have smaller class sizes which give the teachers the ability to create specialized programs for students and develop better relationships with their teachers and classmates. Going to these schools would give these kids a launching pad for pursuing higher education and change the economic circumstances of their families forever. One member of a family going to college gives other family members the belief that the college dream is possible.

Another benefit of this proposal would be the exposure given to students who already attend private or religious schools. For the most part, students who attend private school do not come from the same financial background that students who attend public school do. This gives students the opportunity to interact with kids who are not like them. It can increase diversity and give them a sense of what an entire community is, not just what they see at school every day.

I can tell you that although I went to public school, I did not grow up around anyone who had it bad. When I was exposed to people who had later on in my life, it was very shocking and uncomfortable at first. If the kids at these private and religious schools have the opportunity to experience this at a young age, it will only make them more aware of the world around them.