Response to Article

Example response after reading an article that appears in the July 2019 print edition with the headline
“Education Isn’t Enough.” Nick Hanauer (The Atlantic)

Related to the Cambridge IGCSE First Language Syllabus 0500

Dear Nick Hanauer,

I was enlightened by your article stating the problems of America’s education system and the
wage gap which both affect America’s economy. I strongly agree with your statements
however, I believe some ideas are unrealistic. Your message is very reliable as you use
statistics to cement your answer. You start your article with the bold remark “that both
poverty and rising inequality are largely consequences of America’s failing education
system”.

I am in total agreement with your view because education has one of the largest impacts on a
person’s life as it teaches skills and encourages positive habits in the developing stages of the
brain, embedding the most information in a short space of time, which is to be used
throughout their entire life. I was pleasantly surprised at the generous “millions of dollars''
you have invested into America’s education system. Your plot-twisting statement that
”educationism” is not enough to fix America’s “poverty and rising inequality” moved me.
You present this argument with clarity and conviction; however, I still believe it is important
to be able to offer the same education opportunities to every income class and you have
started to address the problem with yours and others’ donations. You continue by explaining
that the economy is in “favour of wealthy people like me”. This creates an unbiased image as
you are speaking from a higher position, with a voice more likely to be heard by the biassed
people in control, to remark and spread the evident flaws of America’s education and
economic system.

You strongly imply that the rising inequality is due to the ignorant perspective of the
wealthier people in power of which most believe the reason for this equality gap is “the
woeful state of our public schools'. You state that as these Americans have the most money,
their political opinions are valued and heard the most; therefore, I agree it is very difficult to
see any improvement as they choose to ignore the real issues of the “skills gap” and
America’s low wages. You state that even with more “students attaining higher levels of
education” income inequality isn’t falling and consolidate this with statistics of the large
increases of up to 343 percent in America’s wealthiest average annual wages. However, you
do not mention the same statistics for the lower and middle classes of America’s wages

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which I believe, if inserted, would solidify your argument of them not receiving an increase
in their wages.

You show that education isn’t the main reason for America’s inequality by citing that 90
percent of the population have a diploma yet inequality is as high as ever. I feel this shows
inequality is hard to fight as the people in power of America’s economy will often be selfish
and focus on their own income and benefit, therefore they will be unwilling to solve issues
which do not directly affect them.

I believe you have not taken into account that “workers with a college degree enjoy a
significant wage premium over those without” because of their hard work, greater knowledge
and a variety of skills which their degree has taught them. I think it is deserved that they have
greater annual earnings than those without. The person has chosen to deepen their education
which I think should be rewarded. Many people also choose a degree for the sole reason of
greater income, which creates incentive and competition. Without this drive, it would cause
economic damage. This is also the reason for “low-skilled jobs becoming increasingly
difficult for employers to fill” as most workers strive for income. However, if the wages for
both low-skilled and high-skilled jobs would balance, people would lose incentives towards
high-skilled jobs as they require great amounts of education and effort. This creates a loop
hole, hard to escape.

I agree “that we must pay all our workers”, also the low-skilled, as many lower-class
households do not have the same opportunities due to “limited family income” even with
good public schools. This is why I think it is a great idea to not only invest in children but
also “their families and communities” as these are all connected including “high-quality
housing, health care and child care”. This allows for a stronger base for the children.

Another one of your solutions to economic inequality is increasing minimum wage which I
agree with wholeheartedly and I conclude can be easily achieved. At the moment, America’s
minimum wage lies at $7.25 per hour (€6.36 converted) which is incredibly low compared to
other countries such as Germany which has a minimum wage of €10.45 per hour. You end
your article with the bold statement, “fixing that problem will require wealthy people to not
merely give more, but take less” leaving the reader to ponder and be inspired by your article’s
consolidated ideas and opinions.

Best regards,