Diversity in Education

What is diversity in education?
Diversity is one of the buzz words of our times. The United States is fairly described as the melting pot of global cultures. We remain proud of our country’s tradition of accepting foreigners and allowing them to share in the American dream of democracy and a fair opportunity for the good life.

Diversity in education expresses the desire to ensure that education is made available to all citizens of the nation irrespective of color, race, language and creed. While there was a period of time when segregated education was practiced in the United States, we have progressed well beyond such narrow-minded ideals. Today, it is the norm for children of Asian, African and Hispanic descent to pursue their education in the nation’s finest public and private schools. These minority communities often perform just as well and even better as their white counterparts. But maintaining diversity in education requires a constant effort to involve minority communities and promote their presence in our schools.
What efforts are being made for diversity in education?
The efforts to enhance diversity in education are being practiced at every step of the educational chain. Universities actively recruit minority communities. Many of them hold summer programs to encourage under-represented groups to expose themselves to new academic fields such as engineering and business. Middle and high schools have similar programs to reach out to minorities in their communities. It is increasingly common to sponsor communities with a large proportion of African and Hispanic students to increase the access of children to technology and other resources which will encourage them to educate themselves. 
It should be pointed out the diversity in education is not just an effort at ethnic diversity. Traditionally, females have been under-represented in the study of science and engineering as well as among the ranks of professors. Many K-12 programs are thus focused on attracting and retaining women for the study of science and technology. Similarly universities have modified their programs to become more accommodating of female professors. The result of all these programs has been a gradual increase in diversity at all levels of the educational system.
Why do we need diversity in education?
There may have been age when education was only the domain of the upper class. But it is accepted today that education is a basic privilege for all. It is also understood that national prosperity can only be achieved if we work for the uplift of all communities. Educated citizens are needed in the information age, and these educated citizens must be developed from all niches of society.