5 Major Issues Facing Education

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1. Deteriorating Building Spaces & School Facilities

One of the most significant issues facing education is the deterioration of school facilities across the country. Over 90% of public education funding comes from state and local governments, but many states are providing less money now than they did before the Great Recession (2007-2009). This has left many schools with decreased staff, fewer extracurricular activities, and limited student resources.

Many districts choose to postpone repairs and delay the construction of new building spaces to save money, as cuts here are considered better than slashing academic programs and extracurriculars. But there are many serious consequences of deferring school maintenance, including:

Premature building deterioration
Indoor air quality problems
Increased repair and replacement costs
Reduced equipment operating efficiency
Proliferation of dangerous contaminants

Working in deteriorating facilities also impacts the quality of teachers’ instruction by diminishing their general workplace wellbeing. Renovations are time-consuming, expensive, and may require the displacement of students for an extended period, but these concerns must be remediated.

How Modular Can Help

Modular buildings are an inexpensive way for schools to house students during facility renovations. These structures can be used as medium- or long-term swing space during new construction or restorations to keep teachers and students comfortable and focused.

Modular buildings are available with 2-20+ classrooms and can be equipped with restrooms, offices, locker rooms, laboratories, libraries, cafeterias, break rooms, and more. Best of all, these structures come with generous lease terms and low monthly payments to fit restrictive school budgets.

2. Funding Educational Technology

Educational technology engages students in active learning by facilitating group collaboration with their peers and teachers. It also provides instant access to up-to-date online resources and allows educators to provide customized content tailored to different learning styles. And students with disabilities often rely on assistive technology to communicate with others and use course materials.

There are many benefits of incorporating educational technology into the classroom, such as:

Improving student engagement
Encouraging active learning and growth
Facilitating peer collaboration
Preparing students for the real world
Creating more engaged and successful teachers
Incorporating different learning styles

However, property taxes are often much lower in high-poverty areas, leaving schools with reduced funding for technology and worse educational outlooks. This puts already-vulnerable students at a greater disadvantage because they can’t experience the benefits of educational technology.

3. Increasing Class Sizes & Overcrowding

The decision to expand class sizes has allowed many school districts to absorb funding cuts without negatively impacting extracurricular activities. And while many states have imposed regulations on class sizes, these have been increasingly difficult to maintain due to budget constraints.

There are a variety of factors that contribute to school overcrowding, including:

Lack of infrastructure
Closure of nearby schools
District consolidation
Legislative changes
Surges in student enrollment
Building closures due to natural disasters
Lack of funding

Unfortunately, there are many negative effects associated with increased class sizes and student overcrowding. These include:

Unbalanced teacher/student ratios
Struggling students falling behind their classmates
Increased distractions and noise disturbances
Decreased individual learning quality
Reduced access to equipment and technology
Lack of cafeteria space
Lower grades and test scores
Disorganized standardized testing procedures

Smaller class sizes benefit student learning by allowing teachers to provide higher-quality instruction. This often leads to improved educational outcomes, particularly for elementary, low-income, and minority students.

How Modular Can Help

Adding modular buildings to your campus allows you to increase space and reduce class sizes in a shorter time frame and at a fraction of the cost of traditional construction. Modular classrooms can sometimes be installed in as little as 60-90 days, which can reduce your project timeline by up to 35%.

4. Supporting Good Student Mental Health

Another major issue facing education is the challenge of supporting students’ mental health in a sometimes stressful environment. A 2018 survey found that almost two-thirds of college students experienced anxiety and/or depression within the previous year, and nearly 57% reported higher-than-average stress levels.

Additionally, a national survey of college and university counseling center directors found that the average student-to-clinician ratio on U.S. campuses was 1,737 to 1. However, the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS) recommends that educational institutions should ideally have one counselor per 1,000-1,500 students. These disparities leave suffering students with long waits before they can receive treatment.

5. Rising Student Poverty Levels

Nearly 11 million children live in poverty in the United States, which makes up almost one-third of all people in financial need. More than four in ten children live in households struggling to meet basic expenses, and seven to 11 million children experience regular food insecurity. 40% of public school students in 40 states are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches, and 18 of those states have student poverty rates of 50% or more.

There are many consequences of rising student poverty levels, which we’ll review below:

Low-income students tend to perform worse in school than their more affluent peers, and studies show that family income strongly correlates with lower standardized test scores.
Parents with fewer financial resources are often unable to afford tutoring and other enrichment opportunities that boost student achievement.
Poor students typically have fewer resources at home to study and complete homework. In fact, many impoverished families lack access to computers and high-speed Internet altogether.
Parents of impoverished students often work long hours or have multiple jobs, leaving them unavailable to assist their children with homework.
Low-income children are much more likely to experience food instability, family turmoil, and other stressors that can negatively affect their academic success.
Students from low-income families are often taught by novice or lower-credentialed teachers, further increasing the academic achievement gap.

How Modular Can Help

Used modular buildings are extremely affordable, which can free up additional funds to support students living in poverty. Saving money is of the utmost importance for educational institutions, and leasing temporary modular buildings is one of the best ways to achieve that goal.