What is Social Justice in Education?
By Rod Dreher
Rawlings School of Divinity
CLED 720: Biblical & Theological Foundations of Education
Genevieve Hamer
July 1, 2022
What is Social Justice in Education?
The phrase “social justice” has become more mainstream in recent times, but it’s existed
for hundreds of years. As a concept, social justice gained more importance during the 19th
century due to the Industrial Revolution and civil unrest in Europe. People started standing up
to dangerous labor conditions, exploitation, and other unfair systems. At its core, social justice
is about the fair distribution of opportunities and privileges as they apply to individuals within a
society. While at first social justice centered mostly on wealth and property, it now
encompasses more areas such as the environment, race, gender, and education.
Why social justice in education matters
Social justice in education takes two forms. The first is social justice in action and the level
of equality within the actual education system. When factors like wealth, gender and/or race
determine what kind of education an individual can receive, that’s an example of social
injustice. Students not privileged enough to receive an education on par with more privileged
students are given a poor foundation for the rest of their lives. Their ability to earn a certain
income can suffer, which in turn affects access to healthcare, good housing, and safety. When
the education system isn’t committed to providing equal opportunities and privileges, it
negatively impacts a society both culturally and economically.
The second form of social justice in education is how social justice is taught within the
school system. In a social justice framework, curriculum is specifically chosen to broaden
students’ worldviews through incorporating different ideas and challenging opinions. Instead of
ignoring very real-world issues such as sexism, racism, poverty, and more, a social justice
education framework addresses it and encourages students to exercise analytical thinking.
Schools committed to social justice in education pay close attention to their choice of
curriculum and how it can be used to expand their students’ minds.
Criticisms of teaching social justice
Many believe schools should take a fairly passive stance when it comes to more political
issues, but according to educators like Zachary Wright (a national finalist for the United States
Department of Education’s School Ambassador Fellowship), the education system has always
been political. In a system that punishes poor schools with a lack of funding, outdated books,
and decaying buildings while rewarding the wealthy, it’s impossible for education to be a
politically-neutral environment. Within this system, choices about curriculum, school fees, and
sources of funding are all political choices.
Another common criticism is that teaching social justice in education is a form of
indoctrination. J. Martin Rochester, a professor of political science, wrote in a commentary
piece for the Fordham Institute that social justice educators “seem to promote only a politically
correct, left-leaning perspective.” There are many who feel that a social justice framework is
too blatantly one-sided. However, in his rebuttal to Rochester, Zachary Wright explains that in
his classes, he always gives students both sides of an issue. Social justice in education done
right doesn’t force kids to believe in something specific, but rather to think for themselves and
nurture their analytical skills.
