Sample Compare and Contrast Essay

Sample Compare and Contrast EssaySample Compare and Contrast Essay is a memorable essay by the presidents of the Thomas More Law Center and the Nelson Mandel Center for Children's Rights. The comparison is between the harms that arise from state intervention into public education and the free-market solutions that are available to the underprivileged. The focus on free-market education is to show how alternative ways of education can achieve results that have not been achieved through the teaching of free-market principles.Both fathers focus on the history of their children and the experience of the parents in the case of Mother Theresa and the minister, who were not able to receive a proper education for their two sons, but later in life were able to do so. The two fathers also point out that they chose to go to school, rather than work, and would not have had any of the advantages enjoyed by the Mandels if they had stayed at home to raise their sons. In short, it was education that put these men in their position and made them capable of providing their children with an education.The excerpt provides some insight into the NCLB educational plan and its impacts on the lives of the Mandels. It highlights the unintended effects of the plan, such as those illustrated in the Equal Access Act, which was designed to provide equity in educational opportunities for students with disabilities. A portion of the new test aligned to the No Child Left Behind plan leads to the belief that less-qualified teachers will be fired, and more qualified teachers will be hired, which could result in less effective educators.The comparison between Mother Theresa and the minister who was a college dropout emphasizes the negative impact that the No Child Left Behind Act has had on higher education. The college dropout, it should be noted, is not actually a dropout. He was never able to receive a degree. But his story illustrates how the law has caused school administrators to seek alter native means of conducting their tests, and the negative effect this has had on the lives of more qualified teachers who wish to teach instead of learn.The essay does not attempt to specifically show why college is the better choice for the Mandels, but it gives readers a good starting point. The authors talk about the sacrifices that were made by the couple, as well as other people who may not have chosen the route of education.But as a student, I find this as good a starting point as any for what might be called my present day education dilemma. When I was growing up, I never considered the fact that the school would be providing me with an education, and what this meant in my life. There was no such thing as an education, just learning the basics of the English language, memorizing facts, and following directions.When I left school to begin working, I often wondered how my daughter's life would have been different had I not done so. Instead of learning what I could through the mo re productive ways of school, what other options were there? The truth is that I was left with a few alternatives, and one was simply working in an office.With this essay, Father Mandel and Mother Theresa show that the system does not necessarily promote education as much as we are led to believe. There are alternatives to the way things are now, and the authors of the essay remind us of the role of education in a person's life.