Bronx Junior Photo League
10
FEATURE THE LACK OF
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE BRONX
High School Graduation Rate Data for Bronx County, NY
WORDS + PHOTOS BY PAMELA Y. ROZON
Percent with an Associate's degree
The Bronx has a long history of lacking opportunities for its residents, such as education. Students suffer from the lack of resources in the borough’s lower-income communities, resulting in reduced rates of high school and college graduates. High school graduation rates in the Bronx are 8% lower compared to other boroughs in NYC. College rates are also lower compared to other boroughs, with only one out of five
opportunities. Parents that didn’t attend college may disregard their children’s thoughts about the college process, or underestimate its complexity, leaving students to figure out the process on their own. “I think that it’s really difficult to ask someone to focus on education when the world around them is potentially in a state of disarray,” said Kalada Halliday, the College Success Counselor
6.80% College Graduation Rate
18.10% Percent with a graduate or professional degree
6.40% High School Graduation Rate
77% Percent who did not finish the 9th grade BDC college counselor Kalada Halliday. © Pamela Y. Rozon/ BDC
students graduating. The Bronx Documentary Center prides itself on offering resources to children in order to find a path to higher education. However, the change starts at home, encouraging and aiding students in their future successes. The main reason these numbers are low is due to the many challenges students face compared to those in higher-income neighborhoods. Public schools are severely underfunded and students are denied the resources that higher-income areas provide. Students whose parents immigrated to the country, or don’t speak English, carry the responsibility when seeking higher education
for the BDC’s Bronx Junior Photo League, a free photography and college prep program for middle and high school students. “You also have students who are actively dealing with home security concerns and are still asked or expected to come to school and deal with those circumstances.” In his role at the BDC Halliday assists high school students on their journey toward higher education. He prides himself in assisting low-income students of the Bronx, guiding them through the challenges of college applications. Halliday noted that students have to battle through countless obstacles in their lives, making it difficult to focus on their school performance, he said.
15.20% Public schools in the Bronx
436 Private schools in the Bronx
86 *According to the City’s Committee for Children, a non profit organization