There are some complexities within the school system that are widespread. These include race, gender and social class. These complexities have affected the educational opportunities of some people. According to Gaine in 1995, the term "race" is often put in quotation marks because it does not mean what people think it means. The key point Gaine makes is that what are often considered “races” – Africans, Europeans, Chinese – are only superficially different from each other. A useful practical definition might be “a group of people who may share certain physical characteristics to which social importance is attached.” Thus, “race” does not refer to people’s skin color, facial features, or hair type, but to the social meaning accorded to them. Sex and gender are often very difficult to distinguish. The usual distinction here is that sex encompasses characteristics that are biologically determined and gender those that are socially determined. The World Health Organization defines gender as “the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.” In other words, “Man” and “Woman” are sex categories, while “masculine” and “Feminine” are gender categories. Sociologists are interested in the idea that classes are about your cultural tastes and activities and the type and number of people you know. These factors are important when compared with people's economic situation. Understanding classes as quantities of different types of "capital letters" helps us see class across a number of dimensions. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu first developed this approach in 1984, suggesting that there are different types of capital that give people a... middle of paper ...... change has yet to occur. There are many stereotypes that need to be combatted so that every student can have the same school experience, the same results and the same curriculum, regardless of their “race”, gender or social class. The media contributes greatly to what people perceive as the norm. Therefore, parents should make a conscious effort to protect their children from the enormous influence that the media can have on them at such a young age. From this essay, I hope it has been highlighted that education is steeped in the complexities of cultural contexts where issues such as race, gender and class are important players in people's educational opportunities , but also that there is plenty of room for improvement so that children can all enjoy their school experiences together as a whole.