Education Policy Vocabulary

adjective relating to or characteristic of a bureaucracy; overly complicated and inefficient

• The bureaucratic process for obtaining a visa can be quite complex and time-consuming.
• Dealing with all the bureaucratic red tape at the government office is such a hassle.
• I can't stand all the bureaucratic nonsense we have to deal with at work.
• The bureaucratic maze of rules and regulations can feel like a never-ending labyrinth.

noun a minor crime, especially one committed by a young person

adjective delinquent

• The study found a correlation between low socioeconomic status and juvenile delinquency.
• The teacher warned the students about the consequences of delinquency in school.
• If you keep skipping class, you're gonna get in some serious delinquency trouble.
• Procrastination is the delinquency of time management.

verb to free or release from something, such as a duty or obligation

adjective not subject to a particular rule or requirement

• Certain individuals are exempt from paying taxes based on their income level.
• If you're a student, you might be exempt from taking certain exams.
• I wish I was exempt from doing chores this weekend.
• His wealth exempted him from the struggles that most people face.

noun an amount of money that a taxpayer is able to subtract from the amount of income that is taxable

• The company applied for an exemption from the new tax regulations.
• They were granted an exemption from jury duty because of their medical condition.
• I wish I could get an exemption from doing my homework tonight.
• She believed she was above the rules and acted as if she had an exemption from consequences.

adjective contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law

• Engaging in illegal activities can result in severe consequences.
• You shouldn't do anything illegal if you want to stay out of trouble.
• Dude, selling those things is totally illegal!
• Breaking the rules like that is like playing with fire, it's just asking for trouble.

noun an official order or commission to do something

verb to give (someone) authority to act in a certain way

• The government issued a mandate requiring all citizens to wear masks in public places.
• My boss gave me a mandate to finish the report by the end of the week.
• I can't believe my parents are mandating that I come home before midnight.
• As a leader, it is my mandate to guide my team towards success.

noun a specified portion or share of something that is allotted to a person or group

adjective relating to or based on a quota

• Each employee is expected to meet their sales quota by the end of the quarter.
• I heard that the boss is cracking down on meeting our quotas this month.
• I'm so behind on my quota, I need to hustle to catch up.
• Setting a quota for daily exercise can help you stay on track with your fitness goals.

noun the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc.

verb to make changes in something in order to improve it

• The government is planning to implement a series of reform measures to improve the economy.
• They're talking about making some changes to the system to fix things.
• They're gonna shake things up and make some tweaks to the way things are run.
• Like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, the reform will bring about a new and improved system.

noun the enforced separation of different racial groups in a country, community, or establishment

• Segregation based on race was a common practice in the United States during the 20th century.
• The segregation of students into different classrooms based on their test scores is unfair.
• I can't believe there's still segregation in this day and age, it's messed up.
• The segregation of tasks among team members led to inefficiency and lack of collaboration.

verb to be thrifty or frugal, to use or provide something in a limited or insufficient amount

• The company is accused of skimping on safety measures to save costs.
• Don't skimp on the ingredients if you want the dish to taste good.
• Stop skimping on the fun, let's go all out tonight!
• She is skimping on her studies and it's starting to show in her grades.

noun the transmission of social values, norms, and practices within a society

• Social reproduction refers to the processes by which society perpetuates itself through the transmission of cultural norms and values from one generation to the next.
• Social reproduction is basically how we pass on our beliefs and traditions to our kids.
• Social reproduction is like society's way of keeping things going from one generation to the next.
• Just like how genes are passed down from parent to child, social reproduction ensures that societal norms and values are inherited by future generations.

noun a noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'counterproductiveness' is a noun that represents the quality of being counterproductive or hindering progress.

• The constant arguing between team members only adds to the counterproductiveness of the project.
• Skipping meetings is just going to make things more counterproductive in the long run.
• Being lazy at work is totally counterproductive to getting anything done.
• His stubbornness was like a wall of counterproductiveness blocking any progress in the negotiation.

adjective relating to or characteristic of a person who is very interested in technical details, especially in political and economic theory

• The academic conference was filled with wonkish presentations on economic policy.
• My wonkish friend loves to debate about politics and government.
• I don't understand all that wonkish jargon they're using in the meeting.
• Her wonkish obsession with data analysis sometimes gets in the way of seeing the bigger picture.

noun a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy

• The advocator presented a well-researched case to the jury.
• She's a strong advocator for animal rights.
• I'm a big advocator for sleeping in on weekends.
• The artist was an advocator for pushing boundaries in her work.