there are often disparities in job opportunities and income based on ethnicity and gender. It is important to recognize and address these social divisions to create a more equal society. classes. In the article "Social class and educational outcomes: beyond ideology" published in the New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies (2010), it is argued that a family's socioeconomic status can predict a child's academic success, but does not determine their results. Despite this, there are still those who do not believe that children raised in poverty are more likely to underperform in school. A more equal distribution of income in society can lead to fewer social problems. The New Zealand Ministry of Education believes that, with the right skills, teachers can help all students succeed, regardless of their social group. However, this is not always possible as some families living in poverty do not have the necessary resources for their children's education. Parents with higher socioeconomic status have more opportunities to spend time with their children and can afford preschool education. Many schools have a mix of social classes and it is often argued that educational inequality is just one aspect of wider social inequality. Teachers must be able to adapt to each social class in their classroom, but should not be held responsible for the outcomes of different social classes.2010). One of the ways people evaluate someone is based on their characteristics, such as age, ethnicity, or gender, when they first meet (McLennan et al., 2010). As stated by McLeod and Nonnemaker (1999), “social stratification implies social inequality” (p. 321). Social stratification has four structures (poverty, segregation and isolation, prejudice and stigma, limited opportunity structures) that can lead to mental health problems for those labeled as lower class, but can also affect those in the upper class ( McLeod & Nonnemaker, 1999). ). Therefore, teachers must be sensitive to the background of their students and should never assume that everyone comes from the same place, as each student's socioeconomic background brings different abilities to school (Snook & O'Neill, 2010).