RECHELLE ALBITO GRADE 12 HUMSS - JUSTICE

The Obstacle of Poverty to Success

Equations in Mathematics cannot satisfy a hungry stomach. A significant issue

for many states is the availability of universal primary education. According to studies,
more than 72 million children worldwide are still not in school as a result of deprivation
and marginalization. With over 32 million kids of primary school age still out of school,
Sub-Saharan Africa is the region most severely affected. Children's mental and physical
health are directly impacted by poverty, and this may have an impact on how well they
perform in school.

The following evidence may prove the claim that poverty is indeed a hindrance to
success especially of children. Poverty and education are inextricably linked because
those who are poor can neglect attending school in order to find employment, leaving
them without the literacy and numeracy skills necessary to advance their careers. Years
later, their children are in a situation similar to their own, with little money and no choice
but to quit school and find a job. According to Ferguson, Bovaird, and Mueller (2007), as
evidenced by assessments of students' readiness for school, children from low-income
families frequently begin school behind their more affluent peers. Moreover, according
to a study by Sénéchal, M., & LeFevre, J. (2014), kids from lower-income families
perform significantly worse than kids from higher-income families on tests of vocabulary
and communication skills, number knowledge, copying and symbol use, concentration
span, and cooperative play with other kids. In addition, many developing nations do not
allocate the funds required to build schools, provide educational supplies, or hire and
train teachers. The international community has pledged money, but it typically isn't
enough to enable countries to set up a system of education for all children. According to
the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), low-income countries receive only 20% of
all educational aid. In contrast, the average cost of educating a child for 13 years in
developing nations is $1.25 per day. Poor education and lack of education have
detrimental effects on the general public and nation. The lack of fundamental
knowledge among the school-age population severely hampers the social and
economic advancement of these nations. Other people believe that wealth does not
guarantee success and poverty will never be a hindrance to achieve success however,
education helps the economy grow because it gives people the skills to find better jobs
and earn more money. According to UNESCO, if all adults completed secondary
education, nearly 60 million people could escape poverty and 420 million could do the
same if they had just two more years of education. Receiving an education is one of the
best ways to achieve financial stability, and lack of access to education is a significant
predictor of poverty passing down from one generation to the next.

The ability to access jobs, resources, and skills that enable one to not only
survive but also thrive is one of the reasons why education is frequently referred to as
the great equalizer. Because of this, having access to a good education is considered a
recognized antidote to poverty. Numerous other problems that can keep individuals,
families, and even entire communities vulnerable to the cycle of poverty can be resolved
 with education. Now the question to ponder is, is poverty really a hindrance or a
challenge?

REFERENCES:

Ferguson, H. B., Bovaird, S., & Mueller, M. (2007). The impact of poverty on educational

outcomes for children. Paediatrics and Child Health, 12(8), 701–706.

https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/12.8.701

Sénéchal, M., & LeFevre, J. (2014). Continuity and Change in the Home Literacy Environment

as Predictors of Growth in Vocabulary and Reading. Child Development, 85(4), 1552–

1568. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12222

Rodriguez, L. (2020). Understanding How Poverty is the Main Barrier to Education. Global

Citizen. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/poverty-education-satistics-facts/

Rueckert, P. (2019). 10 Barriers to Education That Children Living in Poverty Face. Global

Citizen. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/10-barriers-to-education-around-the-

world-2/