by Leann Zotis

Created on: July 25, 2010   Last Updated: May 15, 2011

Poverty, or the lack of necessary resources to survive at an acceptable living standard, is a critical factor impacting every level of life.  In the realm of education, poverty is more than the lack of physical and financial resources.  Many people must make do with less than they would like to have in order to enjoy a rich, full life, but they don't quite fit the label of "poverty."  Poverty, in its fullest sense, implies such a desperate lack of resources and hope that it causes an overall negative effect on every aspect of a person's existence.  Poverty affects a person and their family at such a deep psychological level that it may destroy the sense of purpose and desire to accomplish future goals because they seem beyond reach.  This can be disastrous in terms of education.

Poverty, at this desperate level, cannot help but have dire consequences for the schooling of children growing up in a poverty stricken environment.  Impoverished children often do not receive the encouragement and support they need from family members to seek value in achieving success in school.  Parents who are struggling to survive have little time or energy to support the educational needs of their children.   The needs of survival in the moment often override any thought for the future.  Children in poverty stricken families are often required to stay home from school to care to younger siblings while parents search in vain for some form of assistance or employment.  Often, children of impoverished homes only have one parent to rely on, putting even more strain on the parent and the child to attempt to hold body and soul together in the day to day struggle for survival.

Poverty strikes a family for a multitude of reasons, but one of the significant factors in poverty is the lack of education and training received by the parents during their own learning years of life.  Some parents in poverty situations see great value in educating their children to rise above the poverty of their young lives and these children can grow and emerge stronger because of their impoverished start in life.  Other parents who have not grasped the value of education for themselves often fail to see value in school attendance for their children.  Even if they do see some value in education, the needs of the moment can outweigh any hoped for a positive outcome for the future. 

Children raised in poverty are often forced to seek some form of employment as soon as they are of any reasonable age to get a job.  This cuts short the minimal educational experience needed to function in a society that places high value on advanced education and a significant level of technical skill sets.  Poverty is a vicious cycle from which is can be difficult to break free.  Once a child has left the school system to enter the work force it is less likely they will return to any meaningful educational experience again.  Life has a way of taking over and that impoverished teenager may become an impoverished parent themselves, setting into motion that same cycle of poverty that leaves yet another generation struggling to find the resources needed to survive. 

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