Introduction
In 2016, the National Center for Children in Poverty reported that forty-one percent of children in the USA come from low-income families (Boatwright & Midcalf, 2019). Twenty-one percent of American households with kids have income below the federal poverty threshold (Hong et al., 2021). These statistics might seem distant, but each child from these groups is affected by the limiting factor of economic disparity, so it is essential to know about this problem to understand modern societal issues.
Poverty limits the country’s progress and future success, and its effects must be stopped. I am concerned about the topic of education accessibility. This motivated me to research scholarly articles on the harmful factors and how they can be addressed. The studies I have read described how damaging economic problems are and how society can change its status. To inform you about my findings, I will present three main points. First, I will describe how poverty affects educational possibilities. Second, I will examine if these issues can be effectively addressed. Third, I will discuss the basic options to improve the situation.
The Effect of Poverty on Students’ Education
Economic instability may be a substantial limitation to student’s academic success. Boatwright and Midcalf (2019) address this in an article highlighting sad yet essential statistics. An average high-achieving first-grade student is three times more likely to come from a family that does not experience poverty. By fifth grade, this difference becomes even more noticeable as only 56 percent of students from low-income households can keep their grades high (Boatwright & Midcalf, 2019). The authors say this is a systematic problem that may result from generations of oppression. They state that people who do not achieve academic success have fewer resources to afford better education for their kids. Thus, the cycle continues until serious measures are taken.
In addition to a lack of starting resources, kids from low-income families are also affected by social injustice. Hong et al. (2020) report that children from families that receive welfare are at higher risk of being bullied or perpetrating violence towards classmates. This additional stress substantially halts their academic success and leads to failures. This shows that economic problems result in more issues that need to be solved as a complex system, and social factors also play an essential role in this process.
Addressing Poverty Among Students
Now that I have discussed the effect of poverty, I would like to analyze whether this issue can be successfully addressed. If we eliminate the stress connected to economic struggles, academic achievements become more accomplishable. This experiment was conducted by Lewine, Warnecke, and Sommers in 2022 and showed that eliminating stress associated with poverty noticeably increases students’ productivity.
Moreover, this study proved that people from low-income backgrounds usually have comparable learning capabilities but fail due to inability to afford the courses. To solve these issues, some students apply for part-time or even full-time jobs, demanding the time that could be spent studying. These additional challenges correlate with economic conditions and can be addressed by neglecting their harmful effects. Thus, the problem of poverty in education is solvable and should be targeted as a serious issue.
The bullying problem can also be addressed as a part of the poverty issue. Pivoda and Stickney (2020) analyze the impact of social programs on classroom environment and student communication. Eliminating the stigma that forces impoverished kids into the violence cycle increases their chances of achieving academic success. The study by Lewine et al. (2022) also contributes to this discussion by saying that some welfare programs that do not have an attached negative connotation are not associated with increased bullying risk. Therefore, changing the social perception of poverty and welfare may also bring beneficial results.
Multi-Level Strategies and Interventions to Address Poverty
Now that I have proved that this problem can be solved, it is time to highlight the exact methods that can be applied. One of the most effective solutions that can be applied on a personal level is appreciating the role of educators. Pivoda and Stickney’s (2020) review of a book by Gorsky reveals that a systemic approach sufficiently decreases the effect poverty has on the system. This technique involves social activism on three levels: classroom, family, and community.
The first one aims to decrease the role of stigma in interpersonal communication and promote awareness, which prevents violence. The second one’s goal is targeted support of families in need. The personal connection between a teacher and a student’s family may eliminate the disparity in the educational establishment. The last one is used to create a supportive community that helps the less privileged participants and shares the information that is important to know when communicating with impoverished citizens. As a result, while we cannot directly affect the economic side of the problem, there are social measures that can negate the harmful effect of poverty in education.
Conclusion
In conclusion, poverty is a serious and systemic issue that affects education in several ways. It promotes economic instability-adjusted stress and may cause social disparities in the classroom. However, these problems may and must be addressed as some of the damage is done by associated stigma. Therefore, if we approach poverty as a supportive community, some of the harm may be negated, and children receiving education will be more successful in their studies and adult life.
References
Boatwright, P., & Midcalf, L. (2019). The effects of poverty on lifelong learning: Important lessons for educators. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 85(3), 52–57.
Hong, J. S., Choi, J., Espelage, D. L., Wu, C.-F., Boraggina-Ballard, L., & Fisher, B. W. (2021). Are children of welfare recipients at a heightened risk of bullying and peer victimization? Child & Youth Care Forum, 50(3), 547–568. Web.
Lewine, R., Warnecke, A., & Sommers, A. (2022). College students from poverty: Academic success and authenticity. Journal of Poverty, 26(1), 23–31. Web.
Pivoda, K., & Stickney, D. (2020). Review of Reaching and teaching students in poverty: Strategies for erasing the opportunity gap. Education Review, 27. Web.