The Narrative

Dean Winther

English 101

31 March 2020

The Impact of Poverty on Education in America

Opening

Poverty is an element of sociological and economic total measure of an individual’s experience and social-economic position compared to others. Social-economic status is commonly broken down into three levels, these include low, middle and high class. When placing families in one of these classes, any of the three variables are likely to be assessed: occupation, education and income. Poverty is classified under low income and involves limited resources to meet basic needs. The level of poverty is approximately 15%, implying that about 1 in every 6 Americans are living in poverty. This slater translates that 1 in every 5 children in the United States is living in poverty. Further, it has been noted that 30% of children raised below poverty lines barely complete their high school education. In that light, children are one of the most hit by the implication of poverty and this is evidenced in their poor cognition and overall educational development.

Social-economic difference and education

Among other things, low income has been noted to be a strung predictor of a series of issues such as physical and mental health that later affects the learning and education development of children. Poverty as a problem later affects the living and learning environments of the children, or, in the case of inadequate learning resources, maybe the entire cause of the child’s social predicament to start with. Education in affluent families is often stressed as much more crucial, both within the household and in the local communities. However, in poorer families, where necessities are a priority, education has taken a “backseat” (Capra, 76). These children face a series of health and social challenges such as negative social influence, drug and substance abuse.

The implication of poverty on education

The implication of poverty on children is one of the complex issues and has been noted to result in complex challenges for children and their families. While it can be argued that the United States economy is stable (compared to its peers), poverty is still an issue in various parts, particularly the south. The study by (Capra, 77) noted that poverty is an urgent problem that affects education among children living in the south.

Poverty reduces the reediness of a child for school as it results in poor motor skills and physical health, diminishing the capacity of these children to concentrate and memorize details. Further, it affects their attentiveness, motivation and curiosity. According to Taylor (par. 4), intelligence is linked to health and children from poor families are less likely to receive prompt medical care and interventions. Students experiencing poor health and diminishing health practices find it harder to listen, concentrate and learn. Further, one of the reasons that demotivate children is lack of hope and optimism. Poverty and accomplishing social-economic challenges are linked to depression and stress (Silva-Laya, et al. 15) stress and frustrations form poor nutrition, housing conditions and other factors have been noted to affect the physical and cognitive development of children. Consequently, one of the clear implications of poverty to the educational development of children is that they enter schools with readiness gaps, which widens as they develop further. These children later feel alienated from society, suffer from insecurities as a result of their social-economic status; and dread the implications of their poverty.

Works Cited

Capra, Theresa. "Poverty and its impact on education: Today and tomorrow." Thought & Action

(2009): 75.

Kelley Taylor (2017). Poverty Long-Lasting Effects on Students’ Education and Success.

https://www.insightintodiversity.com/povertys-long-lasting-effects-on-students-education-and-success/

Silva-Laya, Marisol, et al. "Urban Poverty and Education. A Systematic Literature Review."

Educational Research Review (2019).