A kid's early childhood education is crucial. More or less, the schooling and environment the kid's eyes open up in would build the foundation of his/her future. Unfortunately for lower-income families, the available opportunities and resources for kids are scarce. This influences poor children's attitude and openness for learning---showing disinterest or lack of enthusiasm to learn further and pursue higher education.
National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education is required to submit an annual report to Congress on the current "Condition of Education." The report is a summary of education trends and developments based on available data about population characteristics, participation in education, elementary and secondary education and postsecondary education.
One of the main points in this year's report is the impact of a family's wealth in education. As early as kindergarten, wealth disparity among the students already shows its divisive effects--the gap widening between the learning levels of rich and poor kids.
As per the Huffington Post, kids coming from families who are in the lower income brackets enter school without the passion for studying. As a child, they were not given toys or educational materials to play with unlike rich children who had easy access to these resources. As a growing kid, he/she produces lower grades and are more prone to drop out of school.
The good news is the report shows a high growth curve of interest among poor students. If the school is able to inculcate and hone a positive mindset for learning among all kids, both rich and poor students produce academic gains (via Huffington Post).
Nevertheless, the wealth discrimination in education is becoming more and more a problem for society. Parent Herald reported in a previous article that the current college admission system per se, indirectly discriminates its applicants based on wealth. Aspiring poor students don't bother to enroll at Ivy League universities anymore for lack of money, confidence and connections.
According to the Huffington Post, 20 percent of Americans under 18 were poor in 2014, five points higher than in the year 2000. This corresponds to the inaccessibility of a college education for most.
Data also shows that upon graduating from high school, Hispanics and Blacks, who are mostly from the lower income end, take an associate degree or enroll in an occupational certificate program. More whites and Asian/Pacific Islanders go on to take their coveted Bachelor degrees.
Because of the current financial situation of most, it is highly important that the student's will to learn further is greater than his/her family's lack of money to proceed. This is why Grace Kena, one of the report's authors as per the Huffington Post, emphasizes the importance of a positive approach in learning such as acknowledging students when they get high grades and the need to change some teaching mechanisms to impact change.
Do you think that the poorer a person is, the harder it is for him/her to receive quality education? Shoot below your thoughts on the Comments section below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
