When we define poverty in schools, we primarily mean the percentage of students who are eligible for the free and reduced-price meal program. For the 2015-16 school year, income eligibility for reduced-price meals was 185 percent of the federal poverty line and 130 percent for free meals
Access to high-quality primary education and supporting child well-being is a globally-recognized solution to the cycle of poverty. This is, in part, because it also addresses many of the other issues can keep communities vulnerable.
Like a tree, poverty has many roots. But among the many causes of global poverty, one factor stands out: education. Not every person without an education is living in extreme poverty. But most of those living in extreme poverty do lack a basic education. Those living below the poverty line will also be more likely to keep their children out of school, which means that their children will also have a greater chance of living in poverty.
Education is often referred to as the great equalizer: It can open the door to jobs, resources, and skills that a family needs to not just survive, but thrive. Access to high-quality primary education and supporting child well-being is a globally-recognized solution to the cycle of poverty. This is, in part, because it also addresses many of the other issues can keep communities vulnerable. Let’s look at 3 ways education is the secret ingredient to ending extreme poverty.
THE IMPACT OF EDUCATION ON POVERTY: FACTS
Education directly correlates with many solutions to poverty, including:
Economic growth
Reduced income inequality
Reduced infant and maternal deaths
Reduced stunting
Reduced vulnerability to HIV and AIDS
Reduced violence at home and in society
According to UNESCO, if all students in low-income countries had just basic reading skills (nothing else), an estimated 171 million people could escape extreme poverty. If all adults completed secondary education, we could cut the global poverty rate by more than half.
