Without proper finances, it is close to impossible for a child to go through the education system and come out with a legitimate education. The costs of textbooks, school supplies and tuition climb every year.

College tuitions are at an astronomical rate, closing the door for many children who deserve a proper education but simply cannot afford one. On Wednesday, Aug. 12, Mayor Dr. Otis Johnson of Savannah, Georgia held an event called “Education vs. Poverty” that explained the vicious cycle of education and poverty.

Dr. Johnson said on Wednesday, “Without an education you’re going to most likely end up being poor. So if we want to deal with the question of poverty, we have to start with the discussion of education.” His event was set up as a forum in which the audience watched a series of videos on how the costs of education sparked higher poverty rates.

A major point in the event was discussing the disparity between children that enter school coming from homes in poverty versus children that come from financially stable backgrounds. A quote from an article from WSAV in Georgia said, “Children that are coming from high-poverty homes are children that are coming from homes that tend to have fewer books, that tend to have fewer conversations about the sort of thing that they’re learning about in school. There’s a disconnect that develops between what they’re hearing at home and what they’re hearing at school.” It becomes incredibly difficult for these children to succeed in the system when they start behind their classmates.

The situation makes it difficult for children to achieve success in education if the costs to do so make impossible for them to succeed. As Dr. Johnson pointed out, the matter is cyclical with education in poverty, but something must be done to break this cycle and allow the youth in this country to realize their dreams of higher education and a better life.

– Diego Catala

Sources: WSAV, Do Something
Photo: Mzansi Spelling Bee