The culture of poverty
Poverty is one of the main causes of failure in school. Although theorists warn against the use of deficit theories to connect low social-economic standing with failure in school, it is still clear that some students fail to succeed in school because of forces which are beyond their control (Donna, 2008). It has been hard for a certain student succeed in class work because of reasons that are out of his control. This student has not been able to remain in class most of the time because of the lack of school fees. The student is brought up by poor parents who cannot afford to pay school fees for this student and this has made it hard for the student to succeed in class. In addition, the student is brought up in an area where most of the children of his age do not attend school and this has greatly affected the performance of the student (Donna, 2008). Although the student is encouraged to read while at home, this student cannot study at home due to the lack of good environment for study while at home. This shows that the causes of failure for this student are beyond his control.
Apart from the lack of school fees and good study environment while away from school, this student does not get access to the required textbooks and other study equipment. In addition, the student is also affected by other poverty related problems such as lack of basic needs which affects his performance at school (Ruby, 2005). Due to poverty, this student does not have a hope of pursuing his studies in the future and thus he is so discouraged leading to poor class performance.
It is good to find effective ways of teaching students effectively despite the poor socio-economic factors. Teachers should encourage students to work hard in class and give them a hope for the future despite their low socio-economic backgrounds (Lizette, 2009). In addition, teachers must also ensure that the most essential books are provided by the school in order to ensure that each student has access to such books. Moreover, teachers need to talk to parents of the students from poor families and request them to provide a better study environment. Lastly, providing scholarships to the poor children can also help them to study effectively. In this connection, it is good to identify the best ways to effectively teach students regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds (Lizette, 2009).
References:
Donna W. (2008). Why culture counts: Teaching children of poverty. New York. Penguin
Publishers
Lizette H. (2009). Poverty is not a learning disability: equalizing opportunities for low SES
student. New York. Corwin Press
Ruby K. (2005). A Framework for understanding poverty. New York. Penguin Publishers
