Effects of poverty on Early

Childhood Education

Mirella Stugient
Zofia Aktonorowicz
What is poverty?
the state or condition of having little or no money, goods, or means of
support; deficiency of necessary or desirable ingredients, conditions, etc.;
scantiness, insufficiency (dictionary.com)

Poverty is defined relative to the standards of living in a society at a specific

time. People live in poverty when they are denied an income sufficient for
their material needs and when these circumstances exclude them from taking
part in activities which are an accepted part of daily life in that society.
(Scottish Poverty Information Unit)

A person is considered poor if his or her income level falls below some
minimum level necessary to meet basic needs. This minimum level is usually
called the poverty line. (The World Bank Organisation)
Child development refers to the process through which human beings typically
grow and mature from infancy through adulthood. The different aspects of growth
and development that are measured include physical growth, cognitive growth,
and social growth.

Early Childhood Education is a broad term used to describe any type of

educational program that serves children in their preschool years, before they are
old enough to enter kindergarten. Early childhood education may consist of any
number of activities and experiences designed to aid in the cognitive and social
development of preschoolers before they enter elementary school.
Effects of poverty on Early Childhood
Education ????
Poverty and Early Childhood Education

1. Disadvantaged before birth

a. prenatal drug use, poor nutrition, exposure to stress and violence prevalent in low-income
households
b. external factors influence cognitive capacity and development from the prenatal stage to
adulthood
2. Less verbal exposure
a. by the age of four 32 mln fewer words heard than better-off peers
b. worse quality: mostly simple and goal-oriented commands
3. Poor sense of agency
a. no conception of being capable of making choices to shape own life
b. low sense of control over life affects educational success and health
4. Low executive function
a. impulse control, attention management, prioritisation of tasks, working memory
b. stress directs energy towards basic survival mechanisms
c. inhibition of neural connections academic and behavioural problems

5. More demanding environment

a. knowledge-based economy need for education
low-income individuals are disadvantaged harder to move out of poverty

6. Its getting worse

a. low-income students 4,5 times more likely to drop out of college
b. financial stability less attainable even for college graduates
Impact of Poverty on Early Childhood Education in
different countries
academic problems

social problems

poor health

poor well-being

academic +social + health+ well-being

problems

low educational achievements

USA
1 child in every 7 will be born into poverty in the United States. Are you surprised?
Poland
Key factor: size of household
34% of families with 4 children below poverty line (2010)
Child poverty
2011: 7.5% are poor (poverty line at 40%)
2011: nearly of those living in absolute poverty are
below the age of 18
 According to Central Statistical Office, over half a million Polish children
are unable to eat a meal containing meat, fish or poultry (...) even once every
two days, because their parents cannot afford it. (thenews.pl)
About 450,000 children do not have all the required school textbooks,
owing to the lack of money. (2014) (thenews.pl)
Children are disadvantaged from early childhood, as pre-kindergarten
schooling is very expensive. In fact, Poland has one of the lowest enrollment
rates for pre-school education. (borgenmagazine.com)
Growing up in poverty usually results in a lower level of health care, worse
achievements in school (below the norm), weaker skills and aspirations,
and eventually in lower earnings. (biznes.interia.pl)
Developing countries
Third World countries
Sub-Saharan Africa
the highest rate of children living in extreme poverty - just under 50%
the largest share of the worlds extremely poor children - just over 50%
> 32 mln children of primary school age remain uneducated
> 50% receive an education for less than 4 yrs (in some countries for less than 2 yrs) -
(extreme) educational poverty
Asia
South Asia: second highest rate - nearly 36% with over 30% of extremely poor children
living in India alone
> 27 mln uneducated children

The sheer number of children in extreme poverty points to a real need to invest
specifically in the early years - in services such as pre-natal care for pregnant
mothers, early childhood development programs, quality schooling, clean water,
good sanitation and universal health care. Poverty and Equity at the World Bank Group
Poverty in early childhood by the numbers
Effects of poverty on Early Childhood
The youngest are the most affected and vulnerable - their rights to survival, growth and
development are at risk.

Poverty defines every aspect of the childs existence from malnutrition and life
expectancy to missing out on school and being abused.

Malnutrition causes permanent and irreversible damage on the body and mind of a
young child.

Poverty causes millions of young citizens to go without teachers, medicines, food and
clean water.

Povertys cycle does not stop in one lifetime: poor and uneducated parents lack the
information needed to provide optimum care for their children; a malnourished girl
becomes a malnourished mother who gives birth to an underweight child.
Reversing the effects of poverty

Early intervention

It is the parent-child relationship that has been proven to have the greatest
influence on reversing the impact of poverty.

Schools make a difference

Activities other than academics, such as sports and lessons in the arts,
have been shown to increase students school readiness.
What can we do?
Advocate for and support schools that strive to achieve equity of outcomes.

Advocate for programs that provide academic, social and community support to
raise the success of disadvantaged children.

Encourage parents to increase their knowledge of child development,

age-appropriate needs and activities.

Indicate the importance of parental support and networks.

Focus on improving teaching and learning across all schools.

Mini quiz
Can you name 5 facts about how poverty impacts early childhood education?

What is an early intervention?

What can schools/teachers do?

 What can WE do??

think of your country and then Third World

countries.
 References
Ferguson, H.B., et al. (2007).The impact of poverty on educational outcomes for children. Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528798/

10 Facts About How Poverty Impacts Education. (http://www.scilearn.com/blog/ten-facts-about-how-poverty-impacts-education)

Definitions of Poverty. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/int/ms/health/wealth/def_of_poverty/definitions.shtml)

The effects of poverty on early childhood.(https://www.unicef.org/sowc01/2-3.htm)

http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/160774,14-million-Polish-children-living-in-poverty

http://www.borgenmagazine.com/poverty-poland/

http://biznes.interia.pl/news/unicef-bieda-w-polsce-duzym-problemem,1566703

http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2016/10/03/nearly-385-million-children-living-extreme-poverty-joint-world-bank-group-unic
ef-study

https://www.humanium.org/en/right-to-education/

https://www.teachers.org.uk/edufacts/child-poverty