Many children go through difficulties as a result of poverty. This is especially the case in most third world countries in Africa, but similar poverty levels are rampant in different countries around the world. Reduced academic performance is directly linked to poverty irrespective of the level of poverty. It is basically very hard for children from poor backgrounds to achieve anything, especially when they lack access to good schools and proper success tools as far as education goes. The truth is that poverty directly affects education in more than one way.

Physical effects of poverty on education

When talking physical effects, diet and nutrition come into play. Poor children rarely get any dietary balance considering that food can be expensive especially the fresh options. The most such children can afford is cheap, fast food that does not add much to their health. This is considering that responsibilities can be a little overwhelming for the parents even when they hold multiple jobs. Bills come first before food and usually, the children are left to fend for themselves. With improper diets comes poor health meaning the children are prone to illnesses that usually will go untreated. With this regard, poor children miss school more.

Hungry or ill children have issues with concentration. They just have too many things going on in their minds, hence they are not as physically ready for class work as they should be. Most will not only miss out on class work, but also any physical activities meant to improve their mind and body wellbeing.

Cognitive effects of poverty on education

The cognitive levels of children from poor backgrounds are not as impressive. They tend to have short spans of attention and most are easily distracted making it hard for them to even monitor schoolwork quality effectively. Poor working memory and inability to connect cause and effects that are normal in regular children seem to also take center stage. It is usually due to environmental exposure to things such as lead found in old run-down buildings and homes. Those with untreated illnesses like ear infections can also end up with hearing loss making it even harder for them to concentrate or grasp what is being taught to them.

Generally speaking, poverty can take a toll on children such that they are stressed and lack the basics that make a difference. Their minds focus more on problems at home than on class work and even the education they can afford to access does not add much value to their lives because it lacks in most ways. Besides the physical and cognitive effects, therefore, such children face social-emotional challenges that not only affect their education but how they look at life in general. There is a great need to relieve poverty situations, especially as far as education goes so all children can enjoy learning a fairground to become the best they can be. Fortunately, there are lots of non-profit organizations coming to the aid of such children.