Relationship between poverty and education. Basically how does poverty affect children''s education.

Relationship between poverty and education. Basically how does poverty affect children''s education.

It is widely agreed that the relationship between poverty and education operates in two directions: poor people are often unable to obtain access to an adequate education, and without an adequate education people are often constrained to a life of poverty. However, before addressing the interrelationships between poverty and education, it is important to discuss the concept of poverty. Poverty has many dimensions and does not merely entail low levels of income or expenditure. The work of Amartya Sen (1992, 2001) has broadened our understanding of poverty by defining it as a condition that results in an absence of the freedom to choose arising from a lack of what he refers to as the capability to function effectively in society. This multidimensional interpretation moves far beyond the notion of poverty as being solely related to a lack of financial resources. For example, Sen's viewpoint would suggest that inadequate education could, in itself, be considered as a form of poverty in many societies.

When considering poverty's linkages with a lack of sufficient financial resources it is useful to consider the two distinct components of absolute and relative poverty. Absolute poverty is the absence of financial resources required to maintain a certain minimal standard of living. For example, an absolute poverty line can be set, based on factors such as the financial resources needed for the most basic needs or the income level required to purchase basic food needs (Fields, 2000; Deaton, 1997). Such poverty lines need to be adjusted for inflation if they are to be used at different time points. A poverty line commonly used by the World Bank for making international comparisons is US$1 per person per day, or sometimes US$2 per person per day. This kind of absolute poverty line provides a fixed yardstick against which to measure change. For example, to see whether a country is making any progress in reducing poverty, or to compare several countries or several regions.

In contrast, relative poverty is seen as poverty that is partly determined by the society in which a person lives. Someone who may not be regarded as poor in Bangladesh may (with the same financial resources) be considered as poor in Sweden. By absolute poverty standards, such as the designation of US$1 per person per day, few people ...