No one can blame a child in a poor community who fails to achieve certain academic standards when faced with huge inequalities in the quality of education. Therefore, you would think there would be a relative consensus that we as a society should do more to help these children.
Instead, the blame game takes center stage. The middle-class and above often blame the parents and guardians of these children characterizing them as unmotivated, lazy, and entitlement-dependent. The parents on the other hand frequently hold the schools and government accountable. No matter where the blame is directed or where it rests, the fact remains the children are innocent.
These kids have enough going against them. The average middle-class child has a relatively stable home environment, well educated parents, some degree of family wealth, and a solid support network. None of this exists in many poor households.
If government with societal support could sustain comprehensive, concerted, and substantive programs to give children the education they need to compete, a whole generation could rise out of the perpetual cycle of poverty. And the cost would likely to be less than the parade of half-hearted, disingenuous, band-aid solutions implemented since the New Deal.
Unfortunately, this is not likely to happen anytime soon, in fact, it may never happen. There is hope, however. Having mentored three young boys over the past 12 years, as well as producing several video documentaries about underserved children who succeed in adulthood, I have seen one common thread that applies to just about every success. That thread is a strong-willed parent or guardian who stresses education, while guiding the child with consistency, tenacity, encouragement, and love.
These parents (hereafter to include guardians) relentlessly police their children to make absolutely certain they are always doing their school work and building other life skills necessary to succeed. Of course, not every parent has the wherewithal to do this, but the ones who do cannot afford to pass up an opportunity to help ensure their child has a better life. This is no easy task for many, particularly for grandparents who should be enjoying their golden years, or single, working mothers who toil long hours in grueling jobs.
In the absence of these guiding parents, children come home from school and do nothing except watch TV, play video games, and interact with other children who are often reinforcing negative behavior. Summers are spent much the same way. All this while advantaged kids are far more likely to be doing their homework and honing their academic skills in the summer, thereby gaining an even greater advantage.
Surprisingly, some parents simply acquiesce to the will of the child, while others allow their children to participate in decisions that affect their future, at an age when they are incapable of understanding the ramifications. If given the chance, a child will invariably make the wrong decision.
After school programs, educational summer camps, and mentors can help, but they will not bear a lot of fruit without a dedicated parent at home. Furthermore, non-profits are often under-funded, and consequently understaffed and mismanaged. The level of support parents assume their children are getting may not be the case. And mentors are part-time and do not typically get involved in day-to-day academic support.
Like it or not, the schools, non-profits, and mentors are not going to have any profound affect on a child unless the parent nurtures a home environment conducive to learning and shelters the child from the negative influences of media and the neighborhood. Only then will a child have any real chance of breaking free of poverty.
© Copyright 2012, Jeff Gewert
Instead, the blame game takes center stage. The middle-class and above often blame the parents and guardians of these children characterizing them as unmotivated, lazy, and entitlement-dependent. The parents on the other hand frequently hold the schools and government accountable. No matter where the blame is directed or where it rests, the fact remains the children are innocent.
These kids have enough going against them. The average middle-class child has a relatively stable home environment, well educated parents, some degree of family wealth, and a solid support network. None of this exists in many poor households.
If government with societal support could sustain comprehensive, concerted, and substantive programs to give children the education they need to compete, a whole generation could rise out of the perpetual cycle of poverty. And the cost would likely to be less than the parade of half-hearted, disingenuous, band-aid solutions implemented since the New Deal.
Unfortunately, this is not likely to happen anytime soon, in fact, it may never happen. There is hope, however. Having mentored three young boys over the past 12 years, as well as producing several video documentaries about underserved children who succeed in adulthood, I have seen one common thread that applies to just about every success. That thread is a strong-willed parent or guardian who stresses education, while guiding the child with consistency, tenacity, encouragement, and love.
These parents (hereafter to include guardians) relentlessly police their children to make absolutely certain they are always doing their school work and building other life skills necessary to succeed. Of course, not every parent has the wherewithal to do this, but the ones who do cannot afford to pass up an opportunity to help ensure their child has a better life. This is no easy task for many, particularly for grandparents who should be enjoying their golden years, or single, working mothers who toil long hours in grueling jobs.
In the absence of these guiding parents, children come home from school and do nothing except watch TV, play video games, and interact with other children who are often reinforcing negative behavior. Summers are spent much the same way. All this while advantaged kids are far more likely to be doing their homework and honing their academic skills in the summer, thereby gaining an even greater advantage.
Surprisingly, some parents simply acquiesce to the will of the child, while others allow their children to participate in decisions that affect their future, at an age when they are incapable of understanding the ramifications. If given the chance, a child will invariably make the wrong decision.
After school programs, educational summer camps, and mentors can help, but they will not bear a lot of fruit without a dedicated parent at home. Furthermore, non-profits are often under-funded, and consequently understaffed and mismanaged. The level of support parents assume their children are getting may not be the case. And mentors are part-time and do not typically get involved in day-to-day academic support.
Like it or not, the schools, non-profits, and mentors are not going to have any profound affect on a child unless the parent nurtures a home environment conducive to learning and shelters the child from the negative influences of media and the neighborhood. Only then will a child have any real chance of breaking free of poverty.
© Copyright 2012, Jeff Gewert
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