by Jocellyn Tander, and illustration by Sai Pimpalkar
The eradication of poverty is an issue that has been a central focus of governments and organisations like the United Nations, which have set a Sustainable Development Goal of No Poverty to be achieved by 2030. (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) Education, in particular, is a basis and foundation for young children to prepare for their future in order to land a steady career, but something people in poverty cannot access as they do not have the money for that. Meanwhile, it is inevitably clear that those with a better financial situation always have easier access to these opportunities. Most things in the world don’t come for free, but it is problematic that you need money to make money. Society has developed, but why hasn’t education developed for those in poverty? It is crucial for us to take a step to end poverty for present and future generations to fix the educational gap between young children all around the world.
PC: Sai Pimpalkar
The first group of sectors listed under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 1 is to reduce and eradicate the proportion of individuals around the world living in poverty. Did you know that 75% of people who earn less than $2 do not have access to a bank account? (Renzenbrink, Anne) Set salaries, credit score and minimum balance requirements are just a few of many requirements to open a bank account, but, think about it, isn’t it weird that you need money to qualify to rent a place to store your money? A bank account is a great way for people to store their money safely while also earning interest. It does not make sense to not be able to get a job because you don’t have a place to store your money. In my opinion, jobs should also be able to cater to those in poverty by adjusting their qualifications, such as offering a paycheck cash-out, increasing wages with longer working hours and safer working conditions.
Another example of a right most people don’t have access to is fair wages, unlike those who are more qualified and have access to a wider range of high-paying jobs. But, as a matter of fact, fair wages are the main way for someone to be able to put themselves or their children in school. It is undeniable that there is a difference in pay between physical and knowledge-based jobs, which most people in poverty lack the basic qualifications for, since they were not able to get quality education. It is often seen that those who grew up poor and unable to get the privilege of education will try to succeed in life for future generations. But, just because they don’t have the knowledge to qualify for a high-paying job, doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve the same treatment as those who do. Despite working in the same field, engineers earn over twice as much as construction workers. (Talent.com and Michigan Technological University) Why is it that a job that is associated with higher risks and physical labour pays way less than a job without? It is the same logic as doctors and nurses who spend a similar number of years studying but earning very different paychecks. A debate has been going on for a very long time as people argue about the higher value of knowledge over labour. Personally, it is true that anyone can make an effort, but not just anyone has the knowledge needed to become architects, lawyers or doctors. Nevertheless, if people are desperate and put in their full effort to change their financial situation, don’t they deserve a higher pay and better working conditions?
Moving on, the next set of goals listed under Sustainable Development Goal 1 of No Poverty aims to support and provide better protection for the poor from social and environmental disasters. 26 million people are forced into poverty each year due to natural disasters. (Center for Disaster Philanthropy) Human activity can worsen climate change and make the situation more serious, and guess what, people of the upper class contribute to climate change more than you think. One might argue that these are the same people advocating for less plastic waste, but flying in their private jets everywhere, leaving those who lack the necessary resources to suffer the consequences. Climate change makes natural disasters more prone to happen, and this severely impacts one’s ability to go to school and work. Some people lose electricity for a few days, some have no access to clean water for a few days and some lose their homes after a natural disaster. But others are able to book a hotel for a few days, some are able to go out and buy bottled water and some have the money needed to renovate or buy a new house. But the rest who lack the money have no way of getting back on their feet, lose even more of what they already have and are forced into refugee camps. So, how is it fair that some people cannot afford to stay safe during natural disasters while some can do a lot more than just stay safe?
In conclusion, the eradication of poverty is crucial to tackling the problem of the accessibility of education for younger generations as they are a guide and hope for future opportunities. Poverty can limit the number of rights one has, and such include fair wages and social or environmental protection. Without these basic rights or privileges, people in poverty aren’t able to get access to quality education, which is a crucial part of a child’s learning and development process. It is important that our current generation make an effort to come up with solutions to end poverty and guarantee the right to education for kids all around the world.
Bibliography
“Construction Worker Salary in USA.” Talent.com, www.talent.com/salary?job=construction+worker. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.
“Goal 1: End Poverty in All Its Forms Everywhere.” United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/poverty/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
“People Experiencing Poverty.” Center for Disaster Philanthropy, disasterphilanthropy.org/resources/people-experiencing-poverty/. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.
Renzenbrink, Anne. “World Bank: 75% of Poor Don’t Have Bank Accounts.” CNN, 19 Apr. 2012, edition.cnn.com/2012/04/19/business/poor-bank-accounts/. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.
“2023 Engineering Salary Statistics.” Michigan Technological University, Michigan Technological University, www.mtu.edu/engineering/outreach/welcome/salary/. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.
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