As such, there is a serious issue with the classroom and the educational system. As a result, we need to concentrate on developing growth mindsets in our children, which is a process that requires time and has to start early. To be more precise, it begins with all the establishments that kids come into contact with, including family and educational establishments.
For the most part, families and institutions work to help kids acquire a development mentality, but it can be difficult for impoverished kids. This is due to the fact that impoverished children frequently do worse on tests or have impaired learning abilities. The primary reason is a lack of a growth mindset, which has an immediate impact on kids’ attitudes and learning abilities.
In 2012, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) expanded the term “poverty” or “poor people” to include those who are not only low-income or experiencing financial difficulty. Structural poverty is another name for poverty that results from widespread deprivation. Including the ability to bargain for public services, access rights, resources, etc. This has a direct impact on factors that affect the development of quality of life, such as a lack of resources, arable land, and education.
Three major problems that impoverished children in Thailand face that lead to a lack of education are not being able to attend school in accordance with the criteria, dropping out of the educational system, and not continuing their studies, according to a survey conducted in 2021 by the Economic and Business Forecasting Center of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. Poor families’ lack of preparation is the main cause of most of these.
The formation of a growth mindset is directly impacted by the educational challenges that impoverished children in Thailand experience. Children from low-income families deal with a lot of challenges and issues. Children become less confident in their abilities to grow and improve as a result of this. They have a propensity to give up easily when faced with difficulties and fail to recognize the importance of education since they believe it is not essential for their own lives. Children from low-income families are therefore more prone to have a fixed worldview.
In addition, poverty has a direct impact on education and the development of a growth mindset among poor children in six dimensions: the economic dimension, the social dimension, the environmental dimension that is conducive to learning, the dimension of health and nutrition, spatial dimension and domicile and the dimension of access to digital technology.
Economic Dimension: When Is Education Expensive?
Economic poverty is the most visible type of poverty. Thai children’s potential will be limited as a result of this economic issue. Parents in low-income households are forced to leave their children alone while they go to work. It will directly affect how ready the kids are for school. Additionally, it results in youngsters spending valuable free time at home since parents must leave for work and have little time for their kids. There are no kid-friendly activities that encourage a growth mentality.
Economic issues also have a direct impact on children’s educational resources, such as books and stories, which help kids develop their foundational knowledge. According to data from UNICEF and the National Statistical Office, the status of the household is correlated with the quantity of children’s books in the home. Three or more children’s books are present in the homes of just 14.4% of children from low-income families. As a result, children from lower-income families have less proficiency in basic reading and numeracy than children from higher-income families.
Furthermore, families are unable to pay for their children’s educations due to financial difficulties. Children are consequently compelled to leave school and join the workforce at a young age. Children who have left the educational system are not developing a growth mindset or learning as much as they ought to. Children who perceive schooling as not essential for survival are also impacted by their parents need to work long hours in order to maintain their family and make a living.
Social Dimension: The inability of children to progress in their social standing over time, generation after generation.
Education undoubtedly contributes significantly to raising one’s social standing. Having a solid educational foundation produces human resources of high caliber. The share of the population living in poverty will decline if more people in the nation complete their basic education.
When underprivileged kids leave the school system too soon, it becomes an issue. It will be challenging for these kids to advance in society. There will be challenges in educating their offspring when these kids grow up to be adults and start families. And in the end, just like them, their kids will have to leave the educational system.
Furthermore, the establishment of family institutions is crucial for cultivating a growth attitude. Additionally, parents must adopt a growth mindset. For instance, a poor child who drops out of school and becomes a parent in a poor household is likely to lack a growth mindset, which makes them doubtful of change, incapable of improving their skills and abilities, and unable to see the need for education. As a result, a fixed mindset is passed down through the generations.
The dimension of the environment that is favorable to learning: When circumstances do not support the development of a growth mindset.
Families experiencing poverty have a child in an environment that is not ideal for education and learning. Examples of such environments include living in a neighborhood or adjacent to a noisy area, being without electricity, being cramped, and having a large family. These diverse settings do not support children’s learning. Reading books, completing homework, or even having a goal to assist parents with their work are all activities that have an impact on how well a child learns.
If impoverished students are allowed to continue in the educational system, they can receive a subpar education. For instance, going to a school without the tools needed for instruction or without any technology to support kids’ learning, and inappropriate treatment of underprivileged pupils may also be a bias of teachers.
The dimension of diet and health: There is no mental or physical energy to learn when the stomach is empty.
Children from lower-class homes are more likely than those from higher-income families to be stunted and skinny. Due to their low finances, these youngsters are unable to eat enough wholesome food. Children in these impoverished communities frequently struggle with eating a healthy breakfast, which hinders their ability to learn when they must attend classes from early in the morning until late at night.
The quality of learning will be impacted by malnutrition and inadequate dietary intake based on age. This is due to the fact that kids won’t have the physical or mental capacity to sustain themselves while learning, which includes paying attention to the teacher during class, completing homework, and taking tests. Alternatively, it can make it impossible to continue in the educational system.
Homeland and spatial dimensions: When poverty is linked to place
Richer families frequently send their children to study in the city, whereas poorer families typically need their children to attend school in rural areas. This illustrates the geographical poverty background of Thai society. Higher prices are associated with the concentration of excellent schools and education in urban areas. Consequently, denying impoverished youngsters the chance to acquire a top-notch education.
Moreover, having an education is linked to the jobs held by parents. Parents who work in agriculture, for instance, frequently send their kids to attend rural schools, which offer a lesser standard of education than urban schools. These kids won’t have as many options in the long term to pursue higher education. This is a result of youngsters not receiving a basic education that is of high enough quality.
Dimension of having access to modern technologies: When inequality is at your fingertips.
Digital technology is currently being used more and more in classroom instruction. It is an integral component of teaching and learning, not just an extra. Children’s abilities and growth mentality can be improved by utilizing modern technology.
The cost of these digital technologies makes them inaccessible to impoverished youngsters, who also face obstacles such as a lack of computers and internet access. In Thailand, the COVID-19 pandemic will be a challenge for education in 2020–2021. A more online classroom-like style has been implemented. Because of this, low-income kids have difficulty in school or may even be expelled from the system.
Advice on how to assist underprivileged kids develop into adults with a growth mindset.
Challenges related to poverty in a variety of aspects hinder the development of a growth mindset in impoverished children. When children’s learning and development are impeded by poverty. Guidelines are therefore required to assist and support impoverished youngsters.
Currently, numerous government and private organizations prioritize providing various forms of assistance to underprivileged children. There are six approaches to providing comprehensive assistance to impoverished children:
1. To prevent students from dropping out of the system during their academic transition phase, a referral system has been established.
2. To enable the youngster to continue his studies and help his family understand the importance of education, work is being done with them.
3. To look after and support kids who are in danger, a social network has been established.
4. Children who are at risk or who are not in the system are supported and encouraged to develop a good self-image and to consider reentering the educational system in the future.
5. Creating a financial plan and establishing objectives to pay off debt helps underprivileged children flourish.
6. Educational options are developed to address future uncertainty and fulfill children’s life demands.
