I agree with you, but the question that begs for an answer is how do you convince parents living in poverty that education can change the lives of their children and that it is worth the effort? If parents feel it's hopeless, they will teach it to their children by word and deed. Once children believe it, all the education in the world is not going to help. Education may be the long term solution for poverty, but only if the child believes it.I think describing poverty as slavery is a bit extreme, however it is far more difficult for a child raised in poverty to attain anything even close to the American dream. The chance of a child raised in poverty dropping out of school is 5 times as great as a member of upper middle class. Only 1 in 17 students from poor homes with income under $35K can expect to earn a college degree. 1 out of ever 2 kids from families with incomes over $85K, graduate from college. Once in the work force the poor is likely to never make it pass the lower middle class and fall in and out of poverty throughout their lives.
The one trait that most of those living poverty share is a feeling hopelessness. Thinking of oneself as a slave to the system is pretty common.
Poor kids hear over and over in school that no matter how poor you are, you have a chance of making it but they soon they learn that chance is very small.
USATODAY.com - Reality weighs down dreams of college
11 Facts about Education and Poverty in America | Do Something
Mostly the reason why poor children grow up into poor adults is because they come from families that do not value education or achievement. That's why a child from a dirt poor immigrant family has a better chance of being successful than an American child from a poor American family.
The chance of a child raised in poverty dropping out of school is 5 times as great as a member of upper middle class.
The chance of a child raised in poverty having parents that support education is more than five times as great as a member of the upper middle class, or even a poor family who just came here from a third world shithole.
It's all about attitude and something similar to common sense. The parents may figure out they are experiencing poverty because of their lack of education and the drive to get it. Then the drive top work for what they get instead of waiting for miserly handouts.