Poverty Myth #2

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FACT: The Cost of "Free" Schooling Can Be High

Free primary education is constitutionally mandated in many countries. This may be true in the narrow sense that public schools do not charge for tuition. But the real cash cost of schooling for parents turns out to be quite high. These “hidden” costs include, for instance, fees for clothes, textbooks, snacks, sports equipment, and so on. The pressure of assuming these financial burdens while losing a potential helping hand at home or another household income (some form of child labor is common in many parts of the developing world) often proves to be more than poor families can bear. In addition, the poor quality of primary schooling eliminates any incentive the family may have to send their children to school.

The PROBE survey revealed, for example, that north Indian parents spend, on average, 318 Rupees (around US $7) per year on every child who goes to school. This amount, though not seemingly high, can be a formidable financial burden for many poor families struggling to afford basic resources like food, shelter and medicine. For example, an agricultural laborer in north India with three children would have to work for about 40 days out of the year just to keep his or her children in school. The annual $7 fee is also an under-estimate, as it assumes that children are already equipped with related necessities like proper clothing, textbooks and stationary items that many people in the developing world do not have. Therefore, while parents often spend all they can afford to send their kids to school, the children are still unprepared and unable to truly learn.

What needs to be done? First, we need to stop blaming the poor. Societies must acknowledge their obligation to provide good quality basic education to all children. If parents are discouraged from sending their children to school, it is because they feel that schooling is often a waste of time and money. In many cases, school quality and teacher training are in such a sorry state that many children who attend school end up not learning the basic reading and writing skills even after completing primary school. Second, policy measures are needed to reduce the “hidden costs” of schooling. Free school meals, subsidized textbooks, scholarships for the poor, and safe transport facilities should be provided by the appropriate governing bodies to get all children--and in many societies, girls in particular--to attend school regularly and really learn effectively.

Poverty Myths

Poverty Myth #1: Are illiterate parents interested in sending their children to school?

Poverty Myth #10: Child labor, not education, helps families end the cycle of poverty.

Poverty Myth #11: By increasing per capita income, poor countries can become developed by 2015.

Poverty Myth #12: Modern medicine and technology have eliminated pregnancy- and birth-related deaths around the world.

Poverty Myth #13: Poor women do not benefit from microcredit programs.

Poverty Myth #14: Basic education does not help people living in poverty.

Poverty Myth #15: Increased food availability will reduce hunger caused by famines.

Poverty Myth #16: Raising incomes is the best way to reduce poverty.

Poverty Myth #17: The Millennium Development Goals focus on eradicating poverty by the year 3000.

Poverty Myth #3: Children do not attend school because it is too far away.

Poverty Myth #4: Societies and countries are poor because their populations are large.

Poverty Myth #5: Reducing birth rates in developing countries will end poverty.

Poverty Myth #6: Girls drop out of school because it is too hard for them.

Poverty Myth #7: Strict population control measures are the most effective way to slow down population growth in developing countries.

Poverty Myth #8: Indian children are malnourished because they do not have enough food.

Poverty Myth #9: Limited or no access to drugs is the single greatest impediment to stopping the AIDS pandemic.