Is Education the Answer? Cancel Title is required

Yes, of course it is! A good education is likely the only way for our sponsor children to rise up from poverty. 


But, it’s not as easy as simply staying in school. There are obstacles beyond financial issues that stand in the way of our kids getting ahead merely through the virtue of school attendance, and these problems need to be acknowledged and discussed.  


Graduating From High School (or the equivalent) Might Not Be Enough


Just like in the United States, a basic education isn’t likely to get a person any further than working behind a counter in a fast food restaurant. I’m not saying that our kids should drop out of school if college isn’t a possibly - not at all. Education is valuable in and of itself, even if it doesn’t lead to an awesome job. The very act of learning keeps the brain sharp, teaches problem-solving skills, and exposes a person to new and useful ideas. I would always encourage a kid to stay in school for those reasons alone…but I’m also supportive of my sponsor kids dropping out early to take vocational training or to start working in a family business or another available field. It’s good to be realistic about how you will support yourself and your family as an adult. 


Higher Learning is Hard!


Graduating from a university with a degree is the surest way for our kids to break the bonds of poverty, but just having a sponsor who can afford to pay their college tuition may not be enough. Even with financial help, our children may not be academically equipped to face the challenge of attending a university in their country. I’m not saying our kids are dumb, but we have to realize that they may not have the advantages of a quality learning environment. At home, they might be forced to study in a poorly lit multi-purpose room with no table for their books and a bunch of younger children running around. Their parents may not be able to help if they have questions about what they are learning. The schools they attend very possibly have low educational standards. In my experience, many, many schools - particularly government run schools - are underfunded, lack resources, and have undertrained staff or staff who don’t really care. I used to teach 5th grade at a well-reputed private school in Karachi, Pakistan, and the place was awful! Case in point - I taught there. I was 20 years old and had no teaching degree. 


The Jobs Have to be Available


The job market is not strong in many of the countries where CI works. One of my sponsor families in Honduras sacrificed to put their smartest son through business school. His education was supposed to be the family’s salvation after the father died, but although he graduated with high marks, Jimi has been unable to find employment. He moved to the city and is just scraping by while he searches for a job, but businesses only want to hire applicants who can speak English. 


Note: It might be worth talking to your child and CI about the possibility of English lessons! 


Leaving Your Community is Scary!


Poverty is difficult, but so is living in isolation. A lot of our kids have grown up in rural areas where they are surrounded by family, but where their options for lucrative employment are slim to none. In order to make real money, they would have to leave the security of everything they know to first attend university and then to relocate to an area where jobs are available. In more industrialized countries, making the transition from childhood to self-supporting adulthood is a lot easier because the change in lifestyle isn’t so drastic. Also, most of us in North America and Europe either don’t live within a close-knit community, or, if we do, it’s a community that we don’t have to leave in order to have a secure financial future. Having visited all of my sponsored kids, I can see that there are some of them who will be unlikely to venture far from the family farm or business, even if that means living out their lives in poverty. (Personally, I’m glad for this, because I can’t afford college tuition and I feel guilty about that with some of my kids!)


I’m not writing any of this to sound discouraging. Many of you will and do have graduated sponsor kids who attend universities or professional programs and perform very well. Higher education does work out for many kids, and these kids should be supported and encouraged. Even those of us who don’t have the financial security to pay for our children’s college tuition might still have sponsor kids who are able to attend a university through other means - for example, many governments offer free education to young people who test highly enough to qualify for admission. Many of our kids have dreams and goals that drive them to succeed, which is wonderful, but I don’t think less of those kids who are less ambitious. 


I am talking about all of this in the wake of visiting my two 16-year-old girls in Guatemala, both of whom have chosen to stop attending school. 


Magda has expressed interest in the past of being either a nurse or a secretary, but has since decided that continuing her education will not be useful for her, despite receiving financial support from the sponsorship community (I will be contacting donors individually to discuss alternate uses for their contributions). Right now, Magda and her older sister alternate between earning money working on a farm and staying home to care for the younger children in the extended family. Magda lives in a very remote area, far even from a drivable road, and in a community made up almost entirely of relatives. None of them seem to leave the land they’ve occupied apparently for generations. Obviously, I would support Magda if she chose to be a black sheep and leave her community, but I also understand how comfortable she feels there. I suppose she’ll have to leave her family if she decides to marry, but probably only to another nearby community.


Odilia has also quit school, but she lives closer to the CI community center and has remained active in their program for teens. I didn’t get a clear idea of what she does with them exactly, but she’s excited about the program and finds it very fulfilling. Like with Magda, a traditional career would not be possible for Odilia unless she were to leave her family unit. There are very few businesses in Patulul, and the ones that exist are probably family-run and unlikely to hire outside workers. 


That’s all I have to say on this subject. We talk a lot on MSC about helping our kids get educated, but I’d like to hear people’s opinions on our kids NOT pursuing an education.   

That's kind of sobering and kind of scary. I wonder if I'm too utopian and imposing values and ideals that may not be culturally appropriate in all circumstances. It kind of upset me in the van to hear talk about Magda's decision after she seemed so enthusiastic about returning to school. Did Miguel make the right decision for him? Who knows?

I hope all my kids will defy the odds. I try to be realistic but am I prepared for future educational decisions that are more the norm? I'm not sure. I don't want them to end up underemployed. You mentioned learning English. I had a couple of tour guides talk about the importance of that for them. They learned early in private school having a sponsor pay for it. So I wonder if it's something worth bringing up with maybe Uzias and Drake's families.

Great insights MackyMack and I find many of your points true! 

MackyMack: I agree with everything you wrote. The only thing I would add is that in some countries even with an associates degree and good grades there is stiff competition for even low paying jobs. Often workers must leave their county to find work. And if they can find a job in their own country those jobs pay so little. Not enough to raise them  out of poverty or enable them to provide for their own children. In some countries the government is very corrupt and seldom acts in the best interests of their poor.

I definitely agree with everything everyone has posted above. I think it would be very, very hard for me to come to terms with my child choosing not to continue in school, especially If they had made it to a high grade without much struggle (I know some people just aren't cut out for school or have learning disabilities that aren't able to be adequately addressed in a poverty stricken school - something I would find it easier to understand but something that would be hard to know without 1+ visits!). I would definitely support them choosing to instead go into a vocational program or other training, but then again it is difficult to find jobs in many places (it's even difficult in the USA a lot of times). Harsh realities, and lots of things worth considering.  

That was wonderful in so many ways. Thank you Macky.

This is part of a thank you letter from my Angela's aunt Leah who was her guardian for a while whom I commissioned to play Santa Clause for me this Christmas.
"After I graduated from college I was so lucky I got hired to job I applied for. From then on almost all my earnings are for my family. And that is also the reason why I married late. Then when I had my own family my support to my parents has also become limited, but I wasn't that sad Mr. Stephens (grandpa) because youwere there all the time. A watery eyes while writing this letter because I cannot thank you enoughfor all your love and support. I could only pray that all of the graceses of almighty God showered upon uou and your whole family. A warm heart felt thank you Mr. Stephens."
So, you see that even a college education doesn't guarantee a way out of poverty. If Leah had taken her education and went on her own, things would be good, but family is the most important for our kids.

Thank you Macky for sharing the reality that many of our sponsored children face. I just received a letter from one of my Filipino boys, who just turned 16, that he was dropping out of school. Prior to this, he had always said how much he enjoyed school, was doing well, and had dreams to graduate and possibly go to college. So, it was quite a shock when I first read that he had dropped out. He told me it was his decision to drop out, and I had to face the fact that he probably won't go back. He said school was getting too hard. I have already written him back, telling him that I appreciated his courage in telling me, but also asking if he would consider some type of vocational training. I just can't totally give up yet! We all want what is best for our sponsored children, but do have to realize that they have to make their own decisions on what is best for themselves and their families. I think it would be very difficult and very scary to move far away from everyone and everything you've ever known your whole life.

This thread is all very realistic and sponsors should be prepared for reality. It doesn't make it less depressing though.

I think this is something that you learn over time with the kids, especially if you visit.  I'm hopeful that Jose will pursue his dream of being a doctor, but he's also in Patulul and I won't be surprised if moving to Guatemala City to attend the public university ends up not happening.  Sometimes, even if both child and sponsor are willing, like with Juan, the family decides that they can only afford to have one child attend university at a time and the others need to work.  You hope they'll eventually get their turn, like Lovely did, but sometimes that isn't the case.

It also helps to know that trade careers can still pay a livable wage in other countries.  When I was in Guatemala, my tour guide told me that auto mechanics (Edy's goal) make enough to support a family in a middle class condition, as do bilingual tour guides.

The level of difficulty in regards to education is greater in some countries than others and even different regions.  Of my kids, I consider my rural Guatemalan kids least likely to pursue upper education, although I strongly encourage it.  On the other end, it seems easiest for Filipino urban kids to obtain higher education.  Of course, I don't have kids in all of CI's countries, so this is just my experience so far with teens.