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Education Struggles in Latin America
In America, the majority of children eagerly await their summer break. They look forward to living in June and July, when there are no obligations related to school. These children enjoy those months as they are unaware of the privileges of the months that come before June and July. These formative months which are filled with possibilities for education.
In contrast, according to Latin America Resource & Training Center (2023), only about 46.8% of children in Latin America are thought to have completed their high school education, compared to 86.7% in the United States. They are not granted the same benefits as the children who look forward to summer vacation, the same children who possess something so precious that appears to be a burden to them: an education. Due to their poverty and the lack of government support for these issues, these kids are unable to receive the fundamental right to an education. Additionally, for those that do, the challenges of poverty resurface, forcing them to drop out of school and find employment abruptly in an attempt to support their afflicted family.
The ability to receive a quality education creates a clear divide between the rich and the poor in Latin America. The unfortunate children on the other side of the line struggle to learn how to read and write, which leads them to not qualify for prosperous jobs. This perpetuates a cycle as they remain in poverty, unable to access proper education, and subsequently bring up children who also face similar struggles, continuing the cycle of poverty. Additionally, the World Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean (2023) states that Latin America was the area most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused many school closures.
It is still challenging to get these students the education required and return to normalcy following COVID as a result of these countries’ lack of resources. Even the kids who are lucky enough to attend school frequently struggle to get enough supplies. In several of these countries, buying school supplies is not a yearly ritual, and many children are lucky to own a bookbag at all. For these kids, going to school is a hardship in every way, including getting the materials they need for the entire school day.
Finding qualified educators to instruct these receptive minds also becomes difficult, particularly in underprivileged areas where a large proportion of the people lack the necessary skills. Furthermore, children's transit to the schools is often troublesome due to the rural seclusion in some areas. Families often find themselves contributing to the truancy of the children, as the students often times forego attending school altogether due to the family’s inability or stagnation in their efforts. By giving something that is so important more focus and resources, many of these problems could possibly be resolved. These kids are the future's most valuable resource, yet they aren't receiving the education ideal to succeeding in life and improving the communities in which they live.
A lot of this may be modified by making efforts to fund school infrastructure and guarantee equitable resource distribution. Everyone should be able to learn, regardless of their financial situation, so more efforts should be made to support children from low-income families and to provide them with high-quality education and whatever flexibility they may require. In order to help these children as well as themselves, the governments of Latin America should take a more serious approach to the growing problem of inadequate education. After all, as more people gain an education, more prosperity will be brought to these nations.
The education of these young people deserves our investment, and even though we reside far from them, we can still contribute by researching educational initiatives that we can support financially and in other ways. Individuals possessing financial resources and power ought to think about investing in something truly worthwhile. Even though going to school can be stressful, knowledge and growth serve as the cornerstone for all future endeavors, and when these things are denied to you, your life's foundation begins to splinter. One ought to remain strongly attached to education because it's not always a given and those who understand its value should do their part to assist the unlucky ones around the world who lack it.
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Camila A. a 17-year-old from Georgia, migrated from Honduras with her single mother a few years ago.She is therefore fluent in Spanish and English.Camila values family time and her education. Discovering a passion for writing, she dreams of becoming a lawyer to help those in need. Her future is guided by a desire to advocate for justice and compassion.