Boosting Students' Performance, Career Readiness, and Earnings: An Analysis Based on the Context of Poverty Reduction

Introduction

Education is strongly tied to employment, earning potential and poverty reduction. Proficiency in some subjects like Mathematics, Science, and related drops steadily as school poverty increases (Mass Insight Education & Research Initiative, 2007; Etim & Etim, 2020). Several scholars argue that in some societies, education is the great equalizer with benefits including gainful employment (Baum & Payea, 2005; Cattan & Crawford, 2013; Mitra, 2011; Descy & Tessaring, 2004). Writing on the impact of education in the USA, Growe and Montgomery (2003) indicate that all children are entitled to having access to both free and quality education including equal access that provides opportunity for them to develop their own human capital. According to Mitra (2011), “Graduating from high school improves the quality of health, reduces dependence on public health programs by 60 percent, and cuts by six times the rate of alcohol abuse” (p. 3). Baum and Payea (2005) gave these two important benefits for higher education:

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  There is a correlation between higher levels of education and higher earnings for all racial/ethnic groups and for both men and women.

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  Higher levels of education correspond to lower levels of unemployment and poverty, so in addition to contributing more to tax revenues than others do, adults with higher levels of education are less likely to depend on social safety-net programs, generating decreased demand on public budgets (p. 7).

This chapter examines issues of student performance, career readiness and earnings in the context of equity theory and poverty alleviation.