Can Education Break the Cycle of Poverty and Inequality?
- Queen 'Kwyn' Ernest
- Sep 12
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 24
There is no stand-alone concept. Everything has a ripple effect.
Have you ever thought about the interconnectedness of the world? How concepts and even people are linked in the way they exist?
If you ask me about global poverty, education and inequality, I’d say they are connected on the surface. But if you ask me on a deeper level, I’d tell you that they are not just connected but intertwined. One directly affects the other.
Education cuts across all these concepts. It goes beyond formal classroom learning, to include all the knowledge and information people can acquire. Access to education is a big determinant of the quality of life people can have. It shapes earning power, social status, healthcare accessibility, civic participation, and the understanding of the social issues, amongst others. This applies for both individuals and the collective society.
In this vein, education determines how well societies can address lack, and need. Where education systems are weak, poverty grows stronger.
Access to education is a big determinant of the quality of life people can have. It shapes earning power, social status, healthcare accessibility, civic participation, and the understanding of the social issues, amongst others.
Poverty is such a broad subject. Sometimes we give it a single definition, but in reality, it touches every aspect of life and creates chain reactions. As poverty affects individuals, global poverty affects the world.
Can We End Poverty?
Ending poverty will require over a century of intentional progress, and that is not an easy feat considering how nations, global leaders and expected circumstances continue to evolve. Currently, the world is off-track in its effort to end poverty by 2030. But does that mean it’s impossible? Certainly not!
We can do our best on both individual and global levels to curb the effects of poverty. One powerful way we can is improve the policies and systems that shapes the quality of education we have. According to the World Bank, in 2024, 20% of the global population still lives in extreme poverty and high levels of social inequality. This invariably means that there is a poor education standard worldwide.
At the same time, many reports show ridiculous statistics on global wealth inequality. One report finds that 1% of the world’s wealthiest population controls the income level of 46% of the rest of the world. Another report shows that in 2023 the world’s 26 richest billionaires owned an astonishing $2.872 trillion in wealth. This is more wealth that many nations produce in a year!
These disparities show that ending poverty requires not only economic shifts, but also rethinking how knowledge and education are shared across the world. Without equal access to education, inequality will keep reproducing itself.
1% of the world’s wealthiest population controls the income level of 46% of the rest of the world.
If This Divide Exists, What Effect Does It Have on Poverty and Inequality?
Given how broad a concept poverty is, it also shapes global divisions. For many countries in the Global South, this means a lower quality of life and limited opportunities.
One major way poverty impacts nations is through the quality of education available to their people. In many Global South countries, education is underfunded and often based on Western models that don’t always fit local realities. When curricula are not tailored to local needs and cultural values, education can feel inauthentic and less effective.
The result? An unequal distribution of knowledge that further widens global inequality. Poor education leaves people underinformed and unable to make decisions that foster change. It also limits their ability to contribute to the global economy, creating a cycle where inequality feeds on itself.
Tackling Inequality and Poverty Through Education
Tackling a problem means going to the root of it. In this case, that means improving the quality of education, especially in the Global South.
The global education crisis affects everyone, however, poverty makes it especially severe in the Global South. Underfunded schools, poorly trained teachers, and weak infrastructure lead to limited skills, reduced employability, civic disengagement, and inadequate critical thinking. All of these factors limit development and make it harder to close inequality gaps. When education and knowledge transfer are weak, societies become weaker, and achieving equality becomes even harder.
Since everyone wants a better life, education is often seen as the foothold to a more equal future. Quality education shapes everything, from welfare and healthcare, to social mobility, and civic participation.
This is why education must be seen not only as a personal tool, but also as a social justice tool. Education connects directly to other SDGs: health, gender equality, decent work, reduced inequalities, and sustainable communities.
If quality education is given its proper place, then real human development happens, with people gaining the knowledge, skills, and confidence to face poverty and create better futures. This means that with stronger skills, they are able to access better jobs, raise their incomes, and by extension contribute to the growth of their nation. When this happens at scale, the bridge across global inequality begins to take form.
However, education on its own is not enough. Without structural reforms such as addressing gender inequality, strengthening social protections, and ensuring fair economic policies, poverty will continue to persist. Education is powerful, but it is most effective when it works hand in hand with systemic change.
DO MORE
Advocate for Education: Volunteer for organizations like Theirworld, Teach For All, or Voice To The Street (VTS) that amplify calls for global access to education
Engage Locally: Write to your local leaders, governors, ministers, or mayors, about improving schools in your community.
Keep Learning: Invest in your own knowledge, and growth. Mentor someone else. Knowledge and education multiplies when it is shared!
Stay Informed: Watch documentaries about how poor education impacts lives, and use what you learn to raise awareness. Check out this NYT Opinion Video, We're Taught Education Can End Poverty. Here's the Truth.
READ MORE
Read about issues with tackling poverty and inequality
Understand the causes of poverty and inequality, so you can make your informed contributions to the world
Explore how education affects poverty, and how it can help end it
Read more about bridging the inequality divide
Find out more ways to reduce inequalities within and among countries
WRITTEN BY Queen 'Kwyn' Ernest.
Queen 'Kwyn' Ernest is a writer, reader, serial volunteer and a few more things in-between. She is passionate about writing and speaking on social education, for children, teenagers and young adults because she believes 'our psyche is our life'. She detests hurtful societal stereotypes and hopes to change it, ten words at a time. When she's neither writing, reading nor volunteering she's trying to figure out life and living, overthinking or speaking her messy Spanish and pretending like she can act.
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EDITED BY 'Zulu Uwolloh.
Zulu is a writer, self-proclaimed bibliophile, lawyer, and international development professional passionate about social impact and showing people how they can create change in their communities. She is also the founder of Kurerie, a digital platform, and community that amplifies the voices of youth making an impact in their communities. Kurerie educates young people on how they can become active stakeholders in the achievement of the SDGs. She is passionate about showing young people that they can change the world with the smallest actions.
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