The attitude we have toward our lives has a great impact on how we live!

 

Whether you agree with that statement or not, a lot of people are living proof of it. This week, the newly elected minister for Education in the british parliament made a statement that insinuates poorer children do worse than children from more privileged backgrounds. But is this true? How much of our lives is down to fate, effort or where we were born?

 

My parents, as many others of my friends were working class families. Most of my friends have gone on to university and several have or soon will have high paid jobs. Many of us did extremely well academically but does that mean then, our parents were rich? Financially no, they were not. but their attitude toward working and education was inbred into us. I disagree highly with the minister’s comments. I do not believe class difference or whether your parents are pulling in fifteen thousand per year or one hundred and fifty thousand a year, how much your parents instill into you on the ethics of working hard and trying your best can be the same.

 

Children’s innate intelligence can help and yes, financial stability can improve a child’s education with private tutors etc, but does that mean then that richer parents will have more intelligent children? No, the ability of parents to be parents will help a child develop intelligently and their constant support and encouragement to do better for themselves will encourage a positive and ambitious attitude rather than the never aiming for anything and repeating the cycle of poverty all over again.

 

Giving children self esteem and the ability to be ambitious and strive for the best is what counts in their development. We lead by example. If our parents strive the best and encourage their offspring to do the same, it is more likely the children will succeed.

 

However, if parents, like many do in this country right now, sit on their backsides and show their children how to play the benefits system and allow them to truant from school, never encouraging for extra curricular activities while giving up completely on discipline, then the children will leave school with poor exam results and no ambition to be something worthwhile.

 

I don’t believe just because you are poor you are unable to be something better. The attitude you have is crucial to prosper. You don’t need money to be rich, and I know this from personal experience. Hard work, effort and determination is what gets people by in life, not whether they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth.