Poverty and education: the impacts of tea workers’ chronic poverty on their children’s education in rural Bangladesh

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ABSTRACT This article investigates the impact of chronic poverty on tea plantation worker children’s education and occupational outcomes, drawing insights from the published work of experts on chronic poverty and employing a qualitative research approach. We collected data from two large tea plantations in northeast Bangladesh through in-depth interviews, case studies, focus group discussions, and direct observation. The data shows that tea workers’ poverty has a significant and negative impact on their children’s education and occupation. Their lack of affordable options and the high costs of transportation, uniforms, food, and other education-related expenses institutionalize and perpetuate poverty. The structural constraints and systematic regulations imposed by the tea estate owners on the workers lead to this outcome. Therefore, a cycle of poverty traps the families of tea workers, leading to low levels of education, limited occupational options, and perpetuating poverty across generations.