Research suggests that income inequality is widening in many nations. This essay will analyse the problems arising from this trend and outline measures that could be taken to address it.
Firstly, the major problem is that people from low-income families have limited access to quality education and healthcare. Poor families cannot afford good schooling, private tutoring and university fees. As a result, their children leave school with fewer qualifications and end up with low-paid jobs. Which means poverty passes from one generation to the next. For instance, a family who cannot bear the expenses for education will drop the child and make the child work for earnings. In addition, individuals with economic crises cannot manage the cost of treatments or nutritious food. Consequently, they fall ill more often and have shorter lives. This plays a heavy burden on public hospitals, and families spend what little they have on medical bills.
To address this pressing economic issue, several measures must be implemented such as providing free or subsidised education and universal healthcare. The students are provided with scholarships, free primary and secondary schooling and vocational training so poor children can learn the skills and compete for better jobs. Moreover, the government should provide affordable or free medical services so illness doesn’t push families deeper into poverty. For example, India provides treatment free at the point of use, so illness does not depend on a patient’s income.
In conclusion, growing income inequalities limit poor people’s access to education and healthcare, and this traps families in poverty for generations. However, if the government invests in free education and affordable healthcare, they can create a better society.