Survey Says Impoverished Children Crave Education First

Ask an average group of 10- to 12-year-olds in the United States what they want to be when they grow up, and more than one in four will say a famous athlete, singer, or actor. Pose the same question to their counterparts in the developing world and professions requiring a college education, like teaching and medicine, top the list.

This finding is part of the second annual Small Voices, Big Dreams survey, which polled close to 5,000 children ages 10 to 12 in 44 countries throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Children who grow up in poverty recognize more than anyone the power that education has to break the cycle,” said Anne Lynam Goddard, president and CEO of ChildFund International, the U.S. member of ChildFund Alliance, which commissioned the survey. “Children in the poorest countries are placing their hopes and dreams on their ability to learn, and they want to use their education to improve their communities.