1. Playing Jenga with Education #SupplylessStudy
By Arghya (Argo) Samantaray
Give More HUGS Ambassador Intern
In the United States and the world around, education is the key to changing the lives of
many individuals. Young, hardworking students can lift themselves out of a life of poverty and
self-actualize through proper schooling. Most entry level behavioral science courses teach
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This concept states that a person must fulfill the need
for safety, which includes security of resources among other things before they can build
self-esteem or learn creativity and problem-solving skills, which are part of self-actualization.
This growth can be stunted and hindered in students because of a lack of supplies or resources.
According to Mharjhay Delacruz of Bulacan State University teachers uses instructional material
to motivate learning. He goes on to state that “​the success in the skill and knowledge acquisition
in an instructional situation depends on the suitability of the instructional material, adequacy and
effective utilization of the available materials” (Delacruz).
Without pens or pencils, students cannot write. Without paper or notepads, students have
nothing to write on. Without books or access to technology, students have less access to
knowledge. These are obvious truths faced by millions of students around the world, but many
people do not know that in 2009 over 21 million students faced these problems right here in the
over 56,000 schools that use Title 1 funds in the United States (“What is Title I” National Center
for Education Statistics). Title I schools are those who have at least 40 percent of children from
low-income families, so they require government funds provided by ​Title I, Part A (Title I) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Office of Elementary and Secondary Education).
Federal funds of over 13.5 billion dollars were granted to local educational agencies throughout
the United states in 2002 (U.S Department of Education). This has steadily increased over each
fiscal year and in 2007 a grand total of 25 billion dollars was granted (U.S Department of
Education). Use of this funding tackles not only traditional academic topics such as literacy but
also has began to look at nontraditional means to provide assistance for students who are at risk,
neglected, or delinquent. The U.S. Department of Education has spent 50 million dollars in
programs for prevention and intervention and 125 million dollars for preventing the dropout rate
of students. Many times, however, even these funds are inadequate to meet the needs of the
thousands of children in our country.
Another factor we forget is the effect that lack of adequate resources have on the
educators at schools. Famous educator and child psychologist, Haim Ginott, is famously quoted
as saying ​“we expect teachers to reach unattainable goals with inadequate resources. The miracle
is this they often do.”​​ The National Center for Education Statistics states there were about 3.1
million teachers employed in the United States in 2015 making an average 16 students to one
teacher ratio (“What are the new Back” National Center for Education Statistics). According to
Aly Seidel of National Public Radio Education (Seidel) about 40% to 50% of teachers drop out
of the teaching force in the 5 years of employment (Seidel). Holding the futures of young
children is a daunting task already, but it is made more difficult when classrooms are not
furnished with the tools needed for instruction. According to Kaufhold and associates (2006) the

2. burnout rate of teachers is directly related to “a lack of school supplies, materials and resources”
(Kaufhold 2006). Kaufhold’s study specifically looks at the struggle of special needs educators
who have to fight regular education personnel over the scarce resources provided to their schools
in South Texas.
We expect our future generations to carry on our world and make it a better place. We
expect a lot of the children in the education system but give them no base to build on. We are
basically playing Jenga with their futures. Jenga is a game where a tower of wooden blocks are
built and blocks are taken out of the sides until the tower falls. If we do not want to a future
where our students fail like falling towers, we should provide them with the tools they need to to
build a solidified base now and succeed later. Sadly, there is a lack of adequate research
conducted dedicated to the effect of supplies or lack thereof on education quality. This is
something that needs serious attention as well. We need to say no to Supply-less Study.
Works Cited
Delacruz, Mharjhay. "Effects on Lack of Instructional Materials." Bachelor of Elementary
Education Bulacan State University, Print.Malolos, Philippines: .
Kaufhold, John A., Velma G. Alverez, and Mitylene Arnold. "Lack of School Supplies,
Materials and Resources as an Elementary Cuase of Frustration and Burnout in South Texas
Speical Education Teachers." ​Journal of Instructional Psychology​ 33.3 (2006): 159-61.
Print.
National Center for Education Statistics. "Fast Facts: Title I: What are the new Back to School
statistics for 2015?" 2015. Web.
National Center for Education Statistics. "Fast Facts: Title I: What is Title I and what type of
student does it serve?" 2015. Web.
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. "Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local
Educational Agencies (Title I, Part A)
." Oct 5, 2015 2015. Web. <​http://www2.ed.gov/programs/titleiparta/index.html​>.
Seidel, Aly. "The Teacher Dropout Crisis." July 18 2014. Web.
U.S Department of Education. "Title I - Improving The Academic Achievement of The
Disadvantaged." Sept 15, 2004 2004. Web.
<​http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg1.html​>.