Sometimes you're so busy looking for ways to survive that improvement doesn't really even enter into it. Also, I'd imagine the whole "being poor sucks" would pr

Sometimes you're so busy looking for ways to survive that improvement doesn't really even enter into it. Also, I'd imagine the whole "being poor sucks" would provide motivation to do better. Finally your embedded assumption that somehow being "motivated to do better" will fix the problem (ie it's their fault).