> The thing I don't like about the parental support argument is that I don't see it offering any avenues for improvement. It actually does. Namely, you need to

> The thing I don't like about the parental support argument is that I don't see it offering any avenues for improvement. It actually does. Namely, you need to improve parental situations in order to improve the child's situation. A better societal support structure for the parents means that their kids will do better in school, because the parents will have the time, space, and motivation to provide the necessary support. It's something of a circular argument (which is not exactly rare in societal problems like this), and it may arguably be non-optimal, but it's a valid avenue for improvement.