People can focus on higher needs, like wanting respect or getting an education, only after their basic needs, like food and water, are met. Maslow's theory suggests that a hungry child struggles to concentrate in class because they can't stop thinking about food. This highlights the challenges that children from low-income families face while trying to learn.
Paraphrase: Students can only pay attention to important things like education and self-respect once their basic needs, such as eating and drinking, are satisfied. According to Maslow's theory, if a child is hungry, they will be distracted in class by thoughts of food. This shows the difficulties that children in poverty go through as they try to get an education.