The plight of children and young adults living in poverty in the UK is, it seems, well known by those who teach them. A poll of 400 ATL members last year found that 41% thought they had pupils whose families rely on food banks, with some of those teachers bringing food in for hungry children.
From reports by organisations such as the Trussell Trust showing that demand for emergency food supplies rises significantly in the summer months, to students arriving back at school or college hungry after the summer holidays there is no doubt that for families feeling the squeeze of austerity, ensuring that student are adequately fed can be impossible without extra assistance.
Student wellbeing
According to the children’s charity, Barnardo’s, “Poverty is the greatest threat to the wellbeing of children and families.” For students living in poverty, every aspect of their development is affected, whether social, emotional or educational. Poverty steals joy, can destroy health and has a detrimental impact on educational attainment. Is it any surprise that teachers and lecturers seek to ameliorate the impact of poverty on the students they teach? The eradication of poverty is essential, but until there’s the political and social will to achieve that, teachers will find ways of reducing suffering.
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, is absolutely clear on the devastating effect of poverty on the children and young people in our care. She told Eteach that: “The evidence on the impact of poverty on children’s well-being is clear. If there isn’t money at home for books or a computer or even space to do homework, you’re not getting a fair start.”
The bottom line is that if you are a child or teenager living in poverty, the chances are you will be an adult living in poverty. With nine students in every class of 30 living below the official poverty line (according to Child Poverty Action Group), we cannot ignore such troubling statistics. “And rising inflation and stagnant wages, coupled with big cuts to universal credit and a four-year freeze on benefits, will push the number up,” says Alison.
Making a difference
Child Poverty Action Group is campaigning for some specific changes to be implemented so that children can grow and develop unimpeded by poverty. The causes and effects of poverty need addressing. They explain that, “the first steps in that process should include adding £5 a week to child benefit, giving children’s benefits a ‘triple lock’, scrapping the benefit cap and the two-child limit on tax credits and universal credit and making universal credit fit for working families.”
For teachers and lecturers wanting to find out more about the current campaigns to eradicate poverty, the Poverty Action Group network of campaigners is a good place to start.
When we know from numerous research studies how detrimental hunger is to children’s and young adults' ability to learn, we have no option as a society but to do all in our power to end child poverty, if we’re serious about raising standards of education.
About the author
Elizabeth Holmes
After graduating with a degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Reading, Elizabeth Holmes completed her PGCE at the Institute of Education, University of London. She then taught humanities and social sciences in schools in London, Oxfordshire and West Sussex, where she ran the history department in a challenging comprehensive. Elizabeth specialises in education but also writes on many other issues and themes. As well as her regular blogs for Eteach and FEjobs, her books have been published by a variety of publishers and translated around the world. Elizabeth has also taught on education courses in HE and presented at national and international conferences.
