Child poverty in schools: why there’s still hope
Do you know someone who would enjoy this article?
Earlier this month we shared devastating figures from research our charity has carried out, showing a huge increase in child poverty within Catholic schools in Greater Manchester and Lancashire over the last three years.
Here, Annabeth, who leads our policy and influencing work, tells us more about the importance of the findings, the impact that poverty is having on local children and families, and why we should still have hope…
What’s your role at Caritas?
My role is policy and influencing officer, which means I look at the challenges faced by people accessing our services and in our communities, and then work to advocate and campaign for changes to the policies, systems and attitudes needed to help people transform their lives.
What was your involvement in this research and report?
I analysed the findings of the research and wrote up the report.
As we reviewed the survey responses from school leaders, we were astounded by the scale of the issues and the extraordinary ways in which schools are going above and beyond to support children and families in their communities. We knew from their insights that this is an issue needing urgent attention.
What were a few of the key headlines from the report?
Sadly, child poverty has increased significantly in recent years – 95 per cent of school leaders responding to our survey reported seeing rises in poverty in the last three years, and 35 per cent said the increase has been significant.
42 per cent of school leaders said that more than half of the children in their school are affected by poverty related issues, and it was clear in the responses that this is negatively impacting children’s education, wellbeing and future opportunities.
It was a similar picture in terms of mental health challenges. 88 percent of school leaders have seen increased mental health issues among children in the past three years, with 71 per cent stating that they believe the increase has been significant.
What surprised you most about the findings?
We were amazed by the dedication of school staff, who are going above and beyond to support children and families who are struggling, and although this wasn’t a surprise, we were taken aback by the extent of their efforts.
From running breakfast clubs, providing food parcels and school uniforms, to collecting children to bring them to school, and offering homework support for those without access to IT or help at home, the commitment of school leaders and staff is extraordinary.
At the same time, it was shocking to see just how underfunded schools are, despite carrying the weight of so many additional responsibilities. Schools are stepping up, but they urgently need more resources to meet the rising needs of their pupils.
How does poverty impact children and young people?
Poverty impacts every part of the life of a child or young person.
Physically, poverty can mean going to school hungry every day, or even becoming malnourished and unwell. Emotionally, many children spend their childhoods worrying about their family’s finances, rather than simply being free to be children.
Longer term, poverty significantly limits children and young people’s future opportunities.
We know that living in poverty has a negative effect on a child’s educational development and attainment, particularly when they spend their childhood just trying to survive.
Children and young people experiencing poverty must also face the impact of stigma around poverty. Even though poverty rates have increased so significantly and it is sadly much more common for children to be growing up in poverty, the stigma around poverty remains, and so often leads to further social isolation.
It’s a pretty bleak picture in many ways. Do you think there’s still hope?
Yes. We know that poverty is not inevitable, but it is a result of many factors including policy decisions and social structures, and there are a number of changes that could be made to improve the situation for so many.
For instance, removing the two-child limit on benefits would immediately lift 300,000 children out of poverty, and an additional 700,000 children would experience less deep poverty.
We also see a huge amount of hope in the actions of school staff and others in local communities who are responding every day with such kindness and compassion, and they are an inspiration to all of us.
How does Caritas try and change things for people experiencing poverty?
We campaign for policy changes that address the causes and effects of poverty. For example, in this report, we are calling on the Government to scrap the two-child benefit cap and increase funding for schools, among other things.
We engage with decision makers to advocate for tangible and sustainable change, and work to raise awareness and understanding of the issues and the change that is needed.
Our policy work and campaigns are rooted in our experience of accompanying and listening to those accessing our services, working to ensure that the barriers they have faced can be removed, so that they can transform their lives with dignity.
How can someone sitting at home or work reading this take action or help? Is it too large an issue for one person to make a difference?
No – if we all come together, we can make a difference.
There are so many small actions each one of us could take to help, and it all adds up!
You can raise awareness in your local community and spread the word about issues of poverty locally and what can be done to help. One simple way of doing this is by sharing our report with someone you know who might be interested.
You could also write to your local MP or councillor to share with them the findings of the report and ask them to speak up on behalf of those in their local area who are experiencing poverty.
You may also be able to consider donating to Caritas so that we can continue to serve those most in need in our communities, or perhaps you have a few spare hours you could spend volunteering at one of our services?
Read more about the research and ways you can help now by clicking here.