Low income and education Essay

This essay will consider if children from junior-grade income families are disadvantaged in the training system. It will examine if in that respect is a direct striking mingled with poverty and minuscule educational attainment. As far back as 1959 the Crowther compensate identified a link amongst low incomes and low attainment levels. This was followed in 1963 by the Newsom report that found many a(prenominal) secondary modern indoctrinates were deficient and argued that the less privileged 50 per penny of children did not receive their fair share of resources. (P Young, Mastering social Welfare, p. 180) Recent research from the Institute of Education has shown that children from uglyer families are no more(prenominal) likely to gain qualifications than they were a generation ago.A study carried out by Barbara Jefferis, a research fellow at the Institute of Child Healthfound a buckram link between mixer background and cognitive development. The research carried out fo und the gap between educational attainment between the richest and the poorest in auberge widened as time went on. (The Guardian, August 9th 2002)The British Medical Journal published a study in August 2002 that firmly points at poverty and social deprivation as some of the most significant factors why some children do less well than others. Nick Davis points out in his book, The School Report he is not uncovering the unknown but exposing something that no one with any power will admit. The great unmention commensurate, Davis shows, is the direct correlation that exists between educational performance and poverty. (N.Davis, 2000)David Miliband, the Minister of State for tutor standards, has stated that only 14 per cent of young people from lower income backgrounds go to university, compared to 75 per cent from more advantaged homes.For some children the first step in education is nursery education. Although not compulsory nursery education is now easy to all leash and four year olds. A scheme set up by the presidential term provides nursery vouchers for all three and four year olds. These vouchers are utilize to purchase OFSTED inspected nursery education. State run nursery schools are available in many areas, although these whitethorn not have the same resources as mysterious ones. Highquality nursery education may be available although only parents with a higher(prenominal)(prenominal) income may be able to afford the unembellished costs than those provided by the voucher scheme. Many educational experts consider that pre school education is a vital foothold in education. If a child is unable to achieve the best possible start in education it may reflect on their educational achievement.The governments response to this is the Sure produce scheme. Sure Start is produceed at pre school children which as well as focusing on education focuses on health. In recognizing that a childs early years are vital to their future success, Sure Start provides bet ter opportunities for young children. Support is also take awayered to parents in preparing them to assist their child to succeed. (www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ucu/suppfam.) As most parents of children living in poverty may have a limited education themselves support for parents is essential in helping their child succeed. truly early education begins in the family home through interaction, as education can break the cycle of poverty, parental education and parenting skills may be more important than economic factors.Deprivation may effect a childs education in many ways. Children that live in poverty practically live in the most deprived areas of a neighbourhood. These areas often have schools which may be at the lower end of performance league tables. union tables show that schools in areas of social housing or with high song of private rented accommodation perform less well than schools in more besotted areas. Schools whose pupils are mostly from large inner city council estates are often referred to as sink state schools, hardly aspiring for those pupils that attend them. As the parents or parent of these pupils have limited income they are not in the position to move to a better area which has access to a better school. If they were able to secure a place in a better performing school outside the area, they may be unable to afford the traveling expenses.Families with higher incomes are able to move into catchment areas of the better schools. Parents are often willing to pay more to live near a high achieving school. (Gibbons and Machin, 2000) Selective education is available in Britain, although most of this is in fee-paying Independent schools. Others are known as grant maintained schools, and they may use their own methods of selection. This often excludes children from low income families and particularly those from theworst areas. School performance League tables 2000 show that the top one hundred schools for GCSE results were either Independent or Se lective, with effective one exception, Thomas Telford School that is comprehensive. Education league tables 2000 D.f.E.E.Reports show that attainment varies according to the socio-economic backgrounds of children. In 1998, only 45 per cent of 11 year-olds in schools with high numbers on free school meals reached the Governments attainment targets in English and Maths, whilst more than 60 per cent reached that target in other schools. (Monitoring privation and Social Exclusion, 1999, p.26)The government has introduced some policies in education to help reduce distinction. These include Education Action Zones these were established in areas of high deprivation. Along with capital from private-sector sponsors and government they can attract better teachers through higher salaries. Homework clubs are set up, enabling pupils a quite place to study and the indispensable resources. (Haralambos and Holbrn 2000) Barnardos an organization that works with children recognise the link betwe en educational attainment and poverty. Currently they are involved in various projects with children from deprived families one of these is backdrop up homework clubs in schools and libraries around the country.Children from low income families may not have access to books in the home or educational toys. A guarded place to do homework or studying may be unavailable. Family visits to museums and other places of educational interest may be unavailable in households of low income. These types of visits encourage and motivate children to succeed. Public libraries can provide a valuable resource in assisting a childs learning. As well as providing free access to books many hold reading hours and various forms of fun learning. Computers are now widely available for free use in many public libraries with access to the internet.As computers are now widely used in schools, having access to one at home would certainly improve a childs ability in school. Pupils from low incomefamilies are l ess likely to have access to a computer in the home. When online resources are available in school they may also be less able to make use of them than pupils who have experience of using the internet at home. The government did introduce a scheme for poorer families, enabling them to purchase recycled computer at low cost, however this never got go on than a pilot scheme amid allegations of poor management.Financial problems may increase stress amongst parents which may reduce their ability to assist in adequate educational support. Parental stress has been identified as a factor towards truancy. It maybe considered that certain background characteristics are linked with truancy. Children are more likely to truant if they are from low income families, live in social housing or live with only one or neither parent. (Casey and Smith 1995) explore carried out at Cambridge Universityestablished a link between truancy and poverty in primary school children.The study looked statistics o n truancy in London boroughs between 1997 and 2000. Council education welfare officers and 98 parents on low incomes were also interviewed. Researcher Ming Zhang says the parents who were questioned said they sometimes forget about their younger childrens schooling when they hit financial trouble. For many people this may be a bizarre excuse for primary school children not to attend school. Yet for families facing financial difficulties, the problem is real.As these primary school children progress to secondary school bad habits have already set in. The study also considered attitudes among education welfare officers and parents. Both agreed that the blame vex with irresponsible parents. They did not link between poverty and truancy amongst primary school pupils. www.news.bbc.co.uk/education Although this research suggests there is no link between poverty and truancy, forgetting to publicise a child to school because of financial worries may be considered as a link.At present the education authorities can be seen to be tackling truancy, however this is mainly aimed at secondary school pupils.LEAs are taking action against persistent truants and educational welfareofficers are visit the homes of absent pupils.Connexions is another government initiative aimed at helping young people.Connexions provides a personal advisor for all 13 to 19 year olds, their aim is to keep young people in education, work on truancy and improve educational achievements. As well as providing career advice and other operate they try to encourage school leavers into further education.Children from low income families leave full time education earlier and with fewer formal qualifications than those from higher income families. Only 14 per cent of young people from lower income backgrounds go into higher education. At a time when the government is encouraging all school leavers to go into further education, then onto higher education this may be seen as an issue for concern. In Septemb er 2001, The Excellence Challenge was introduced this is a three year programme. The recognise purpose is to improve links between schools, colleges and universities, over 190 million pounds has been committed to increase the number of young people from poorer backgrounds who apply and enter higher education. (www.dfes.gov.uk)Schools in poorer areas are disadvantaged when they need to fundraise to provide more resources. A report published in May 2000 by the research unselfishness Directory for Social Change claims that rich and poor schools are drifting further apart. Schools in deprived parts of the country are up to 500,000 worse off than those in well-to-do areas because they are unable to compete in fundraising stakes. Eighty per cent of state primary schools held fundraising events to buy books.While one in phoebe bird schools generated less than 1000 a year in donations, one per cent got over 25,000. Five per cent of secondary schools got less than 1000 per year man three per cent received more than 250,000 in donations. The report described parental donations as a hidden fault line that is widening into inequality of opportunity for children. The report also warns that the pursuit of cash is putting undue pressure on teachers and diverting them from teaching. www.literacytrust.org.uk/Database/povertyupdate.htmlThe Joseph Rowntree Foundation has said that the number of pupils leaving school without basic qualifications has decreased. In 2001, a quarter of GCSE students failed to pass any subject with grades A-C compared with a third ten years previously. Similarly, one in four 11 year olds failed to achieve target level 4 in English in 2001 compared with more than four out of ten in 1996. The improvement in primary schools serving high proportions of low income children was at least as good as the national average.In considering the evidence it may be conclude that low educational attainment is correlated to poverty. Education may be a route out of poverty but it appears not everybody has the same opportunities. Research does show that with the help of pre- school nurseries, Sure Start, the Education Action Zones and the Excellence Challenge progress can be made in alleviating inequalities in education.BIBLIOGRAPHYCasey, B. and Smith, D. (1995) hooky and Youth Transitions, England and Wales Youth Cohort Study, London Policy Studies Institute.Davis, N. (2000) The School Report Why Britains Schools Are Failing. VintageHaralambos and Holborn. (2000) Sociology Themes and Perspectives. London HarperCollins.Howarth, C, et al. (1999) Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion. Joseph Rowntree Foundation.Young, P. (2000) Mastering Social Welfare. Macmillan Press.The Guardian, August 9th 2002Education League Tables. D.f.E.E.www.dfes.gov.ukwww.homeoffice.go.uk/ucu/suppfam.www.literacytrust.org.uk/Database/povertyupdate.www.news.bbc.co.uk/education.