Shock report says kids going to school hungry
POVERTY TAKING ITS TOLL ON CHILDREN
CHILDREN are coming to school hungry and in broken shoes and worn-out clothing, a “heartbreaking” report claims.
Labour MP for Wansbeck Ian Lavery has unveiled a report which, he claims, highlights the “shocking” prevalence of child poverty in his consituency.
Working in conjunction with the National Education Union (NEU) the MP interviewed teachers across the area.
In the North East, official figures suggest 35% of children are living in poverty: 5,909 children in the Wansbeck area.
Of the teachers questioned, 95% of those said some of their students go hungry during the holidays, when they can’t access free school meals, and 65% said this has worsened over the past three years.
And 83% of respondents said they’d noticed more families unable to afford adequate shoes and clothing for their children.
The report said: “The anecdotal evidence received is shocking. Teachers report pupils coming to school in ill-fitting clothes, clothes with holes in and, in some cases, pupils do not have a coat in extreme weather. The scenario whereby a mother kept her child home from school due to the shame of not being able to afford a bucket and spade for a school trip to the beach and the mention of a child wearing their grandmothers’ shoes is particularly upsetting.”
Meanwhile, teachers said they felt the need to help their pupils out with food, books, clothing and sanitary products, while one teacher admitted to offering to mend students’ clothing for them.
The report added: “In terms of the impact this has had on pupils in school, the pattern is clear in that absences, behavioural issues, concentration, children’s health and lateness to school are all prevalent.”
The report further claimed cuts to budgets were making it harder for teachers to support their most vulnerable pupils. According to the NEU’s School Cuts campaign, schools in the consistency have seen a £2.4m budget shortfall since 2015, with one school, Cambois Primary, having its budget slashed by £661 per pupil.
Despite a recent Government promise of an extra £7.1bn per year for schools until 2023, Mr Lavery’s report claimed this was “not enough to reverse the cuts schools have already experienced”.
The Labour MP said: “Hearing stories from Families and Children living in poverty has become a heartbreaking daily occurrence for me and my office team. This is the reason I have commissioned the Wansbeck Child Poverty Report.
“Identifying the areas facing the most challenges and understanding the scale of the problem is an important first step in working out how we can tackle this locally. After years of Tory government cuts and vicious austerity, we must intervene and address as many issues as we can in our communities.”
Northumbria Police’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, backed Mr Lavery’s report.
The Labour PCC said: “It’s proven that having a good childhood gives you a far greater chance of succeeding in life. I want to see us commit to more Sure Start centres, re-opening some of those closed as the Government has cut budgets, to help reduce rising crime rates. We need to support families and prevent some people feeling crime is their only option.”
The Department for Education has been contacted for a response.