How poverty is killing ambition

A head teacher tells of efforts to try to deal with its associated problems

A secondary head teacher has spoken of the “huge” problem of child poverty, saying it is the “number one barrier” to raising achievement.

Derek Allan, rector of Kirkcaldy High School, told The Courier poverty was linked to a range of problems in the classroom, including disruptive behaviour, mental health issues and low aspirations, where “getting through the day” was children’s main priority.

However, he praised the Scottish Government’s Pupil Equity Fund, which gives head teachers extra cash.

And he also praised St Andrews University for its efforts to work with pupils in Fife from low-attaining backgrounds.

Mr Allan made the comment as The Courier shines a spotlight this week on the issues behind child poverty.

The latest End Child Poverty Coalition figures published a fortnight ago showed 24% of Fife children are in poverty – but this ranges from 15% in Cupar to 38.68% in Kirkcaldy East.

In Dundee the average level is 28%. Mr Allan, who discussed the issues at a child poverty conference in Edinburgh last Thursday, said: “Tackling the poverty-related attainment gap and learning has long been a theme for many Fife schools, with most taking some measures to mitigate the impact of disadvantage.

“For example at Kirkcaldy High, through sponsorship, we have homemade soup available for free for all young people at lunchtime, regardless of their free meal entitlement.

“However the availability of direct funding from the Scottish Government has moved things to a different level.

“At Kirkcaldy High we identified the most obvious gaps in the attendance, exclusion rates and attainment – especially in literacy and numeracy, health, especially teenage mental health and destinations on leaving school.

“We have begun to address these issues through the Pupil Equality Fund.

“For example, we appointed a family link worker, a mental health counsellor and are working with target groups to boost reading and mathematical ability.”

The fund is aimed mainly at young people identified through the Scottish Multiple Areas of Deprivation measures.

“I think we all recognise that material poverty is a scourge in society but it also creates a poverty of ambition which can be just as harmful – it can blight whole communities over several generations,” he added.

“So as well as the pupil equity interventions, the school is one of those in Fife that works with St Andrews University on the First Chances scheme.”

This is a mentoring programme aimed at young people affected by deprivation and with no family tradition of higher education.

Each session sees a group of 20 or so take part in a residential experience at the university, who then deliver a short talk on an extended project they research and write up.

“There’s a graduation at the end of the programme and we find it’s an excellent way of helping young people who would not normally consider university,” Mr Allan added.

Material poverty is a scourge in society but it also creates a poverty of ambition which can be just as harmful

Picture: Steven Brown. Derek Allan, rector of Kirkcaldy High School, says child poverty can affect many aspects of young lives.