Moves to reduce cost of school day for hard-pressed families

Fife Council asks secondaries and primaries to share best practice

Every school in Fife is to be“poverty proofed” in a bid to ease pressure on hard-pressed children and families.

Primary and secondary schools across the kingdom will be asked to audit school costs every three years and take steps to minimise them in a bid to reduce the cost of the school day.

A three-year plan has been drawn up to help schools share best practice, and each institution will have a “poverty proofing” statement in its formal curriculum rationale.

All schools will also have a designated poverty matters trainer – from head teachers to pupil support assistants – to help fully consider the impact of poverty and how to mitigate it in school settings.

Education manager Sarah Else said: “The cost of the school day can be significant... As family finances come under increasing pressure, taking action to minimise costs and maximise opportunities for pupils from low-income households could yield enormous dividends for our children and young people.

“Many of the established customs and practices within schools bring with them additional costs to pupils that put additional pressures on them and their families.

“These customs are, overall, undertaken with the best intentions of school staff and are clearly designed to provide young people with a range of experiences that will enhance their learning and their personal development.”

Fife has worked to lower costs, increasing the region’s school uniform grant to £100.

The new plan highlights areas where more can be done for cash-strapped families and carers. A list of top tips has been developed and will be expanded over the coming months, highlighting ways schools and parents can contribute. They include introducing uniform swap shops and clothing banks, discouraging dress down days, designing homework without additional resources and giving extra notice before costly school trips.

A report to Fife’s education and children’s services committee said 90% of schools will be expected to have completed an audit of costs and taken steps to reduce them by next year.

“The cost of the school day can be significant. SARAH ELSE

The burdens placed on the modern family unit are many and varied. From putting food on the table to ensuring there is a roof over the head at night, life has its constant pressures.

While families work hard to ensure children are sheltered from the realities of the world, the truth is that many of Scotland’s young people are being adversely affected by poverty and other serious issues such as mental ill health.

In a stark warning yesterday, the respected IPPR think tank said an estimated 25 young people were falling into poverty in Scotland each day through no fault of their own.

For context, that is the equivalent of a classroom worth of children whose lives and future prospects are being adversely impacted every single day.

That is a frightening statistic and one which requires a laser focus from our decision makers at both local and national level.

Schools are an obvious place where the fightback against poverty among the young can be waged.

Fife Council has recognised this fact and has brought forward an ambitious initiative to poverty-proof its schools.

It is a simple concept; to ensure pupils are not disadvantaged in their early years of education as a result of financial constraints at home.

It is a laudable aim and will be difficult to achieve.

But try they must as the evidence shows that the needle on poverty will not move of its own accord.

Fife Council wants to reduce the pressure on hard-pressed families by “poverty-proofing” schools.