I know very well that readers of this journal do not need to be told again, but it bears repeating nonetheless: There is a crisis of poverty in this country.
With another new school year comes more evidence of families being pushed to the brink and the impact on students in our schools.
And the message is clear – the shadow of disadvantage is touching more and more young people and not just those eligible for free school meals and the Pupil Premium.
The figures are sobering: 4.2 million children and counting are living in poverty and of these, 2.7 million are in what we call ‘deep poverty’ – in families with below 50% of the median national income (DWP, 2023)
The Food Foundation estimates that 900 000 children living in poverty are not eligible for FSMs. And despite 30% of families on Universal Credit being considered ‘food insecure’, 69% of families on Universal Credit are not eligible for FSMs – this equates to 1.7 million children (Cribb et al, 2023).
The research findings published so far this term are disturbing. Children coming to school in clothes that are too small, without equipment and too tired for learning, without enough money for lunch, and so hungry that they are stealing food from other pupils (see page 215) Child Poverty Action Group, 2023). And 95% of mainstream schools say they are providing uniforms, clothing, and food for children (see page 214) (Lucas et al, 2023). Just consider these facts for a moment – how can this come to pass in one of the richest countries in the world?
Clothing, food, and fatigue are three of the most pressing issues identified by teachers in the first study and these will be on our radar this year as child health professionals. The findings come at a time when food insecurity is rising, with 21% of children who live in relative poverty now also living in food-insecure households (Department for Work & Pensions, 2023). We all know that the cost of living crisis has hit food prices particularly hard with food inflation falling but still running at 13.6% as of September 2023.
Of course, what is needed is action from government – to expand FSM provision to all those on Universal Credit; to support schools meet the cost of the support being offered to young people and their families; to tackle the cost of living crisis and its impact on families. While we wait for action, we can only do our best to support schools to identify vulnerable pupils and do what we can to meet their needs in order that they may arrive in our classrooms with some hope of being ready to learn.