How do I talk about poverty in school?

It can be difficult to know how to start a conversation about poverty in school, especially if you do not have personal experience of growing up or living in poverty. However, it’s important your pupils feel able to talk about some of the issues or challenges they face as a result of financial hardship. As educators, the more we understand the backgrounds of the children we teach, the better practitioners we can become.

Key things to keep in mind when talking to pupils about poverty: 

(Remember: You may find a discussion about poverty arises within a relevant lesson, or it may be raised in your classroom or during form time following a news item that students have seen outside of school.)

• Create a safe space to talk. Ensure pupils have opportunities to approach you and that they know they can talk about any worries they have privately.
• If talking about poverty in the classroom or with groups (including during school assembly), be mindful not to expose pupils who do not want to be identified as living in poverty. For instance, rather than asking pupils “What did you do over the holidays?” – a conversation some children may feel excluded from being able to join in with – you could ask about who they spent time with during their break.
• If you can, avoid having these conversations at the end of the day. That way, pupils can come back to you later in the day if they have concerns, and you will avoid leaving any issues unresolved or conversations half-finished if pupils need to leave for home at the final bell.
• Use clear and straightforward language. Try to have ‘bite size’ conversations, so as not to overwhelm.
• Using art, drama and play can help pupils express their feelings and personal experiences without feeling stigmatised or singled out by classmates.
• With younger children, you can start the conversation using a story, a character or a puppet.
• Address pupils’ feelings. Learning about poverty can make pupils sad and emotional. Let them know it’s natural to feel this way.
• Remodel any negative language pupils might use by addressing it and rephrasing what they say. For example, the media can portray people in poverty as being “lazy” and not wanting to work – you could remodel this by explaining “Many people in our country live in poverty even if they do have a job, because they still don’t earn enough money. Sometimes people aren’t able to work, for example if they are ill or if they need to care for someone at home.”
• Provide pupils with different perspectives. Children often repeat everything they hear at home, including misconceptions about people in poverty. It can be a difficult topic to discuss, but it’s important to recognise that we live in a world of great inequality, while still keeping the focus on hope. 

Talk about poverty in a UK and local context, to make it seem a less abstract topic. Local statistics can be found on the End Child Poverty website.

Key things to keep in mind when talking to families about poverty:

(Remember: This could take place if a parent or carer approaches you about accessing a school trip, has uniform or attendance issues or needs to make the school aware of something housing related. For many parents sharing concerns with school staff could be their first way of seeking help. You may also need to approach families if you have concerns about any of the issues above. Conversation should always be approached sensitively, and you may wish to seek advice or support from the school pastoral team.)

• Whenever possible, communicate through a mix of methods (letters, emails, texts, in person).
• Describing initiatives like uniform sales as ‘green’ or ‘community-focused’ can help increase uptake (instead of focusing on the financial aspect) and make families keener to get involved.
• Money is a highly personal and emotive issue for many people – many families will be worried or offended should you tackle this issue too directly. Try using collective words like ‘us’ to highlight that the school and the family are working together as a team (for example: “We want our families to get the support they’re entitled to”).
• In any messages that involve costs (for example, in letters home about school trips), remind families who the school staff are that they can talk to for information regarding financial entitlements and support.
• Parents and carers sometimes find it easier to talk to other parents and carers. It is important to get Parent Councils or PTAs involved in any school initiatives regarding pupil costs.
• Families appreciate that schools are willing to think about family finances. Asking families what help they need is often the best way to make sure your school is providing the right support. This can be done in a number of ways – such as through anonymous surveys or informal chats at school events.

Key things to keep in mind when talking to colleagues about poverty:

(Remember: speaking about poverty can be challenging, especially when well-meaning people offer unhelpful views and misconceptions. For instance, many people may see poverty as a thing of the past, or hold the fatalistic view that things will never change. We might think that sharing statistics about poverty or heart-breaking stories will challenge people’s beliefs, but it’s important to show the bigger picture if we want others to really understand poverty.)

• Address the issue of poverty directly and present it as a pressing problem, making it relevant to the everyday lives of colleagues (for instance, by highlighting how financial hardship at home holds pupils back from doing their best in school). Show why poverty matters by appealing to shared values of justice and compassion.
• Avoid starting a conversation focussing on benefits or the welfare system. These are both part solutions in tackling poverty and shouldn’t be framed as the problem.
• Steer clear of overly politicised language. Keep everything relevant to your local context.
• Using metaphors to explain how the economy locks people in poverty can support better understanding of a complicated issue. Words like ‘locks’, ‘restricts’ and ‘restrains’ help create a mental picture of the limitations poverty puts on people’s lives. It is also helpful to use phrases that illustrate how poverty reduces choices and makes it hard for people to change their situations; for example, talking about ‘being pulled under by poverty’ or ‘powerful currents’ that are working against families, such as low wages. This helps remove stigma and blame.
• When talking about solutions (in the wider sense), you can present benefits as ‘helping to loosen poverty’s grip’, and explain that the economy we have was designed, and so can also be redesigned for the better.
• Use stories and statistics to complement these recommendations, by linking them to values of justice and compassion, and to the way the economy restrains people.
• Stay hopeful and positive! Remind the person you’re speaking to of the better world you’re striving for and be clear that it is achievable.
• Be aware that some colleagues may themselves be experiencing financial hardship. Are there ways that your school can support these staff members?