Commenting on Tackling the persistent disadvantage gap, a report from the Education Policy Institute, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"The impact poverty has on children and young people’s education is immense. Hunger, worry, lack of suitable clothing and housing are not burdens shaken off when you enter the classroom.
"The National Funding Formula is reallocating resources from the most deprived schools to the least deprived schools. We agree with the EPI that this needs to be addressed in order to achieve the Government's mission to break down barriers for disadvantaged pupils. The education system, from early years through to post-16, is in dire need of funding and support.
"While greater support for persistently disadvantaged pupils is needed within schools, the Government must also remedy the causes, to reduce how many children are living in poverty and break the cycle. The failure to remove the deeply damaging two-child benefit limit or to extend free school meals will entrench poverty for hundreds of thousands of children."
Editor’s Note