Commenting on the government’s child poverty strategy, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"Today’s announcement is a long-overdue acknowledgement that child poverty is not inevitable, it is a consequence of political choices. The decision to scrap the two-child limit, which the NEU and others have long campaigned for, will make a real difference to the lives of millions of children.
"Educators see every day how poverty damages children’s ability to learn, coming to school hungry, cold, or without the basics they need. They have been plugging the gaps for far too long. If implemented with urgency and backed by proper investment, this strategy could begin to turn the tide.
"Extending free school meals and breakfast clubs are steps in the right direction and an acknowledgment of the scourge of child hunger in our schools, holding back the potential of so many children. However, government needs to go further and follow the example of Wales and London to roll out FSM for all primary school children, so no child is left behind.
"It is right that this strategy seeks to end the unlawful placement of families in bed and breakfasts beyond the six-week limit, as long periods in temporary accommodation causes huge damage and instability to children's education. Removing the benefit cap and restoring adequacy to benefits also needs to be addressed to help lift thousands of families out of financial hardship.
"A strategy without ambitious targets will fail to safeguard vital aims of the taskforce’s work. Warm words will not heat homes or help children concentrate in class."