Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the report from the Education Policy Institute focusing on the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.
“This report is both important and timely, highlighting how the combined effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, child poverty, and the cost-of-living crisis have exacerbated the disadvantage gap.
“These statistics represent diminished life chances for many children and young people, deepening societal inequalities and hindering economic progress.
“Schools and colleges are striving to support all their students, but they are operating with insufficient funding and staffing. Their efforts are further hampered by a crisis in the SEND system and lack of capacity in overwhelmed and under-resourced local support services for children and families.
“The Education Policy Institute has outlined a strong set of priorities for the new government. We especially emphasise the urgent need for a cross-government child poverty strategy.
“It is unacceptable that over four million children in the UK live in poverty, with approximately one million experiencing poverty so severe that it is classified as destitution.
“Poverty is detrimental not only to their welfare but also adversely affects their education, as children in these conditions are unlikely to be in a fit state to learn. We cannot claim to be a civilised and caring society while this situation persists. Addressing this dire issue must be a top priority for the new government.”