The Network for Social and Educational Equity’s researchers Stuart Hall and Kevin Lowden have co-authored a paper on poverty and school education in Scotland.
Titled Beyond the Pandemic: Poverty and School Education in Scotland, the paper explores the rise in child poverty and the impact on educational attainment. It presents a series of research findings and insights by leading researchers on the key themes in Scottish education that were highly relevant in the pre-Covid and pre Ukraine war era; themes that will continue to be very relevant in the years to come.
The most recent figures indicated that approximately one in four children were living in poverty in Scotland in 2020 (24%) (Child Poverty Action Group, 2023a). This means that 240,000 children were living in relative poverty after housing costs (Scottish Government, 2021a).
Child poverty in Scotland
These statistics refer to the period 2017–2020 as the pandemic impacted on data collection for 2020/2022. There have been priorities in the strategies to address the issue of child poverty in Scotland and a number of prominent areas in research have emerged.
Research findings call for the pressing need for effective intervention, sustainable solutions and warn of the continued grave consequences of the rise in child poverty in the post-pandemic era.
The paper highlights the digital divide—i.e. the gap that exists between individuals who have access to modern information and communication technology and those who lack access—and warns that if this is not adequately addressed in the UK, there will be four million adults by 2024 who will not possess the digital skills for employment in this new age (Unicef, 2021), pointing out that it leaves adults unable to participate fully in society and that work must be done to ensure all children and young people are digitally empowered.
Grants don’t cover costs
The paper also points out that while the wearing of school uniforms can help reduce stigma and non-attendance, its costs are not fully covered by the national minimum clothing grant.
The paper concludes that there are existing examples of good practice in collaborative and joined-up strategies to tackle poverty and education. The Child Poverty Bill and action has been integrated into wider measures to tackle poverty in Scottish society in recognition that poverty is an issue for society, not just schools and the impetus for the action on child poverty is within the context of aims to increase viable employment opportunities for adults, support adults into employment and increase benefits.
The Regional Improvement Collaboratives (RICs) are a good example of an initiative that promotes focused and sustained collaboration among the local authorities for a common goal: tackling the poverty related equity gap.
The research with student teachers could be expanded to other universities and other parts of Scotland. There is the potential to raise the national minimum clothing grant to ease the hardship experienced by families on low incomes, and there is scope for other collaborative and joined-up strategies at all levels that recognise the underpinning relationship between poverty and inequity.
Beyond the Pandemic: Poverty and School Education in Scotland was written by Stephen J. McKinney from the School of Education, University of Glasgow, along with Archie Graham, Stuart Hall, Katie Hunter, Angela Jaap, Kevin Lowden, Lindsay MacDougall, John H. McKendrick, Peter Mtika, Lio Moscardini, Lisamarie Reid, Michelle Ritchie, Dean Robsona, Rachel Shanks, Sebastian Stettin and Alastair Wilson.