Commenting on Investigating the changing landscape of pupil
disadvantage, a report by the National Foundation for
Educational Research (NFER), Dr Mary Bousted, Joint
General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"We know the impact that coronavirus has had on families living
on the brink. The NFER report shows that Covid-19 has
precipitated a sharp increase in the number of families in
poverty, with the number of free-school-meals-eligible pupils
increasing by almost 300,000 between January 2020 and 2021.
"Thousands more pupils from families on low incomes are slipping
through the cracks and are not receiving the financial support to
which they are entitled. A staggering one million children in
poverty across the UK remain ineligible for free school meals,
according to Child Poverty Action Group. No child should come to
school too hungry to learn.
"We are concerned that the help that is now offered to families
has been cut down to completely inadequate levels and more and
more families are being pushed into poverty. The effects of
poverty in childhood can last a lifetime and impact on education
in multiple ways.
"The Government must act urgently to create the conditions in
which all children can thrive and learn and ensure that no child
is held back as a result of poverty."
