Commenting on new research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation
showing the impact that hardship is having on families, children
and staff in primary schools and primary and community healthcare
settings, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the
National Education Union, said:
“Today's report from the JRF provides a damning insight of how
our public services arestruggling as they go above and beyond to
plug gaps left by government. Schools and their staff are
increasingly bearing the weight of addressing poverty in society
– a responsibility which must lie with government. How can it be
right that primary schools are now key providers of food aid?
‘This new research adds to a now substantial amount of evidence -
which all tells the same story of schools having to deal with
problems they are not equipped for. Three in five of our members
say they or their school provide extra food for hungry pupils
from their own pockets. As the JRF's report shows, 9 in 10
primary school staff say pupils' hardship is now having an impact
on them. It cannot carry on like this.
‘An incoming government must recognise and address the causes and
impacts of child poverty. Schools need to be poverty-proofed and
it cannot be left to staff to feed hungry children from their own
already stretched incomes. Solutions need to begin outside of the
school gate, with the immediate removal of the two-child benefit
cap and the introduction of Free School Meals to all pupils.
Until these things happen, our state will continue to be shamed
by its inaction against the scourge of child poverty”.
ENDS
Note to editors:
- The National Education Union stands
up for the future of education. It brings together the voices of
half a million teachers, lecturers, support staff and leaders
working in maintained and independent schools and colleges across
the UK, to form the largest education union in Europe.
- It is an independent, registered
trade union and professional association, representing its
members in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the Isle
of Man, and the Channel Islands.
- The National Education Union is
affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), European Trade
Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and Education International
(EI). It is not affiliated to any political party and seeks to
work constructively with all the main political parties.
