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Every child in Britain has the right to a free state education. Yet for many years there has been a widespread concern that the costs involved in sending a child to school cause real problems for many families. Paying for uniforms, school trips, lesson materials and other equipment can lead to debt and financial hardship. Children without the necessary resources may be bullied, disadvantaged academically and left isolated within school.
This campaign briefing, produced jointly by Barnardo’s, Child Poverty Action Group, Citizens Advice, End Child Poverty, the Family Welfare Association, the Harpur Trust, One Parent Families, the National Union of Teachers and Save the Children, highlights these concerns and makes recommendations for policies to tackle the problem. These include:
- All schools should have an equal opportunities policy to ensure that no child is excluded from an activity due to inability to pay
- OFSTED should conduct a ‘themed inspection’ on the impact of school policies on children from deprived backgrounds
- The government should make funds available for all local authorities to provide grants for school uniform.
There is also action that schools and local education authorities can do take to help combat the problem. Using ‘off the peg’ instead of ‘designer’ uniform, providing opportunities for parents to buy second hand uniform and ensuring that school trips offer the best value for money are amongst the recommendations contained in the briefing.
For more information, please contact Katie Lane, Social Policy Officer
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