A report finds soaring levels of child poverty throughout the United Kingdom adversely affects educational outcomes as well as job prospects.
“Life while you're hungry feels impossible, and the physical feeling combined with the constant anxiety of whether you're going to see your mam eat a meal this week is suffocating. The physical impact of poverty is so important to discuss. We cannot skip over the obvious facts of how detrimental a diet lacking nutrient and quality substances can be on a child's health. The fatigue, the weakening immune system and the never-ending scary list of potential long-term impacts. I remember so vividly the times in school where I was eating less and the impact that had on me.” There were 2 versions of Sophia: the nourished, excited and passionate Sophia with aspirations to change the world, and there was the fatigued, uninterested, drained Sophie. A young person who feels like they do not deserve a hot meal or school shoes without holes in them, or a bedroom without mould up the walls. In what would this person feel worthy enough to have these aspirations to aim for goals like university?
And I can say from experience this is not a feeling that leaves you. The feeling of 'not deserving' does not disappear. When you get that pass in your G.C.S.E.S {final school year exams in England} or when you have left the family home to get a job or go to university, it's a feeling that stays with you, festering. All of this while everyone questions why people do not just 'work harder' and break those cycles of poverty. I think of the younger me sitting in lessons anxious about money, bills, and food, at a time I should have worried about homework or sports day.
“I reflect on my hard-working mam who would go days on end without eating. I reflect on the younger me always pretending I was full and leaving food on the plate so mam wouldn't feel guilt…” So states Sophie Balmer, in a recent report on child poverty by the North Center for Young Lives and English Universities. Sophia should know. She grew up in a one-parent home where she could only dream of a two or three-meal day.
Sophia is from the City of Newcastle, a city famous for being one of the main catalysts of the World's First Industrial Revolution—and of the coal industry. But ironically, it is also home to some wonderful ale, a down-to-earth humor, warm hospitality, and the silly proverb 'Never ship coal to Newcastle.' Unfortunately, the city surfaces again and again in repeated reports as a city afflicted with widespread poverty. But the key words which sum up the devastating impact of how poverty scars children is 'It never leaves you.' For instance, a person who was formerly homeless wakens up surprised to find there is a roof above their head, a persistent feeling that they don't deserve to enjoy a decent meal while other fellow children still remain hungry and a lingering low self-esteem where an old voice tells you ' What have you done to deserve this?'
All this while no child deserves poverty!
The report makes grim reading. As many as 4.3 million children in Britain are growing up in poverty. Those children born into the 5th poorest families are 13 times more likely to experience poor health and education by 17 years of age.
The report outlines the devastating impact of child poverty in terms of physical and mental health as well as education. A child growing up in poverty is more likely to play truant, fail their exams and attain a low paid job. They are more prone to obesity, drug abuse, imprisonment and early teenage pregnancy. And Anne Longfield and Camilla Kingdon who authored the report warn, “The overall cost of our country's high levels of poverty is mind boggling—estimated at 38 billion pounds per year due to loss of future earnings and taxes, benefits costs and additional public support.”
This is hardly the first report confirming a massive rate of child poverty in Britain. Sadly, it is unlikely to be the last! The report mentions how previous research by The Children's Society found a 107% increase in children receiving emergency food in 2020 and suggested 3 in 10 children are living in poverty in the U.K. It comes as no revelation that a recently published 'World Happiness Report' found that the number of unhappy young people had dramatically increased in Britain. The report identified a lack of affordable housing, poverty, lack of work training and new skills, and the rise of social networks as being some of the main factors fueling the rise in unhappiness…
The report also stated, “Young adults are being hit from all sides by a toxic combination of government policy, a housing affordability crisis, stagnating wages, and a high cost of living.”
So what does the report recommend to get to grips with such poverty? The report proposes tackling poverty from three broad directions:
Firstly, the government must be seriously committed to prioritizing the aim of eradicating poverty and removing the barriers to preventing poor children entering further education. For instance, in Scotland the government have formulated a Child Poverty Delivery plan with Scottish child payments of 25 pounds per child, per week. Due to these measures, it is estimated that 90,000 fewer Scottish children will live in relative and absolute poverty. In contrast, England is unwilling to formulate—never mind implement—such a strategy.
Secondly, create a real coherent and combined national strategy that utilizes the existing educational infrastructure. Found a multiple public service unit seriously committed to eradicating child poverty through a connected inter-departmental approach. The government ought to appoint a 'Poverty Tsar' who can wield real clout rather than just be a token figure head. There should also be improved social benefits, universal free meals for all poor school children, more educational psychologists, and teachers available in schools.
Thirdly, the government must target the most disadvantaged communities and operate at a very local level by working with those activists at a grassroots level who are more aware of the problems connected with poverty at a base level.
In sum, the report comes up with welcome thought-up proposals which any decent person would seek to implement. Unfortunately, poverty is often viewed as a normal and natural thing where there is nothing to be done about it. Some see it as natural as the rain. They claim, “the poor will always be with us.”
But this belief represents an insult to human intelligence.
Humanity has the inborn capacity plus resources to come up with a solution. No child deserves to be humiliated by poverty!