CYP Now - Child poverty impacting school staff roles

An increase child poverty rates has seen school staff take on greater responsibility for issues including sourcing food vouchers and learning equipment for children, new research finds.

Child poverty rates have increased since the pandemic amid the cost-of-living crisis. Picture: Adobe Stock

A survey by the Education Anti-Poverty Coalition reveals that 79 per cent of teachers have had to take on extra poverty-mitigation tasks, including dealing with dinner money debt and sourcing food bank vouchers and home equipment for families.

Almost nine in 10 per staff say child poverty in their school has increased over the last two academic years, with 68 per cent also reporting that there are more pupils who don’t have enough money for food at lunchtime.

Despite this, 51 per cent of staff say schools have less capacity to support struggling families and children, with employment cuts cited as one reason for this.

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