External Factors: Material Deprivation

Question 1

Housing

Answer 1

Waldfogel & Washbrook (2010) point out that children from low-income families are more likely to live in crowded or damp accommodation than other children, and are more likely to have a home that is dark, unclean or unsafe.

Young children especially, development can be impaired through lack of space for safe play & exploration. Families living in temporary (bed & breakfast) accommodation may find themselves having to move frequently, resulting in constant changes of school & disrupted education

Question 1

Housing A03

Answer 1

Warwick University found that many students face selection or admission by mortgage whereby wealthier middle-class parents can move into the catchment area of good schools, leaving less successful schools full of working-class students.

The accumulated effects of the environment on children’s behaviour in deprived areas mean schools in such areas are more likely to have discipline problems that prevent students from learning, & a higher turnover of teachers which both have a huge affect on achievement levels

Question 2

Diet and health

Answer 2

Howard: young people from poorer homes have lower intakes of energy, vitamins & minerals. Poor nutrition affects health, e.g. by weakening the immune system & lowering children’s energy levels. This may result in more absences from school due to illness, & difficulties concentrating in class.

A 2006 study by Feinstein found poor diet amongst low income groups can affect school performance, interaction with peers, & reduce self-esteem e.g. not able to concentrate, irritability, aggressive behaviour & personality changes. Feinstein found diet to have a direct impact on children’s ability to think in the short- & long-term

Question 3

Diet and health A03

Answer 3

2013 Ofsted reported that SATs results for 11 yr olds show that children on free school meals do less well than their classmates, and the pattern continues to GCSE level. Last year just 66% of those known to be eligible for free school meals reached the expected level in English & maths compared with 82% of all other pupils.

Question 4

Financial support & the costs of education

Answer 4

Lack of financial support means that children from poor families have to do without equipment & miss out on experiences that would enhance their educational achievement. Bull refers to this as ‘the costs of free schooling’.

A study in the Oxford area by Emily Tanner et al (2003) found that the cost of items such as transport, uniforms, books, computers, calculators, & sports, music & art equipment, places a heavy burden on poor families.

As a result, poor children may have to make do with hand-me-downs & cheaper but unfashionable equipment, & this may result in being isolated, stigmatised or bullied by peers

Question 5

Financial support & the costs of education

Answer 5

Smith & Noble point out the importance of material factors in influencing class differences in educational achievement. For example, having money allows parents to provide computers &/or internet access, educational toys, books, a healthy diet, more space in the home to do homework

Also, going to university usually involves getting into debt to cover the cost of tuition fees, books & living expenses. Attitudes towards debt may deter working-class students from going to university. Callender & Jackson found that attitude to debt was important in deciding whether to apply to university. The most debt averse students (typically working-class) were over 5 times less likely to apply than the most debt tolerant students (typically middle-class).