Material Deprivation (External)

Question 1

What does material deprivation mean?

Answer 1

Refers to poverty and a lack of material necessities like adequate housing and income

Question 2

Give statistics that show poverty is linked to educational achievement

Answer 2

• The Department for Education showed that barely a third of pupils eligible for FSM, used to measure child poverty, achieve 5 or more GCSEs at A*-C including English and maths, against two thirds of other pupils
• There is 13.7% attainment 8 gap between FSM pupils and other pupils

Question 3

What are the material factors that affect achievement?

Answer 3

• Housing
• Diet and health
• Fear of debt
• Costs of schooling

Question 4

How does overcrowding affect achievement? (housing)

Answer 4

• It made it harder for the child to study
• It means less room for educational activities, nowhere for homework, disturbed sleep from shared room
• For young children, development can be impaired through lack of space for play and exploration

Question 5

How does temporary accommodation affect achievement? (housing)

Answer 5

• They would have to move often leading to changes of school and disrupted education
• Families in temporary accommodation suffer more psychological distress meaning more absences in school

Question 6

How does cold and damp condition affect achievement? (housing)

Answer 6

Can cause ill health meaning impaired ability in school or more absences

Question 7

Give a limitation for housing as a factor that affects achievement

Answer 7

Children can do work, if they have difficulty doing at home, in school without distractions

Question 8

Why does poor diet and health happen in WC families more?

Answer 8

• The WC may not invest in healthier foods.
• e.g. the cost of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat are more expensive than frozen food.
• Choosing unhealthy food may be due to a lack of funds

Question 9

How does poor diet affect achievement? (diet and health)

Answer 9

• Howard notes young people in poorer homes have less intake of energy, vitamins and minerals. Poor nutrition affects the immune system and lowers children’s energy levels.
• A poor diet high in sugars or vitamin E may lead to hyperactivity
• Results in more absences due to illness and difficulties concentrating in class

Question 10

How does emotional or behavioural problems affect achievement? (diet and health)

Answer 10

Wilkinson suggests, among 10 yr old’s, the lower the social class, the higher rate of hyperactivity, anxiety and conduct disorders, which are likely to have a negative effect on the child’s education

Question 11

Give a limitation for poor diet and health as a factor that affects achievement

Answer 11

Children should be provided with appropriate meals, especially as most WC are on FSM, so then nutrition should be provided

Question 12

How does being debt-averse affect achievement? (fear of debt)

Answer 12

• Attitudes towards debt may deter WC pupils from going university.
• Jackson found WC pupils are more debt averse, they saw debt negatively and must be avoided

Question 13

How does not receiving financial support affect achievement? (fear of debt)

Answer 13

• WC students who do go university are less likely to receive financial support from their families
• A National Union of Students found from a sample of less than 4,000 that 81% of higher social class receive finicial help from home compared to 43% of the lower social class

Question 14

How does limited choice in universities affect achievement? (fear of debt)

Answer 14

• Reay found WC students are more likely to go to local universities, so they could stay at home and save on travel costs, but gave them less opportunity to go to higher status schools
• They were also more likely to work part-time to fund their studies, making it more difficult for them to gain higher-class degrees

Question 15

Give a support for fear of debt as a factor affects achievement

Answer 15

• Sugarman may argue this debt averse is a result of socialisation (present-time orientation)
• Rather than seeing the value of temporary debt, they are being socialised to believe it isn’t worth it

Question 16

What is the cost of schooling?

Answer 16

• Lack of financial support means children from poor families have to do without equipment and miss out on experiences that would enhance their achievement
• Bull refers to the ‘costs of free schooling’, which is all the hidden costs such as equipment, uniform etc, placing a burden on poor families

Question 17

What are the effects of costs of schooling on children?

Answer 17

• Poor children have to make do with hand-me-downs and cheaper but unfashionable equipment, this may result in being isolated or bullied by peers
• As for many children, suitable clothes are essential for self-esteem and ‘fitting in’

Question 18

Give a counterargument of costs of schooling

Answer 18

Douglas and Feinstein may argue that WC parents don’t know how to spend their money, so it isn’t the cost of schooling that affects WC pupils, its their lack of knowledge.

Question 19

Describe the cultural or material factors debate

Answer 19

• Mortimore and Whitty argue material inequalities have the greatest effect. For this reason, Robinson argues tackling child poverty would be the most effective way to boost achievement
• But material factors play a part in achievement, the fact some poorer children do succeed shows that material deprivation is only part of the explanation
• e.g. cultural or religious values of the family may play a part in creating and sustaining the child’s motivation, despite poverty. Feinstein shows that educated parents make a positive contribution to a child’s achievement, regardless of their income level