Tackling Deprivation

Question 1

Compensatory education

Answer 1

Compensatory education programmes aim to tackle the problem of cultural & material deprivation by providing extra resources to schools & communities in deprived areas. They often target early socialisation to compensate (‘make-up for’) children who may be culturally &/or materially deprived at home.

best known example is Operation Head Start in the USA

In Britain, there have been several compensatory education programmes, such as Education Action Zones in the late 1990s, set up in socially disadvantaged areas, where unemployment, poverty, poor housing & overcrowding, ill-health & a lack of self-confidence & aspiration contributed to poor educational performance. This initiative was rebranded as Excellence in Cities in 2005