Teachers unions have commented on the Sutton Trust "Background to Success" report on disadvantaged pupils, stressing that austerity measures affecting school funding make it extremely difficult for students from poorer communities to access quality education.
NUT: more school funding and less of the political agenda on accountability and testing
“Education policy needs to take account of the differing experiences that children have in their communities and at home, and not assume that schools alone can overcome the multiple and significant challenges posed by poverty and social disadvantage,” said Kevin Courtney, Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) affiliated to Education International (EI), reacting to the Sutton Trust "Background to Success" report released on 12 November.
Impartial and independent careers advice, school trips and study opportunities alongside reading for pleasure schemes, which the NUT has long campaigned for, will certainly boost attainment for disadvantaged students, he said, adding that, however, with many schools on the brink of a financial crisis unless the government seriously boosts school funding, we need accurate assessment of what is realistic.
If the call by many MPs for fairer funding is not accompanied by extra resources, leading to resources being diverted from poorer communities, then the problems that the report addresses will only intensify, he warned.
Courtney also noted that the political agenda on accountability and testing risks widening the achievement gap still further because it generates a one-size-fits-all curriculum. Children, in all communities, need teachers who are not demoralised by excessive workload and who have time to create a rich and rewarding curriculum for every student, he stressed.
“What we need is a credible, constructive and collegiate school improvement strategy and a serious government-led effort to reduce inequality and the number of children living in poverty,” he said.
ATL: government must eradicate child poverty and tackle the root causes of disadvantage
Dr Mary Bousted, General Secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, another EI member organisation, also insisted that the Sutton Trust's research shows that “the so-called austerity agenda is having a devastating impact on disadvantaged children and white working class boys in particular.”
She went on to say that the removal of the education maintenance allowance, good face-to-face careers advice and swingeing cuts to local authority funding have all made it harder for young people to realise their full potential. Any new funding settlement following the comprehensive spending review must provide fairness to schools in disadvantaged areas to ensure pupils with the greatest needs get sufficient funding and support so they can achieve better educational outcomes.
She explained that instead of tampering with poverty measures while thousands of children are relying on food banks, the government needs to make a commitment to eradicate child poverty and tackle the root causes of disadvantage.