Material Deprivation

• What are the 3 aspects in material deprivation which affect student achievement?

  • Housing
  • Diet and health
  • Finance
• How does housing affect a students achievement?

  • Overcrowding in rooms make it harder to do homework. Overcrowding can also disrupt sleep, discouraging people from going school and getting some sleep instead.
  • The development of children is impaired when they lack space for safe play and exploration
  • If students are constantly moving houses, then they'll most likely move schools too which disrupts learning.
  • Poor housing can cause injury or ill health which can cause absences from school
• Why does diet and health affect achievement in education?

  • Young people from poorer houses are more likely to not meet their nutrient intake and have lower energy. This would affect health and cause absences from school due to illness.
  • Children from poorer homes are more likely to have emotional or behavioural problems leading to a negative affect on the child's education.
  • Studies found that children from low income families are more likely to engage in externalising behaviour such as fighting which would likely disrupt their schooling
• How does finance affect achievement in education?

  • Unable to afford equipment and miss out on experiences that may enhance their educational achievement. Referred to as the cost of free schooling.
  • Poor children may have to make do with hand downs and cheaper but unfashionable equipment. Could result in bullying or stigmatised.
  • Poverty acts a barrier to education since pupils can't afford educational materials.
  • Children have to work which can have a negative impact on schoolwork
• What is the fear of debt for people from poorer backgrounds?

  Working class students are more debt averse in studies found. They saw more costs than benefits by going to university.

  Debt averse students are less likely to go to university than higher class students.

  Working class students who do go to university are less likely to get financial aid from family.

  fear of debt and limited financial support explains why less students from working class backgrounds go to university.
• The fact that some working class students still go to university shows that material deprivation is only part of the answer to underachievement.