Rising Poverty in UK Schools and Teachers' Search for Solutions
In England, where the number of impoverished children in schools has spiraled out of control, teachers have started to care for students whose self-care needs are not met due to financial hardships, even outside of school hours. In addition to hunger, teachers trying to assist children living in unsuitable homes or unable to sleep due to the cold have prepared a care program to wash students' school uniforms and provide weekly baths for hygiene.
Jonny Uttley, CEO of the Education Alliance, which operates 11 schools in Hull and East Yorkshire, stated that 90% of the children in his region live with families dependent on food banks. Uttley, mentioning that children buy cheap energy drinks to suppress their hunger, said, “We can't just teach in a bubble and ignore this.” He highlighted that many students in his school lack sufficient beds and live in overcrowded homes, leading to hundreds of students coming to school sleep-deprived. Uttley shared that teachers in his school often take children who cannot focus in class due to fatigue to special rooms to sleep for an hour or two.
A research initiative on impoverished children in the country, conducted by eight leading universities in England and the Centre for Young Lives, revealed in their latest report that there are over 4 million children living in poverty in England. Anne Longfield, founder of the Centre for Young Lives and former children's commissioner, noted that the government has failed to distribute public services equally over the last decade and that schools need more support to combat child poverty.