Outline some of the ways in which material deprivation may affect educational achievement

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Kirsty Downey 13D

Outline some of the ways in which material deprivation may affect educational achievement.

Material deprivation is known as poverty. It is a lack of basic necessities such as adequate diet, housing, clothing or the money to buy these things. In education, material deprivation theory explains working class under achievement as the result of the lack of such resources. Unlike cultural deprivation theorists, who blame educational failure on the inadequacy of working class subculture, many other sociologists see material deprivation as the main cause of under achievement. Poverty is closely linked to educational under-achievement for example

  • In 2006 only 33% of children receiving free school meals gained five or more GCSE’s at A*-C, as against 61% of pupils not receiving free school meals.
  • According to Jan Flaherty (2004), money problems in the family were a significant factor in younger children’s non-attendance at school.
  • Exclusion and truancy are more likely for children from poorer families, children excluded from school are unlikely to return to mainstream education, while a third of all persistent truants leave school with no qualifications.
  • Nearly 90% of ‘failing’ schools are located in deprived areas.
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There is a close link between poverty and social class. Working class families are much more likely to have low incomes or inadequate housing. Factors such as these can affect their children’s education in several ways. The first reason is housing. Poor housing can affect pupil’s achievement both directly and indirectly. For example over crowding can have a direct effect by making it harder for the child to study. Overcrowding means less room for educational activities, nowhere to do homework, disturbed sleep from sharing beds or bedrooms. For young children especially, development can be impaired thought lack of space ...

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