Tackling financial barriers to education for children and young people
In this Forum meeting, we were delighted to welcome Kirsty Campbell, Cost of the School Day Voice Participation Officer, and Sara Spencer, Cost of the School Day Project Manager, of Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) in Scotland. CPAG works to strengthen public commitment to end child poverty, campaigns for evidence-based policy solutions to child poverty and uses welfare rights expertise to maximise family incomes. Sara and Kirsty work on the Cost of the School Day project at CPAG which focuses on tackling financial barriers to education for children from low income households.
Sara and Kirsty shared learning from ongoing Cost of the School Day work with schools, local authorities and children and young people. They focused in particular on practical actions to reduce cost pressures and stigma, increase family incomes and support children’s participation, learning and wellbeing.
Attendees heard about:
- Child poverty in Scotland - current picture and key challenges
- The impact of poverty on children's right to education and their readiness to learn
- Poverty related stigma for children and their parents and carers
- What children and young people say should change - calls to government, local authorities and schools
- Income maximisation and poverty-aware communication in schools
- Cost of the School Day resources, including the Voice network for children and young people
Download the presentation slides
Download the Cost of the School Day resources flyer
About the Education Forum
At CELCIS, we are privileged to convene and coordinate a free, open-access network of practitioners and leaders who are involved or interested in the education of children with experience of care, and their families. We encourage and facilitate opportunities for practitioners to come together in a reflective, challenging and enabling space.
Membership is free and open to anyone with an interest in this area of education. We have members who are students, foster carers, health visitors, teachers and academics - so many different roles are represented.
To find out more about the Forum, visit the Education Forum webpage