The Price of Education

Children from low-income families can be held back at school by the costs associated with meals, trips and every-day equipment, suggests a year-long study by the Child Poverty Action Group involved 340 pupils and 120 staff at eight primary and secondary schools across Glasgow.

It identified basic cost barriers to some pupils reaching their potential. These were identified as uniform, travel, learning, meals, trips, clubs, fun events and attitudes to poverty.

 Stephen Curran, the council's executive member for education and young people, said: "It is estimated in Glasgow that one in three children are in poverty - affecting almost 36,000 of our children. This can result in them feeling excluded from school activities, trips, meals or simply finding it difficult to take part in routine school tasks like submitting homework which requires online access.”

John Dickie, director of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, added: "No child should ever miss out or be made to feel awkward at school just because their families are struggling on a low income but our work tells that all too often they do.”